Oak Island Gold: Startling New Discoveries in the World's Most Famous Treasure Hunt [Paperback]

William S. Crooker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1993

For over two centuries, the mysterious labyrinth of shafts and tunnels under Oak Island, a tiny island on Nova Scotia's south shore, has been the scene of frantic search by scores of treasure hunters from two continents. They believe the shafts and an intricate man-made flooding system hold the secret to a treasure of untold wealth. Crooker meticulously sifts through the evidence unearthed by treasure-hunters on the island, past and present. Then, armed with some startling new discoveries, he neatly fits the pieces together to offer a plausible solution to the baffling puzzle of Oak Island.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Treasure hunters have been tunneling into Oak Island off the coast of Nova Scotia since 1795, yet no one has found the fabulous treasure that legend says is buried there. It all began when a young explorer found a clearing on the island that appeared to have been worked. Throw in local rumors of pirates and buried treasure, and the digging started. The original excavators did leave many clues which convinced treasure seekers that something was buried on Oak Island, but every time the digging reached a certain depth, the hole filled with sea water. Crooker, an engineer and surveyor, presents both a thorough historical review of the various digs and a look at all the theories about the treasure. Based on his research, he maintains that it was looted by the British from Havana in 1762 and put on the island for safekeeping. Prospectors are still digging, but until the "treasure" is found, the mystery remains. Recommended for public libraries.
- John Kenny, San Francisco P.L.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Captain Kidd's treasure! So goes the legend, anyhow, of what lies somewhere within a mysterious catacomb of tunnels, pits, and rooms on an island hardly a mile long off Nova Scotia. Crooker, who is a good historian and also quite witty, tells a tale of folly and obsession--he himself has hunted for the treasure, and one team even constructed a causeway from the main island so they could bring in heavy excavation equipment. Crooker has written other books about this endless treasure hunt; this one takes readers though the summer of 1992. John Mort

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Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: Down East Books; 2nd Printing edition (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155109049X
• ISBN-13: 978-1551090498
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,237,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Travel > Canada > Provinces > Nova Scotia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest buried treasure story ever![non-fiction], October 22, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Minneapolis, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oak Island Gold: Startling New Discoveries in the World's Most Famous Treasure Hunt (Paperback)

William Crooker delves into the ever-deepening mystery surrounding the alleged treasure trove on Oak Island in Nova Scotia. He follows the 200 year history from the discovery of a depression in the ground under a solitary tree to the present devesation and attempted preservation of the most baffling puzzle ever discovered. He adds new insight and debunks some very popular theories about the origins of the "Money Pit." Crooker's native roots lend credibility and authority to his investigation. If you are a fan of mystery and intrigue, this tale of pirates, ghosts, and booby-traps is a MUST READ! The gold foil-embossed cover alone will knock your socks off!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and informative, although somewhat dry, September 14, 2003

By 

Craig MACKINNON (Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oak Island Gold: Startling New Discoveries in the World's Most Famous Treasure Hunt (Paperback)

I grew up just down the road from Oak Island (in Bridgewater, N.S.), so have always been passingly familiar with the legend of buried treasure on the island. The folk wisdom in Lunenburg County is that there is a pirate's treasure trove buried on the island, probably Captain Kidd's (as evidenced by the proliferation of that particular buccaneer's name in restaurant and gift-shop titles). That it has an immense value is also "self-evident" because of the booby-traps set up to foil treasure hunters - and the traps have had the upper hand for the last 230 years!

Crooker takes us through the various searches on the island, starting with the original find in the latter 18th century. Interspersed are chapters dealing with the various legends surrounding the island, including some of the superstitions (pirates would bury someone with the treasure so their ghost would guard it, for instance). Oddly, he does not repeat the local legend that the treasure will not be found until 10 lives (I think that's the number) have been claimed, or until all the oak trees on the island are cut down. He convincingly debunks the idea that pirates could be responsible (they wouldn't be disciplined, educated, or have the time to construct such elaborate traps). He then procedes to present and eliminate a host of other theories - conquistadores, Incas, Templars, Marie Antoinette, etc. He eventually settles on a favourite of the English king George III as the most likely suspect - why and how I'll leave for you to discover.

Unfortunately, the book is somewhat dry - Crooker is an engineer and the description of the various digs are analysed as an engineer, complete with the number of holes drilled, depths, distances from landmarks, etc. In addition, the Oak Island mystery is going to leave a reader unsatisfied because the treasure hunt has not been solved, and is currently bogged down with lawsuits and ownership battles. Crooker does his best to make such wranglings interesting, and in fact the last few chapters are by far the best of the book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great pirate treasure story abut Oak Island., January 30, 2011

By 

Thingsextreme "A Movie Watcher" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oak Island Gold: Startling New Discoveries in the World's Most Famous Treasure Hunt (Paperback)

Very interesting tale of one of the many searches for pirate treasure, rumored to be one of Captain Kidd's booty's hidden on Oak Island in Nova Scotia Canada. The book arrived as expected in like new condition. I would recommend this dealer for book purchases and will search his stock for more in the future.