Product Description
Leading archaeologist and consummate storyteller James Delgado takes readers on a rollicking deep-sea dive into his highly unusual life's work: locating and exploring the world's most famous shipwrecks. Colorful characters, near misses, and the thrill of standing — or floating — in history's footprints make for a highly entertaining look at the fascinating history and glittering bounty beneath the waves.Included are accounts of Pearl Harbor, the Titanic, and Bikini Atoll, site of the world's first nuclear tests. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Adventures of a Ses Hunter: In Search of Famous Shipwrecks
I like the topic and written information, but it would have been more interesting if the book had more pictures of the original object and then follow up pictures of the search for the object and in various stages.The author could have followed more of the process Clive Cussler used in his Sea Hunter series.Over-all, I still like the subject and the written historical information.

Good Read Hampered By Poor Editing And Few Photos
I've had a fascination with shipwrecks since my grandpa showed me an encyclopedia painting of the Lusitania sinking when I was about 3 years old. I'm also a #1 fan of Clive Cussler and his NUMA adventures.

This book gives a little story about each ship, then goes into the results of what is there now, or was when the author visited each site. There are some fascinating bits and pieces here. His attitude about access to the ships didn't bother me as much as the poor editing and lack of substantial photos. I'd get this buildup to each vessel, but the carrot at the end of the stick was nothing but text. Maybe his publishing budget didn't allow for more photos, but I really think it would've sold better if he added a little more pizzazz to it.

Still, for anyone interested in shipwrecks, I highly recommend this one, despite the flaws.

Kinda Disappointing overall
I have been thinking about what I wanted to say in a review of this book as I finished it up over the past few days. Then I read the review by "Scotty Mon" and he says it all. I agree with him 100%. I got real tired of the attitude that Delgado constantly pushes that only archaeologists should be allowed to dive on these wreck sites (because everyone else is a treasure hunter who steals all the artifacts without studying the history). He echoes the opinions of Dan Lenihan (author of Submerged), founder of the NPS SCRU, and actually credits Lenihan with instilling this attitude in him. I want to read about the history of the wrecks and what they're like on the seabed now; the professional archaeologists do precious little to present that info and observations to the general public in an interesting and accessible manner.

There are very few pictures in this book and nothing that significantly serves to illustrate what Delgado saw when he was diving. Actually, most of the back half of the book is a promo for his Sea Hunters TV show. I guess you have to buy the series on DVD or watch it on TV if you want to see anything insteresting that he describes in his dives.

However, with all of the previous said, I still recommend this book as he presents interesting historical info on each wreck and then gives a brief writeup of his dives and digs. His brevity leaves you wanting so much more though! He does a good job sharing his observations and makes you feel like you are there; and his writing style is well-paced and enjoyable.

Facinating!
Personally, I found this book fascinating and intriguing look into underwater archaeology. Having been on archaeological sites myself this type of book is like candy for the mind. It's like a real life Indiana Jones. Besides, a lot of archaeology is getting excited about something as mundane as a peanut. It allows us to see how people ate, farmed, etc in the past and to draw parallels into how we live now. Also, to rebut the previous commentary about the book sounding like it was written by a bureaucrat spending tax payers dollars let me enlighten you about how this works. 1) It can be very hard to get tax dollars to do archaeology. 2) A lot of work researching in books and archives goes into a site before it is even excavated/dived on. 3) Depending on the type of site determines how much excavation is done. 4) Private funding went into some of the sites mentioned in the book.
Clive Cussler, who wrote the foreword, pays for, and does, a lot of research without ever tapping into the governments piggy bank. Same with how the Vrow Maria was discovered, etc. So, a word to the wise, before you trash something down and harshly critique it understand just what you're talking about. Uninformed commentary just sounds ignorant. Shipwrecks are sacred gravesites, and accident sites in some cases, but they do need to be treated with respect and care. Would one have so callous an opinion about the pyramids in Egypt? Or perhaps an American Civil War battlefield? You tell me.

Adventures of a Sea Hunter? Hardly
This book wouldn't be so disappointing if the title wasn't so midleading. "In Search of Famous Shipwrecks"? Delgado didn't search for or find any of them. The author simply writes about previously discovered wreck sites and offers mundane accounts of his visits. His enthusiasm and historical perspective are commendable but reeks of a bureacrat trying to justify flying around at taxpayer expense.

The book offers nothing more than the author's very pedestrian assessments of these wreck sites. He discovers nothing and takes zero risk. Where is the adventure?. He describes finding a 150-year old peanut on one wreck. So what! Delgado begs the reader to pay homage to him but the title should be "The Follow-Up Visits of a Sea Janitor".

It gets old reading the ongoing proclamation by the author and his bureacratic archaeology brethren that these shipwrecks are sacred gravesites and should only be accessible to his kind. These sites are accident scenes and none of the victims were properly laid to rest.

If you are looking for true adventure try "Shadow Divers" or any Robert Marx book.


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Customer Reviews (7)

What a gem! Couldn't put it down!
Once in a while you come across a non-fiction that's so good you have to check the back cover to see if it's in the right category. I loved this compelling book, and couldn't put it down. I was introduced this book after seeing a great special on the History Channel called 'Skeletons on the Sahara.' There were two books on the subject, Captain Riley's personal account and Dean King's 'Skeletons on the Zahara' - a modern retelling of Riley's account. I couldn't decide which to purchase, so I bought and read both. Both books have considerable merit, but personally I enjoyed Riley's account more. King's is a great book, and were it the only one on the subject it would be excellent. It is particularly helpful and interesting in its descriptions of the desert way of life, the geography, some of the medical conditions and challenges the men faced, and the back-story on Riley - both before and after the events chronicled in the book. Riley's on the other hand has that first-person perspective, is passionately written in period style, and includes a great deal about Riley's personal faith in God and how Riley viewed his experiences and his ultimate redemption in those terms. This faith aspect is sorely missed in King's account. If you have the time and luxury both are worth the read, but if you have to make a choice I would go with Riley's compelling and inspiring work.

A great read
This was a great book. It is really nice to be able to read the real acounting.

Sufferings In Africa
I found this book to be informative and educational gving a clear picture of the geographical area as well. I felt as though I was right there with Captain Riley.

Not a modern book
Old books are better than new books and this book is the best example I can think of. The author only had 8 yrs of education and yet it's better than any modern book I've read. It's shows the amazing guiding hand of Divine Providence in the life Captain James Riley and the Arab that bought him upon the desert of the Saharah. After reading this book no liberal activist can claim that slavery only affected the black race or was only perpetrated by white people, nor could anyone deny the existence of God. From the beginning of this book to the very end God interceeded and guided James Riley back to his loved ones and into the safe arms of a Christian nation. This book should be required reading in public school and would make a wonderful supplement for home schoolers as well.The amazing sufferings upon the desert suffered by Riley and his crew are horrific and not for the squeamish, but it's hard to complain about your own minor sufferings in life after reading this book. If you only read one book in your life besides the King James Bible it should be this one.

An incredible true story and a great read
I was surprised I'd never heard of this book, supposedly one of the books Abraham Lincoln considered influential.It is the true story of an American sea captain who is shipwrecked and taken prisoner, then enslaved, by Arabs.Through his ingenious bargaining and a leap of faith, he convinces and Arab trader to trade all of his goods for the captain and some companions from his ship.He convinces the trader to take them across the Sahara, which means not only braving heat, hunger and thirst, but fighting off would be thieves as well.

The captain promises that there is a reward, that there is someone willing to pay a ransom when they get across the Sahara.The problem is, this isn't true - the Captain knows no one in the city they are headed to.The Captain and trader have made a deal that if the ransom isn't paid, the crewman will be sold as slaves and the Captain will be killed.The Captain is a linguist and learns enough Arabic to converse and to learn.He relates the tale of what happened, which is a true page turner, and the stories he hears from the Arabs.While this is an old book with a few old expressions and some racial terms no longer in use, I think it's clear that the Captain is not at heart a racist; he saw people of all colors as people.While he didn't like slavery, it was the way things were, and he accepted his fate as a slave without railing against the institution itself.Rather, he documents what happens, and makes some observations.Overall, it's a very interesting read. ... Read more

Product Description
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more

Product Description
Since the mid-1600's, eastern Long Island's shoals, sandbars and assortedsubmerged hazards have caused many an unlucky vessel to becomeshipwrecked. The frequency of wrecks rose to a grim crescendo during themid-nineteenth century as New York and New England peaked as shippingcenters. Then came the dawn of the twentieth century and the arrival ofadvanced navigational aids. Although the number of wrecks declined, thehigh drama persisted as rumrunners and German submarines kept the coasthumming with rumors and anticipation.

In MAYDAY!, author Van R. Field painstakingly assembles a compendium of Long Island's most harrowing, amazing and notorious shipwrecks and ocean-going incidents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Some unusual stories in this book
As Great Lakes shipwreck books go, this one is interesting.As the author points out, the book includes not only accounts of ships lost in the lakes, but also ships that suffered from boneheaded mistakes --in the author's words: "What were they thinking?" Kadar has chapters about several of the "important" mishaps, such as the "Eastland," the "Sachem," and the "Our Son" rescue.There are accounts of the collisions with the bridges at Allanburg, Ontario and Houghton, and Saginaw Michigan, as well as a couple of Soo Locks mishaps.

Sometimes the author tries to make more of the story than there really is.For instance, when I see the chapter title "German Submarine in the Great Lakes!" (complete with exclamation point), I expect it to be more than just a story about a captured u-boat left over from World War I, that the Navy was exhibiting to sell Victory Bonds.

One feature that I appreciated a lot:on the first page of each chapter, there was a small silhouette map of the Great Lakes, showing the location of the shipwreck to be discussed.This was a great help to me, to know instantly whether to set my mind in Chicago, the Soo Locks, Georgian Bay, or wherever, as I started to read the chapter.

I'm afraid that the editing of the book is somewhat sloppy.I know any book will have a few typos, but the books I've read from Avery Color Studios seem especially bad in this respect.In addition to the missing or incorrect puntuation and misspellings, there is actual misinformation that should have been caught.To give just one example, onPage 107, in the chapter about the Ann Arbor #4 car ferry, there is a photo of the ship on its side, in which it is identified as the "Pere Marquette 4."Sorry--wrong railroad--and the editors should have caught errors like that.I'm a native of Michigan, and I take my Michigan connections seriously.So when I see an Avery book bearing the motto "Proudly Printed in Michigan, U. S. A." and full of such atrocious editing, it makes me want to go hide my head in the sand.

Great Lakes Shipping Disasters!
Wayne Kadar's life-long interest in the Great Lakes has produced yet another volume detailing shipping disasters spanning the last 170-odd years. As revealed in STRANGE & UNUSUAL SHIPWRECKS ON THE GREAT LAKES, danger lurks everywhere on the Great Lakes and tragedy can strike with lightning speed.

First off, the title is hyperbole. To my mind, almost none of the events recounted in Kadar's book are "strange" or "unusual." Rather, STRANGE & UNUSUAL SHIPWRECKS ON THE GREAT LAKES is filled with run-of-the-mill losses due to the terrible storms generated on the Great Lakes; groundings; fires; collisions with other ships, bridges and assorted machinery; human error; and so on. There are a few "mysteries" in the book but they revolve around ships that simply sailed off and disappeared, never to be found or their loss accounted for.

That doesn't mean the stories in Kadar's book aren't interesting, exciting, sad and terrifying. They are. As are the 120-odd photographs, maps, diagrams and vintage newspaper headlines that illustrate each incident. Many of the disasters covered were new to me plus the book's a good read AND easy on the pocketbook.

Short and sweet: If your interest lies in Great Lakes shipping, you'll want to track down a copy of STRANGE & UNUSUAL SHIPWRECKS ON THE GREAT LAKES. Recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Book Synopsis - Why Buy This Book? Everyone who visits or lives in southeast North Carolina will enjoy reading this documentary on local shipwreck diving. People from age 4 to 104 will love this book. Twelve good reasons to buy this book are: * It provides short stories of the last voyage of ships that sank offshore of Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Oak Island, and Baldhead Island * It provides actual pictures of ships that sank near here, such as the Sherman, the Hebe, the Raritan, the Governor, and the City of Houston * It provides GPS #'s of many shipwrecks off the southeast NC coast * It provides color pictures and short descriptions of exotic marine life that inhabit local shipwrecks today * It reveals where local Shark Tooth Beds are located and describes the extinct megalodon that once roamed here * It discusses the local Cypress Tree Forest offshore of Ocean Isle Beach * It provides numerous embedded YouTube video hotlinks to bring to life local shipwreck diving * It describes how, when, and where to catch spiny and slipper lobster that live here * It gives important information for diving local shipwrecks, including depth, visibility, currents, type of artifacts, and marine life * It describes the local shipwreck history, from pirate ships to Civil War blockade runners, to World War II U-boat victims, to the recent Valour sinking * It tells the story of Frying Pan Tower, and retired Frying Pan Lightships * You can help us preserve the history of this area by making this book available to others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This man knows his wrecks.
When Richard Larn sets out to inform people about shipwrecks - they listen!, and they listen simply because he knows what he is talking about.

This book is set out almost as though it were a shipwreck hunters map to the Scilly Isles. Commencing with a chapter entitled "Living from the Sea" we learn of the ways in which the islanders strived to do exactly that - including those notorious tales of deliberately drawing ships to their doom in order to plunder the cargo.From here the reader is treated to an area by area detail of the Islands themselves and the shipwrecks lost there.They include; The Infamous Western Rocks, St. Agnes and Annet Islands, St,. Mary's, Bryher, Sampson and Tresco Islands, St. Martin's and Eastern isles and The Seven Stones. With a final chapter dedicated to Deep Water Wrecks and Derelicts this book is as complete as it should be.

With ancient and modern wrecks - including a sailing ship with 7 masts!,Richard Larn recounts many tales of shipwreck in which he reveals his innate understanding and detailed research of the subject. With each chapter commencing with a map relevant to the forthcoming text, there is also a black and white photograph on almost every page. Whether the subject wrecked ship is old or new, those photographs look as though they were taken yesterday.

I congratulate both author and publisher on a job well done and would suggest no scuba diver heads for the Scilly Isles without a copy of this book.

NM

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Product Description
On November 10, 1975, the massive ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald succumbed to a stormy Lake Superior, leaving no survivors. Memorialized in song and legend, the Fitzgerald's tragic, final voyage is a compelling story. As Canadian author Elle-Andra Warner tells of the most famous Great Lakes shipwreck, she masterfully weaves in the lore and history of the men who sail these unsalted seas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Very Interesting Recounting Of The Life And Loss Of The "Edmund Fitzgerald"
In "Edmund Fitzgerald: The Legendary Great Lakes Shipwreck" author Elle Andra-Warner weaves the well-known parts of the maritime casualty with a lot of interesting human-interest and general information that I had never read before. For someone looking for a more exhaustive account of the accident and investigation I refer you to "The Wreck of the 'Edmund Fitzgerald'" by Frederick Stonehouse. For someone who wants a good overview of the sinking in a well-written book putting the sinking in context with deftness and nuance, this is an excellent book. I must admit that I was skeptical when I saw the list of endorsing positive reviews upon opening the cover from sources like Peter Fergus-Moore, author of "The Demon Dragonfly" and Tonu Naelapea, Editor of "Estonian Life." I'm sure those are fine publications, but the endorsers didn't seem especially relevant to a book on a Great Lakes shipwreck. I shouldn't have worried. I enjoyed it from the very first page.

The author first discusses the history of the Fitzgerald family, explaining on p. 12, that the first "E. Fitzgerald" was built by Edmond Fitzgerald in 1870, and in a somewhat eerie precedent, foundered in a storm on Lake Erie on November 14, 1883. There is a nice historical chart of Fitzgerald ships in the Great Lakes on p. 22, with more elaboration in Appendix B on p. 116. Of course the bulk of the book is devoted to the bulk carrier "Edmund Fitzgerald" built in 1958. I found it interesting that the "Big Fitz's" last voyage of her first season concluded with battling a challenging storm on Lake Huron on November 18, 1958; this was the same storm that claimed the "Carl D. Bradley" on Lake Michigan, and the accounts here paint a grisly picture of how bad the storm was. On November 29, 1966 the "Daniel J. Morrell" sank in another horrific storm in Lake Huron (which so injured the "Morrell's" sister ship, the "Edward Y. Townsend" that it sank on the way to the scrapper.) No one could have possibly known that nine years later it would be the "Fitzgerald's" turn.

Andra-Warner doesn't neglect the final voyage, of course, and starts with an account of the "Fitz" leaving Superior, Wisconsin on November 9, 1975; please note the excellent photo of the "Fitzgerald" leaving the Duluth-Superior Harbor on p. 47. I appreciate the background that the author provided for the men. I found the friendship of Captain Ernest McSorley and First Mate Jack McCarthy especially interesting; and enjoyed the small details that Andra-Warner wove into the tale, things like how both McSorley and McCarthy had both been Captains of the "Ben E. Tate" (which McCarthy ran aground, ending his time as a ship's master.) I was also flabbergasted that Ransom Cundy, a veteran sailor and watchman on the "Fitzgerald," couldn't swim. I had assumed this would be a requirement for the job. Details like these held my interest throughout the book, and immensely added to understanding the character of the "Fitzgerald" and the men who sailed on her. The author reviews the different sinking scenarios, the expeditions to the ship, and provides an NOAA weather analysis of the Great Lakes for the "Fitzgerald" storm on p. 106. I thought her closing thoughts on pp. 106-107 were extremely well written, and I appreciated her choice of a quote from an experienced Laker Captain, Erik Wood, to conclude the main part of the book: "Remember that you are never in control - Mother Nature is - and if she wants your ship, she will take you."

This is not the most thorough review of the "Fitzgerald" accident available, but it is one of the best written, and certainly is respectful and informative about the "Fitzgerald" and the background that puts the tragedy in a greater context. I enjoyed this book immensely, and recommend it to anyone interested in the "Fitzgerald" or Great Lakes shipping; it would make an especially excellent introduction to the "Fitzgerald" for someone who is new to the subject.

An ideal read for those curious about the ship and its legend
The Edmund Fitzgerald has become part of the folklore of the Great Lakes. "Edmund Fitzgerald: The Legendary Great Lakes Shipwreck" delves into the history of the ship, detailing the events that led to the wreckage, the aftermath as people tried to figure out what led to the ships demise and how recovery efforts have proved far more than difficult than expected. "Edmund Fitzgerald" is an ideal read for those curious about the ship and its legend.
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