Robert Holding, a young English sailor, was only 23 in 1864 when he and 19 others were shipwrecked on the windswept, inhospitable Auckland Islands in the sub-Antarctic Ocean south of New Zealand. When rescued a year later, he was one of only three survivors - the rest having died from starvation and exposure. Written by Holding's great-granddaughter, this is a tale of adventure and survival. Using survivors accounts, including Holding's, various ship records, Madelene Ferguson Allen describes this piece of maritime history and examines the sailors' struggle for survival.