Book details

Treasure Hunt

Shipwreck, Diving, and the Quest for Treasure in an Age of Heroes

Author: Peter Earle

Treasure Hunt

Treasure Hunt

$11.99

e-Book

About This Book

"A remarkable book, in which a very wide spectrum of human behavior is on show---from colossal gullibility on the one hand, to extraordinary ingenuity and determination on the other." —The...

Page Count
400
Genre
On Sale
07/08/2008

Book Details

"A remarkable book, in which a very wide spectrum of human behavior is on show---from colossal gullibility on the one hand, to extraordinary ingenuity and determination on the other." —The Daily Telegraph (UK)

Treasure Hunt is the story of an obsession. Rumors of Spanish treasure, or gold and silver at the bottom of the sea, have been a part of maritime lore for centuries. In 1687, Captain William Phips brought back to port an incredible cargo---nearly forty tons of silver and gold---the treasure of the Spanish galleon Concepción, wrecked over forty years before on a coral reef in the middle of the ocean. The unimaginable had become real, and the great treasure-hunting boom had begun.

Soon after Phips's success, there were numerous expeditions that meant to emulate his stunning achievement. During that same time there was also a boom in the invention of crude and often very dangerous diving equipment. Many of these new projects were promoted on the infant stock market, where gambling and treasure hunting became closely connected with the birth of modern capitalism.

By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, treasure hunting had become a professional occupation, with a new breed of diver emerging. Much of their time was spent salvaging the wrecks of English and Dutch East-Indiamen carrying treasure to finance business in Asia. Ever since, men have been prepared to risk life and fortune in the search for underwater riches.

The author of numerous books of maritime history, including The Pirate Wars and The Sack of Panamá, world-renowned historian Peter Earle returns with an extraordinary and little-known history---of outstanding bravery, of exceptional recklessness, and above all, of the unquenchable lust for treasure.

Imprint Publisher

Thomas Dunne Books

ISBN

9781429986618

In The News

“Wonderfully detailed.” —San Antonio Express-News

“Earle is both swashbuckling and serious in this marvelous survey of piracy over 230 years.” —The Oxford Times

“Fascinating . . . His scholarship is solid, and his telling of this complex story is lucid and well-paced.” —The Sunday Telegraph (UK)

“A thoroughly entertaining read that dispels a number of myths and spins many a good yarn.” —Daily Mail (UK)

“Illuminating . . . It is one of the virtues of Earle's account that although he is declaredly on the side of law and order, and his overall theme is the final triumph of the maritime states . . . he is far from immune---as a more straight-laced historian might be---to the charms of the pirate life.” —The Daily Telegraph (UK)

“Masterful . . . a much-needed reappraisal.” —The Sunday Times (UK)

About the Creators

Treasure Hunt

Treasure Hunt

$11.99

e-Book