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The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey
At once a majestic journey across the West, a significant work of history, and a moving personal saga, The Oregon Trail draws readers into the journey of a lifetime. Learn more
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I love reading about shipwrecks and pirates, so I ordered this book to check it out. I find it to be very easy to read, with well researched facts and a simply outstanding writing style.
The book deals with the search for the pirate ship of Joseph Bannister. I had never heard of him, but it turns out he was actually an interesting character, for reasons that are explained in the story. The author did extensive interviews with all the main people in the book, as well as additional in-depth research on pirates and the time period of the "golden age" of pirates (1650 - 1725 or so). But the book is not written as a dry history, or even a simple modern story. Instead, it is written almost like a novel - in fact, when I ordered the book, I could not tell from the product page if this was historical fiction or fact. I discovered that the story is not fictionalized at all; everything actually happened, and the dialog and action are as close as the author could come to what occurred. I especially like the way the writer provides background information on each person, when that person comes into the story. This is not unusual, but what makes the technique special in this case is that the writing manages to put in those vital details without diverting the reader from the story (or boring the reader half to death - I've read some books like that).
I don't want to give away the story, or ending, but suffice it to say that the main characters are legends in the scuba diving world, and the target of their search is worthy of their expertise. I found myself turning page after page, eager to see what happened next in the story. I didn't know what was going to happen until almost the final chapter. This is gripping stuff, and I felt the excitement of both the author and the people in the tale as it unfolded.
Summary: If you are interested in diving, pirates, or just a really good story, this work will not disappoint. Highly recommended.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
This arrived this morning and I could not put it down. It was as easy as a great cup of coffee and on a subject matter near and dear to my heart. Kurson lets the story tell itself and the Chatterton and Mattera are fascinating and totally interesting men with a rare sense of ethics and adventure combined. There is so much more than just a pirate ship hunt here but then I really want you to read the book so you will feel as elated and satisfied as I did upon completing it. There is danger and government and the goliath'' that prowls all the seas of our lives but there is also the rare experience of men growing as human beings in the emotional and social sense...hell spiritual too. Intertwined with adventure is the shrinking of any wild or respectably dangerous places with which to test ourselves and yet as Chatterton finds through his relationship with the people of a small village maybe the man makes the challenge and not the other way around. In short Chatterton and Mattera learn to think like a Pirate to find a Pirates' riches and maybe even the deepest parts of their own souls.
Now that is the kind of journey we all need to bear witness to.
Written with a deft and sure hand and an occasional glimpse of the poet, Kurson kept me turning the pages ntil there were none left.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
PIRATE HUNTERS is more than just "the search for the lost treasure ship of a great buccaneer," it's history, biography, and psychology rolled into one page-turning tale. Ostensibly, this is the story of two treasure hunters, John Mattera and John Chatterton, who descend upon the Dominican Republic in search of the pirate Joseph Bannister's ship, THE GOLDEN FLEECE. In a battle against two British war ships, the GOLDEN FLEECE went down in 1687, where it has rested in peace ever since. Author Robert Kurson uses the natural story lines built by hunters racing other hunters for one of the most elusive of prizes, a genuine pirate wreck (records for pirate ships were not kept by pirates and their sympathizers, making finds all the more challenging).
In addition to the history propelled by the mystery, the false starts necessary to reach an actual strike, and the underwater (and above) descriptions built for suspense, the author stops the narrative to explore the background of both treasure hunters -- Chatterton's as a medic who risked his life repeatedly in Vietnam, and Mattera's as a boy growing up as part of the New York crime families network in the 60s and 70s. Both are diverting tales, though the reader, appetite whetted, longs to get back to the Dominican and the hunt for a great pirate ship.
Also leavening the narratives are historical accounts of Joseph Bannister, the British captain turned rogue (and how often does THAT happen?) who took on his countrymen and fought them to a draw against incredible odds. For readers, the derring will do nicely and the reading is pitched once it comes to Bannister.Read more ›
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You know when you have a favorite actor, and will always get to his or her movie?
Favorite fiction novelist? Performer?
Robert Kurson is that new guy on the non-fiction front. Shadow Divers was an incredible read; true, fast-paced, fascinating.
Pirate Hunters is another great tale well-told.
Ironically, Lee Child (Reacher Novels) one of my favorite fiction writers endorses the book on the cover.
Why is this so special? I believe many people are fascinated by 3 things in this book. 1) Diving - spending time in a world few of us ever experience. 2) Pirates - living a wild life of danger and wealth, and somehow, eventually leaving that wealth to those brave enough to discover and dive for it. 3) Modern adventurers - who's crazy enough to do these dives, to travel the world like secret agents trying to discover the truth about a dead man, to find the time and the money to live a life like this.
Great, great read!
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This item: Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship
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