Graveyard of the Atlantic: Shipwrecks of the North Carolina Coast (Paperback)

~ (Author) "YOU CAN STAND on Cape Point at Hatteras on a stormy day and watch two oceans come together in an awesome display of savage fury;..." (more)
Key Phrases: vessels totally lost, power lifeboat, beach apparatus, North Carolina, Cape Hatteras, Diamond Shoals (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A thrilling record . . . . David Stick . . . captures the spirit of this treacherous coast. He has done a major research job.

New York Times Book Review

An engrossing account of shipwrecks off the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

New Yorker

If you like shipwrecks (to read about, that is) you'll revel in Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Chicago Tribune

Product Description

This is a factual account, written in the pace of fiction, of hundreds of dramatic losses heroic rescues and violent adventures at the stormy meeting place of northern and southern winds and waters—the Graveyard of the Atlantic off the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (August 11, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807842613
• ISBN-13: 978-0807842614
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #567,983 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great local history of shipwrecks of the Atlantic Coast, September 4, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Graveyard of the Atlantic: Shipwrecks of the North Carolina Coast (Hardcover)

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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting summary, December 6, 2000

By	Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Graveyard of the Atlantic: Shipwrecks of the North Carolina Coast (Hardcover)

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).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A DIFFERENT ERA, April 1, 2007

By	Severin Olson (Hyattsville, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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