The Salvage of the Century [Hardcover]

Ric Wharton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2000

The Salvage of the Century is a detailed account of the greatest and most famous salvage ever carried out by divers. The HMS Edinburgh was torpedoed and sunk in 1942 while returning from escorting a convoy of military equipment to Russia. The Edinburgh was carrying 51/2 tons of Russian gold bullion on its way to the USA as payment for the supplies. She sunk in 803-840 feet of water, beyond the reach of divers, and was forgotten until deep diving technology developed for the North Sea oil industry brought the wreck and its treasure into the reach of divers. The book recounts the history of the sinking, the development of the deep diving technology, dealings with the British government, and the methods used to salvage L50,000,000 in gold bullion by Wharton Williams, Ltd. This was the largest and most spectacular salvage operation carried out this century and should be read by every diver.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 198 pages
• Publisher: Best Publishing Co ,U.S.; 1st edition (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941332799
• ISBN-13: 978-0941332798
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,979,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Author's Comments, August 28, 2000

By 

Ric Wharton (Aberdeen Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Salvage of the Century (Hardcover)

I wrote this book to record this extraordinary and record breaking event, in detail and as it actually happened. The book reveals the great courage and suffering of the HMS "Edinburgh" crew when she was sunk in 1942 in the Barents Sea after and epic engagement against overwhelming odds. The book also details the bravery of my pioneering diving crew, who entered the wreck and recovered the gold bullion working under the most hazardous conditions. The book has some 100 photos and illustrations that really bring the story to life. Even though I wrote the book, I am still fascinated every time I read it. I have been a diver and wreck hunter all my life and still cannot believe that this actually happened to me.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truely the salvage of the 20th Century, August 29, 2000

By 

Andrew Creed (London, England, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Salvage of the Century (Hardcover)

Right from the start The Salvage of the Century grips you as a must read. The coverage of what is still today a breath-taking dare devil salvage is truely superb. The mix between pushing the boundaries of human capability, and the romance of discovering and recovering a huge amount of gold makes the book film material. Every diver's dream is to discover a hidden treasure, in The Salvage of the Century that is exactly what the team did. Unlike most pleasure divers who flock to the safe warm waters in search of their own find of a lifetime, these guys worked in sub zero temperature in some of the most unforgiving waters known to man. The expedition was straight out of a James Bond book, £50,000,000 of gold bullion on an unarmed British vessel in Russian waters, I quite expected the authour to be Ian Fleming. Except like any good book that is entirely based on reality there is a twist!

In summary this a superb account of risk,expoloration and courage under the high seas, told passionately by Ric Wharton.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars simply a must, February 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Salvage of the Century (Hardcover)

Deservedly five stars. The story is extraordinary, so is the author and his crew. His account of the dishonest, vulgar and deeply disappointing behaviour of the British government alone makes this book worth reading. I recommend pages 111-112, 116-117, 135 and 195. Quote: 'Their behaviour in this project is symptomatic of how they have taken the "Great" out of "Great Britain". Bravo, Ric, for your civil courage !