Customer Reviews

Graveyard of the Atlantic: Shipwrecks of the North Carolina Coast

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I first picked up this book when I was 14 at a local bookstore in Wilmington, N.C. Ever since then I have been enchanted with stories of shipwrecks and the drama involved in them. This book describes the particularly dangerous coast of North Carolina where the warm gulf stream meets the cold artic currents, resulting in very dangerous sand bars and storms. This has resulted in hundreds of wrecks along this particular part of North America. The author describes some of the most climatic sinkings such as the USS Huron, the SS Metropolis, the steam packet Pulaski. He also chronicles the birth and growth of the US Life Saving Service and some of the most exciting rescues in history. Overall this is a fine and engrossing book, written by an author intimately connected with his topic

I was pleased to discover that this book has been reprinted. It is a well researched listing of shipwrecks along a particular secion of the U.S. Atlantic coast. Accounts are of varying length. In some cases the author gives extensive details, e.g., he devotes a chapter to the Steam Packet Pulaski, but in other cases the accounts are very brief, perhaps a long paragraph or a page. The author does provide a chronological listing at the end of the book, a detailed index, and descriptive drawings of the various types of ships along with a map of the area (which I hope was preserved in the latest edition).

Written, I believe, in the fifties, 'Graveyard of the Atlantic', begins in the late 1500's and ends after World War II. We can clearly see the advance of safety and technology here, especially in the last century. At the end the author tells us that the age of NC shipwrecks is over, and indeed any such accidents today would be the stuff of CNN rather than a local affair.

I was surprised to learn that coastal communities were actually dependent on shipwrecks until at least the 19th century. Wrecks were so frequent that many were fully employed at the job of rescuing and salvaging. It was certainly a different era. Most readers will enjoy this book. I particulary liked the chapters on the World Wars, when German submarines sank ships just off shore

I've been vacationing in North Carolina's Outer Banks for over 17 years, and this book gave me a whole new perspective on the history of a place I hold dear. These stories of the tragic losses of lives and property, combined with the successful and often gallant heroics of the dedicated men of the Outer Banks Life Saving stations are truly fascinating and inspiring. Imagine launching a wooden lifeboat from the beach during a hurricane and rowing it some 10 miles out through 15 foot breakers and hurricane winds! Graveyard of the Atlantic is a great read for historians, maritime buffs, and OBX vacationers alike. It'll make you think twice about the shadowy remnants of the Oriental (1862), whose iron smoke stacks are still visible in the surf off Pea Island 150 years after she sank--or the Laura Barnes, whose ribs are the only things still resting on Coquina Beach.

I've been reading the many short stories to my Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts. The stories are riveting and very engaging. They illicit tons of questions and comments from the children and parents alike. When we visit the coast of the Carolinas this summer, my scouts will have plenty of education to put the experience in perspective.