Lucky Jim... I particularly liked these as well. They were entertaining, but also taught some skills and showed what a positive mindset could do in a tough situation...
Yeah, most of us have never been in a survival situation so books are priceless for letting us share the experiences of those who've been through it.
Regarding Alexander Selkirk (the real Crusoe), his 'prepping list' is interesting-
"Selkirk took ashore with him a musket, bullets, gun powder, a few carpenter tools, some extra clothing and bedding, tobacco, a hatchet and most importantly as it turned out later, a Bible. He found a cave near the beach to live in but during the first months he was so terrified by his isolation and loneliness that he rarely left the beach, living on shell fish. For days Selkirk sat on the beach looking to the horizon hoping to see a ship to rescue him. He even contemplated suicide more than once"
Alexander Selkirk: part 2
Interestingly, Bear Grylls also rates a Bible highly too, he said on TV-
"My Christian faith is my backbone"
For bad prepping, the French army in Moscow botched it bigtime; they were in the city for 6 weeks in the autumn of 1812, but instead of loading up with food and warm clothes for the winter retreat, they loaded up with booty in the form of silverware, fancy furniture, sculptures, artwork, grandfather clocks etc which they hoped to sell back in Paris.
During the retreat they realised their mistake and dumped it by the side of the road because they were too weak and frostbitten to carry it.
Thousands starved and others only survived by eating the cavalry's horses-