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The Treasure of the San José: Death at Sea in the War of the Spanish Succession

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Don't be fooled by the title, this book has really very little to do with the Spanish naval operations against Britain, and even less about the loss of the treasure of the San Jose. Instead, it is more of an expose' on the convoluted corruptions of the Spanish government and its impact on naval operations in the New World. In fact, after reading about the interminable bribery, double-dealing and graft associated with squadron command, it is amazing the Spanish were able to get anything done in the New World, or elsewhere. If you are of a legalistic turn of mind, you will probably enjoy this book, but if you are looking for any sort of detailed discussion of Spanish ships, personalities, Caribbean operations, or tales of the treasures of the Spanish Main, you will be quite disappointed! Far better to read Arpestegui's book 'Pirates of the Caribbean' to get a detailed Spanish view of the intricacies of Caribbean operations in the days of Spanish hegemony.

Phillips, Carla Rahn. The Treasure of the San Jose: death at Sea in the War of the Spanish Succession. 1st. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007. 0978-0-8018-8580, 248 p., il, maps and charts.



Phillips (history, Univ. of Minnesota; Six Galleons for the King of Spain: Imperial Defense in the Early Seventeenth Century). Sunk by the British in 1708, the Spanish galleon San José was said to hold the richest cargo ever lost at sea. European conquests foundered, family fortunes were lost and history was changed in many ways. Still unfound today the San Jose has become "Black Pearl" of real history and the stuff of dreams and legends. However, the facts survive in the formidable archives of the colonial Spanish empire that only a scholar of Phillips standing could take on and survive. With careful research Phillips shows that the tale of the San Jose that most people know is "virtually in all of the details it contains are false". Yet even though this maybe the definitive scholarly book, Phillips begins her book with Gabriel Garcia Marques haunting description of the wreck of the San Jose near the harbor of Cartagena de Indias as a metaphor for lost dreams. It is in truth, the tale of the magnificent galleon San Jose under the command of the Count of Casa Alegre and manned by 600 souls that still rests untouched and waiting. Larger public libraries, academic libraries and specialized maritime collections.

Suzanne Lay

As a historian and passionate reader of naval history books I can assure you the book is a nice piece of work. As a kindle user, however, and although I respect editor's policy... I can only say that CHARGING THE KINDLE EDITION of this book EVEN MORE THAN the HARDCOVER, makes NO SENSE at all!!