Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Random House Audio (2015)
Description
History. Sports & Recreations. Nonfiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY CHICAGO TRIBUNE � A thrilling adventure of danger and deep-sea diving, historic mystery and suspense, by the author of Shadow Divers Finding and identifying a pirate ship is the hardest thing to do under the sea. But two men�John Chatterton and John Mattera�are willing to risk everything to find the Golden Fleece, the ship of the infamous pirate Joseph Bannister. At large during the Golden Age of Piracy in the seventeenth century, Bannister should have been immortalized in the lore of the sea�his exploits more notorious than Blackbeard�s, more daring than Kidd�s. But his story, and his ship, have been lost to time. If Chatterton and Mattera succeed, they will make history�it will be just the second time ever that a pirate ship has been discovered and positively identified. Soon, however, they realize that cutting-edge technology and a willingness to lose everything aren�t enough to track down Bannister�s ship. They must travel the globe in search of historic documents and accounts of the great pirate�s exploits, face down dangerous rivals, battle the tides of nations and governments and experts. But it�s only when they learn to think and act like pirates�like Bannister�that they become able to go where no pirate hunters have gone before. Fast-paced and filled with suspense, fascinating characters, history, and adventure, Pirate Hunters is an unputdownable story that goes deep to discover truths and souls long believed lost. Praise for Pirate Hunters �You won�t want to put [it] down.��Los Angeles Times �An exceptional adventure . . . Highly recommended to readers who delight in adventure, suspense, and the thrill of discovering history at their fingertips.��Library Journal (starred review) �A terrific read . . . The book gallops along at a blistering pace, shifting us deftly between the seventeenth century and the present day.��Diver �Nonfiction with the trademarks of a novel: the plots and subplots, the tension and suspense . . . [Kurson has] found gold.��The Dallas Morning News �Rollicking . . . a fascinating [story] about the world of pirates, piracy, and priceless treasures.��The Boston Globe �[Kurson�s] narration is just as engrossing as the subject.��The Christian Science Monitor �A wild ride [and an] extraordinary adventure . . . Kurson�s own enthusiasm, combined with his copious research and an eye for detail, makes for one of the most mind-blowing pirate stories of recent memory, one that even the staunchest landlubber will have a hard time putting down.��Publishers Weekly (starred review) �The two contemporary pirate-ship seekers of Mr. Kurson�s narrative are as daring, intrepid, tough and talented as Blood and Sparrow�and Bannister. . . . As depicted by the author, they are real-life Hemingway heroes.��The Wall Street Journal �[Kurson] takes his knowledge of the underwater world and applies it to the �Golden Age of Piracy� . . . thrillingly detailing the highs and lows of chasing not just gold and silver but also history.��Booklist �A great thriller full of tough guys and long odds . . . and: It�s all true.��Lee Child.… (more)
Awards
Illinois Reads (9-12 — 2016)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — Nonfiction — 2015)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015
User reviews
LibraryThing member 1Randal
A really good story. The author pulls you in, until you feel that you are onboard, searching for the lost pirate ship yourself. An abundance of pirate lore and history, as well as the competition between different salvaging companies
LibraryThing member KellyReeder
A well written story documenting a long struggle to find a pirate ship. Build-up was well done, however the ending was a little anticlimactic. The character development was good, as I felt like I really got to know the real people in the story.
LibraryThing member boodgieman
In 2008, longtime divers and treasure hunters John Chatterton and John Mattera traveled to the Dominican Republic to search for the Golden Fleece, the ship of Joseph Bannister, a merchant-captain-turned-pirate from the Golden Age of Piracy whose colorful exploits, like his ship, are lost to
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history. Both men are veteran divers of numerous wrecks, with Chatterton having once discovered a lost U-boat off the coast of New Jersey; they are colorful characters in their own right, and their life stories, briefly recounted here, make compelling reading. With only one pirate ship ever having been successfully found, the odds were against them. Not surprisingly, nothing about their search was easy; their story is one of sudden starts and stops, of frustrations and disagreements among themselves, of dwindling funds, of other hunters and government bureaucracy often standing in their way. One of the more fascinating aspects of the story is how they (primarily Mattera, who does most of the research) must learn to "think like a pirate" to trace Bannister's trail and the Golden Fleece's final days. I don't know how experienced divers will react to this book, but it's great fun for armchair explorers and anyone who enjoys a rollicking tale of history, mystery, adventure, suspense—and of course, pirates. Show Less
LibraryThing member KimDV
As a fan of Robert Kurson's book, Shadow Divers, I was very excited to read this book. I also used to watch the show Deep Sea Detectives with John Chatterton so I was looking forward to following him on another undersea journey.
The book is called a "search" for a pirate ship, but I think it would
The partners start out with a general idea of where to look for this lost pirate ship. They possess all the latest tools and technology. They are both experienced and great at what they do and have assembled a very skilled team to work with them. They would only be the 2nd team to ever discover a lost pirate ship at sea. It sounds like they've almost "got it in the bag". Well, despite all the success I have seen John Chatterton have on episodes of Deep Sea Detectives, things are not always as easy as they seem.
What follows in the book is an undersea and on-land adventure. The team finds that much more in-depth research is necessary and as we readers follow along we get to meet some old, salty treasure hunters and a variety of other interesting characters. The author writes in a way that keeps the pace flowing and explains any scuba diving or nautical terms as they arise, making it an easy and enjoyable read. Those interested in history, shipwrecks and diving, battles at sea, and adventure would enjoy this book. I'm not sure if John Chatterton has any more big scuba diving adventures planned, but if so, I hope Robert Kurson gets to tell the story!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
The book is called a "search" for a pirate ship, but I think it would
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be better described as a quest. In Shadow Divers, Robert Kurson describes John Chatterton's and Richie Kohler's (his dive partner at the time) extensive and at times very dangerous work to identify a German U-boat sunk off the coast of the New Jersey shore. In this book, however, it is sort of the opposite - the divers know the identity of the wreckage they are looking for - the difficult part is trying to find it. I was sad to find out that Chatterton was no long working with Kohler (he is back at home working in the family business), but his new dive partner, John Mattera is a very interesting and talented person as well. When they decide to take on this project they have no idea what they are in for.The partners start out with a general idea of where to look for this lost pirate ship. They possess all the latest tools and technology. They are both experienced and great at what they do and have assembled a very skilled team to work with them. They would only be the 2nd team to ever discover a lost pirate ship at sea. It sounds like they've almost "got it in the bag". Well, despite all the success I have seen John Chatterton have on episodes of Deep Sea Detectives, things are not always as easy as they seem.
What follows in the book is an undersea and on-land adventure. The team finds that much more in-depth research is necessary and as we readers follow along we get to meet some old, salty treasure hunters and a variety of other interesting characters. The author writes in a way that keeps the pace flowing and explains any scuba diving or nautical terms as they arise, making it an easy and enjoyable read. Those interested in history, shipwrecks and diving, battles at sea, and adventure would enjoy this book. I'm not sure if John Chatterton has any more big scuba diving adventures planned, but if so, I hope Robert Kurson gets to tell the story!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Hardboiled
I am convinced that if Joseph Bannister was alive today and read Pirate Hunters he would be truly impressed. Impressed with the quest John Chatterton and John Mattera embarked upon to find the Golden Fleece; impressed with the dogged determination of both men to unravel how the Golden Fleece
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reached its final resting place; and, most importantly, impressed with how much Chatterton and Mattera truly understood about his motivation and determination to live life. I found Pirate Hunters a very interesting and enjoyable read. Robert Kurson adeptly weaves a number of interrelated storylines into one and in the process provides historical background on The Golden Age of Piracy, the backgrounds and motivations of the major players, i.e., Bannister, Chatterton, Mattera and Bowden, as well as an in-depth recounting of the final days of the Golden Fleece. I was probably most impressed with what we learn about the man Joseph Bannister and how that understanding led the salvagers to their final goal. A great read from start to finish that not only entertains but educates. It's almost uncanny how closely Mattera, Chatterton and Bannister's lives are all driven by the attitude of living life today because know one knows what tomorrow will bring. And, yes, I totally agree with Mattera's final observation that Joseph Bannister escaped hanging by the English and that it's never too late to follow one's heart ... for that's the code of a true pirate and those who chase down his legacy centuries later. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gatorhater
This is an exciting and adventurist true story of the long lost vessel, "Golden Fleece" which was captained by Joseph Bannister in the 1600's, he was once a loyal employee of England shipping, then he reversed course, stole the ship he commanded and turned to be a notorious pirate. John Chatterson
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and John Mattera, who are present day treasure hunters are in search of this vessel. They research and gather valuable information about the most likely location of this vessels whereabouts, only to come across roadblocks by government and other researchers trying too find the same vessel, bringing their goal to a crawl. Will their treasure ever be found? Show Less
LibraryThing member surlysal
Robert Kurson does it again. Pirate Hunters has everything you would expect from a top rate adventure novel and it is all true! The stories about the individuals and their search were as interesting if not more than the treasure they sought. An engaging page turner from start to finish that will
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leave you looking for more. Show Less
LibraryThing member Marlane
Pirate Hunters follows two tough guy scuba divers in their quest to be the first to locate the Golden Fleece, a pirate ship sunk off the shore of the Dominican Republic in the late 1600s. What first looks to me to be a pretty easy task for these seasoned experts turns out to be complicated by
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sketchy and misleading historical documents, finances, government restrictions, equipment mishaps, personal challenges, and competition. Kurson blends the ingredients of the book in the right proportions. There's just enough background on the divers to make them interesting, and there's just enough detail of the actual diving to add suspense. The best part of the book is the history of the buccaneer Banister and his ship, which is slowly unveiled bit by bit as the divers get closer to their goal. This is very readable nonfiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
I could not put this book down! Utterly fascinating! Underwater archaeology and treasure hunting is right up my alley though, so it's no wonder I fell head over heels for this book. It reads like an adventure novel, which I suppose it is, a real life adventure. Two acclaimed divers and treasure
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hunters spend years trying to track the sunken "Golden Fleece" pirate ship using old hunches, historical references, and modern technology. They keep coming up empty handed but they don't let that deter them. Author, Robert Kurson, tells their story along with seventeenth century pirate, Joseph Barrister. Pirate stories and legends abound, as does other treasure hunts. Compelling and impossible to put down. What an adventure!! Show Less
LibraryThing member Judiex
I’ve never been interested in pirates and have felt that the people who search for and scavenge sunken ships are rather ghoulish. Reading PIRATE HUNTERS by Robert Kurson opened a treasure chest of information for me.
John Chatterton was preparing to work on finding another sunken ship when he
PIRATE HUNTERS has a bit of everything:
ADVENTURE: How does a sea scavenger locate, verify, and scavenge a sunken ship?
HISTORY: What life was like on the high seas and on land for both legitimate sea men and pirates? What was so important about the pirate ship, the Golden Fleece? Were there areas of tolerance and democracy in those days? What’s the difference between a buccaneer, a privateer, and a pirate?
BIOGRAPHY; How did scavengers John Chatterton, John Mattera, and Tracy Bowden get into this business and what it meant to them?
MYSTERY: Where is the seventeenth century Golden Fleece actually located?
SUSPENSE: Will they be able to locate the ship before shadowers find it and the governments change the rules about who gets to custody of the treasures aboard?
PSYCHOLOGY: Who was Captain Bannister and why did he leave a good career as a British merchant ship captain, steal his ship, become a pirate, and fight off two British frigates? How did Chatterton, Mattera, and Bowden react to being aboard sunken ships and what did they think should be done with their findings?
MYTH BUSTING: How did pirates actually treat captives? What did they do with their bounty? Did they say “Aargh” or have parrots and wooden legs?
PIRATE HUNTERS answers all those questions and more in a well-written, reader-friendly, fast-paced non-fiction. And while it confirmed that ghoulishness, there were also reactions and results that could be more generous. It has something for everyone.
I received this book as a GoodReads Early Reader.
John Chatterton was preparing to work on finding another sunken ship when he
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was approached by Tracy Bowden who wanted him to find a sunken pirate ship off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Only one pirate ship had ever been located and that was off Cape Cod in 1984. For several reasons, Chatterton decided to accept the challenge. He contacted John Mattera, built a crew, and they set out on what was to become a lot of hard work for a long time with a lot of frustration accompanying it.PIRATE HUNTERS has a bit of everything:
ADVENTURE: How does a sea scavenger locate, verify, and scavenge a sunken ship?
HISTORY: What life was like on the high seas and on land for both legitimate sea men and pirates? What was so important about the pirate ship, the Golden Fleece? Were there areas of tolerance and democracy in those days? What’s the difference between a buccaneer, a privateer, and a pirate?
BIOGRAPHY; How did scavengers John Chatterton, John Mattera, and Tracy Bowden get into this business and what it meant to them?
MYSTERY: Where is the seventeenth century Golden Fleece actually located?
SUSPENSE: Will they be able to locate the ship before shadowers find it and the governments change the rules about who gets to custody of the treasures aboard?
PSYCHOLOGY: Who was Captain Bannister and why did he leave a good career as a British merchant ship captain, steal his ship, become a pirate, and fight off two British frigates? How did Chatterton, Mattera, and Bowden react to being aboard sunken ships and what did they think should be done with their findings?
MYTH BUSTING: How did pirates actually treat captives? What did they do with their bounty? Did they say “Aargh” or have parrots and wooden legs?
PIRATE HUNTERS answers all those questions and more in a well-written, reader-friendly, fast-paced non-fiction. And while it confirmed that ghoulishness, there were also reactions and results that could be more generous. It has something for everyone.
I received this book as a GoodReads Early Reader.
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LibraryThing member Stbalbach
Shadow Divers was a true classic. Pirate Hunters is very good. It delivers a thrilling story, a driving mystery, interesting characters, history that is new to most of us, and a literary style that draws parallels between the pirates of old and new. When you can collapse time and make 300 year old
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people and events fresh and relevant, and they happen to be pirates, well fun times. I wouldn't take everything too seriously though he seems to stretch here and there, for example multiple pirate ships were found at Port Royal they are not as rare as suggested, though still pretty rare. Show Less
LibraryThing member PaperDollLady
A well-told real-life adventure. Two partners, the deep-sea divers, John Chatterton and John Mattera, are contacted by Tracy Bowden, a nautical archaeologist, to look for pirate Joseph Bannister's ship, the Golden Fleece. They're asked to dive where the vessel had been sunk by the Royal Navy (1685)
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in the Samana Bay waters of the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic. This is a story rich with details of underwater archaeology and the golden-age of piracy, 1650 to 1720, and it moves like a page-turning piece of fiction. Both partners, Chatterton and Mattera, have separate fascinating back stories, and presenting those in the middle of the book absolutely keeps this well-paced tale buoyant. It just never sinks. Amid all the salvor team's obstacles and setbacks, the hunt, not so much for treasure, and more for the team's personal challenge and thrill of finding Bannister's sunken ship, compels any and all arm-chair adventurers to keep reading on till the very end. Which holds a interesting touch of irony. There are also great illustrations, maps, pictures of places and people--unfortunately none of the intriguing pirate John Bannister-- and all of these extras are neatly packaged within. With perseverance as its takeaway, PIRATE HUNTERS is a truly inspirational read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beamis12
I feel in love with Kurson's Shadow Divers, so when this came up I just has to grab it. These divers are amazing men, the amount of time and money this takes is astronomical and this plays havoc on lives and relationships.
In this book they are looking for a pirate's ship, the Golden Fleece of John
There was quite a bit of bouncing back and forth, but it was all interesting to me, so it was okay and did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. Interesting reading about this because I never had to great an interest in pirates, these men and Kurston seem to make everything and anything interesting.
ARC from librarything
In this book they are looking for a pirate's ship, the Golden Fleece of John
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Bannister. Bannister is the only pirate that actually beat the Royal Navy. There is so much more to, this book, a history of piracy, the leasing pirates of the time and how they fought and the treasures they stole. Some of the descriptions of what they did to captains and crews of the ships that fought back were quite graphic but relatively short. An incredible time for piracy. One thing I found most interesting is that there was a true democracy on these pirate ships, way before democracy was even a thought elsewhere.There was quite a bit of bouncing back and forth, but it was all interesting to me, so it was okay and did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. Interesting reading about this because I never had to great an interest in pirates, these men and Kurston seem to make everything and anything interesting.
ARC from librarything
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LibraryThing member labdaddy4
This is a book of non-fiction that reads like fiction. I enjoyed the adventure as well as learning much more about piracy and the passion of those searching for treasure, historical clarification, and fame.
LibraryThing member LissaJ
I found this to be an exciting, fast paced and extremely interesting book concerning two veteran treasure hunters' expedition to find a rare sunken pirate ship off the coast of the Dominican Republic. The pirate in question, Joseph Bannister, is as interesting a character as the divers themselves
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and book is engrossing and hard to put down. I did think that the ending was rushed but in this case the journey proves to be much more exciting than the discovery. I received this book in a LibraryThing giveaway. Show Less
LibraryThing member bearlyr
Want to read a boring, technical, educational book about hunting for sunken treasure and pirate ships? Then look elsewhere! While a true story, this book reads like a thriller novel. You will find likable characters with interesting plot lines. Add a look at a virtually unknown pirate and you have
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an adventure story that's hard to put down. Get your copy, if you are at all intrigued by pirates, treasure or history! Show Less
LibraryThing member journeygirl
A swashbuckling tale of modern day thrill seekers on the hunt for one of the rarest of all shipwrecks, a pirate ship. Kurson tells the tales of John Chatterton and John Mattera's search for the wreck of the Golden Fleece, a pirate ship captained by a former upstanding, English, Merchant Captain,
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who turned pirate, stole his ship, plundered about the Caribbean, eventually taking on two Royal Navy ships in an epic battle. The tale of these two wreck divers reads much like a modern day pirate tale, filled with the characters who make up the world of treasure hunting. These are men (and a few women) who have nerves of steel and take risks few are willing to do, with great reward and great losses. Pirate Hunters is about the men and the search with a good bit of history woven through to provide background. I thought this would be a casually interesting read (as I'm interested in the topic, but generally enjoy lighthearted fiction and cozy mysteries), and instead, found myself neglecting my real life to keep diving into Pirate Hunters. Show Less
LibraryThing member msf59
“Everyone's been looking for a pirate ship. But this isn't about finding a ship. It is about finding a man.”
The search for The Golden Fleece. Finding a sunken pirate ship is a very rare occurrence and has only happened once before. Veteran treasure hunters, John Chatterton and John Mattera are
Joseph Bannister was a British sea captain, in the late 17th century. He went rogue and turned pirate. He became one of the most dangerous buccaneers in the Caribbean. His ship was The Golden Fleece and it was reportedly sunk, in shallow water, by the British Navy.
This is an exciting account of a true-life treasure hunt. It is filled with adventure and suspense and plenty of historical lore, plus Chatterton and Mattera are fascinating figures. Tough, scrappy and complicated.
I adore narrative nonfiction and this is a perfect example. This was also a riveting audiobook.
The search for The Golden Fleece. Finding a sunken pirate ship is a very rare occurrence and has only happened once before. Veteran treasure hunters, John Chatterton and John Mattera are
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sent on a mission, to the Dominican Republic, to do just that. Armed with high-tech tracking equipment and years of experience, they begin to hunt. They did not expect it to be easy and it quickly became worse than they could imagine. The team decides to focus on the man, who led the pirate ship, digging into thousands of hidden documents, to find a clue.Joseph Bannister was a British sea captain, in the late 17th century. He went rogue and turned pirate. He became one of the most dangerous buccaneers in the Caribbean. His ship was The Golden Fleece and it was reportedly sunk, in shallow water, by the British Navy.
This is an exciting account of a true-life treasure hunt. It is filled with adventure and suspense and plenty of historical lore, plus Chatterton and Mattera are fascinating figures. Tough, scrappy and complicated.
I adore narrative nonfiction and this is a perfect example. This was also a riveting audiobook.
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LibraryThing member Oberon
Pirate Hunters is the story of the search for a Golden Age pirate ship captained by Joseph Bannister.
The book combines archaeology, history and pirates and delivers on all three. The book weaves together the narrative of the search for the ship with the personal lives and conflicts of the searchers
It is an engaging story and well told although I will note that I agree with another reviewer that the author has unfortunate tendency to repeat himself. By the end of the book you have it thoroughly drilled into your head that identifying pirate ships is rare and finding one is all but unheard of.
If you have a general interest in pirates or undersea archaeology this is quick and enjoyable read.
The book combines archaeology, history and pirates and delivers on all three. The book weaves together the narrative of the search for the ship with the personal lives and conflicts of the searchers
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along with the history of Joseph Bannister and piracy in general.It is an engaging story and well told although I will note that I agree with another reviewer that the author has unfortunate tendency to repeat himself. By the end of the book you have it thoroughly drilled into your head that identifying pirate ships is rare and finding one is all but unheard of.
If you have a general interest in pirates or undersea archaeology this is quick and enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member kenno82
Another great read... a slightly less successful sequel to shadow divers, which covers some of the same ground and tries to resurrect the previous book's recipe.
LibraryThing member JeffV
Like pirates? Marine archaeology? This book is for you!
Joseph Bannister was a British officer turned pirate circa 1680. Having once escaped prosecution and stealing back his ship, The Golden Fleece; he was pursued by two Royal Navy frigates. The frigates caught up with Bannister has his ship was
John Chatterton and John Mattera are renown treasure hunters, Chatterton once had his in its holds. But then they received a phone call from another legendary treasure hunter, Tracy Bowden, who had another offer for them. A real Golden Age pirate ship, something only once before ever found. The fame and notoriety was too much for Chatterton and Mattera to ignore, they set aside the treasure ship and began working on discovering The Golden Fleece.
Time was running out on several clocks. The Dominican Republic was pondering legislation that would give them ownership of any artifacts or relics found in their territorial waters, as other nations have started to do. Before long, the private enterprise of discovering and excavating such wrecks will be all but abolished. On top of this, the two were no spring chickens themselves, Chatterton was 58 and diving undiscovered wrecks was a young man's game.
Piecing together sparse information, likely spots came up empty. They needed to get into the head of Bannister and think like a pirate being pursued. This CSI-like investigation centuries removed was quite fascinated, as well as the challenges faced (both mundane and from other teams). There is still more of the tale to be told, but much of that will be in the courts. Meanwhile, read this fascinating story.
Joseph Bannister was a British officer turned pirate circa 1680. Having once escaped prosecution and stealing back his ship, The Golden Fleece; he was pursued by two Royal Navy frigates. The frigates caught up with Bannister has his ship was
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grounded for maintenance, but Bannister had a surprise for them. The cannons were fashioned into a shore battery, and the frigates limped home defeated. It was one of the greatest pirate stories never told.John Chatterton and John Mattera are renown treasure hunters, Chatterton once had his in its holds. But then they received a phone call from another legendary treasure hunter, Tracy Bowden, who had another offer for them. A real Golden Age pirate ship, something only once before ever found. The fame and notoriety was too much for Chatterton and Mattera to ignore, they set aside the treasure ship and began working on discovering The Golden Fleece.
Time was running out on several clocks. The Dominican Republic was pondering legislation that would give them ownership of any artifacts or relics found in their territorial waters, as other nations have started to do. Before long, the private enterprise of discovering and excavating such wrecks will be all but abolished. On top of this, the two were no spring chickens themselves, Chatterton was 58 and diving undiscovered wrecks was a young man's game.
Piecing together sparse information, likely spots came up empty. They needed to get into the head of Bannister and think like a pirate being pursued. This CSI-like investigation centuries removed was quite fascinated, as well as the challenges faced (both mundane and from other teams). There is still more of the tale to be told, but much of that will be in the courts. Meanwhile, read this fascinating story.
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LibraryThing member realfish
One of my favorite books of all time is "Shadow Divers" by this author so I had high hopes for this give-a-way from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Fortunately I was not disappointed. I love the way this author writes non-fiction like it was a high octane thriller. The hunt is on with a bodyguard
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turned diver who searches for lost galleons, sunken treasure, and of course pirates and their legends. Looking for the "golden fleece" the hunt is on and full of suspense, wrong turns, and obstacles to the quest. Some of my favorite parts are the diversions where the author fills us in on historical details and biographies of characters chased. While not as spell binding as "Shadow Divers," this book is engaging, and just plain, fun... definitely worth a read! Show Less
LibraryThing member Sheila1957
Interesting read. I liked how he showed every phase of the operation to find the Golden Fleece. The team had to do historical research on the time period and the pirate Joseph Bannister. They did the search and dived to find artifacts and then had experts ascertain their time periods on the
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artifacts. You do not need to know anything about salvaging or diving. The author explains all that in layman terms. I enjoy his writing. Show Less
LibraryThing member lisa.schureman
This was a LibraryThing giveaway. I had never heard of Joseph Bannister until I read this book and appreciated the history of Port Royal and the Golden Age of Piracy as well as the background on Mattera and Chatterton. I knew of Chatterton from Deep Sea Detectives and Michael Norwood's death made
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headlines. This book gives you a glimpse into their personalities and just how tough it can be to find a wreck, salvage it, and keep a partnership on an even keel. I do hope they do realize something from all their research, hard work, and the money they put into finding the Golden Fleece. Though being able to claim finding the second of only two verified pirate ships is nothing to sneeze at. Thoroughly enjoyed this book which kept me up at night Show Less
LibraryThing member SheTreadsSoftly
Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson is a very highly recommended, fascinating look inside the search for the pirate ship the Golden Fleece. The Golden Fleece was the ship of a pirate captain more notorious than Blackbeard and more daring
Robert Kurson tells how John Chatterton and John Mattera are hired by well-known treasure hunter Tracy Bowden, and how, undeterred by the many obstacles they faced, they conducted the search for the Golden Fleece. If they find the ship it will be only the second time in history that a pirate ship has been found and positively identified. Their quest was difficult though, and the price they paid while searching and even to the present day was high. They had to get into the mind of pirate Joseph Bannister to uncover the clues that could lead to the discovery of the Golden Fleece.
Bowden provided them with some clues that helped narrow the search: the Golden Fleece had sunk in twenty-four feet of water, had muskets scattered on her deck, and had been careening when confronted by the Royal Navy warships. The information that she had been careening was the most important. Kurson explains that careening was done to clean and repair hulls from damage done by Teredo shipworms, barnacles, and other marine life that attached to the underside of a vessel’s hull. To careen, crews beached the ships at high tide, and then tilted them onto their sides as the water went out. If the Golden Fleece had been sunk while careening, it meant she would likely be found near a beach.
While describing the present day search, struggles, the research, and the threats to their project, Kurson chronicles the biographical background information on Bannister, Chatterton, and Mattera. He also presents the facts about pirates and separates them from the many myths.
This is a well written, informative, thoroughly entertaining nonfiction adventure story that should capture the imagination of anyone interested in the Golden Age of Piracy (1650-1720) or deep sea diving or treasure hunting. It is a present day quest for the Golden Fleece.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Random House for review purposes.
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than William Kidd, a real-life Jack Sparrow, a man who’d been legend but whose story had been lost to time: the buccaneer Joseph Bannister. Bannister was an English merchant captain who turned pirate. His ship sunk in the 1680s somewhere off the coast of the Dominican Republic.Robert Kurson tells how John Chatterton and John Mattera are hired by well-known treasure hunter Tracy Bowden, and how, undeterred by the many obstacles they faced, they conducted the search for the Golden Fleece. If they find the ship it will be only the second time in history that a pirate ship has been found and positively identified. Their quest was difficult though, and the price they paid while searching and even to the present day was high. They had to get into the mind of pirate Joseph Bannister to uncover the clues that could lead to the discovery of the Golden Fleece.
Bowden provided them with some clues that helped narrow the search: the Golden Fleece had sunk in twenty-four feet of water, had muskets scattered on her deck, and had been careening when confronted by the Royal Navy warships. The information that she had been careening was the most important. Kurson explains that careening was done to clean and repair hulls from damage done by Teredo shipworms, barnacles, and other marine life that attached to the underside of a vessel’s hull. To careen, crews beached the ships at high tide, and then tilted them onto their sides as the water went out. If the Golden Fleece had been sunk while careening, it meant she would likely be found near a beach.
While describing the present day search, struggles, the research, and the threats to their project, Kurson chronicles the biographical background information on Bannister, Chatterton, and Mattera. He also presents the facts about pirates and separates them from the many myths.
This is a well written, informative, thoroughly entertaining nonfiction adventure story that should capture the imagination of anyone interested in the Golden Age of Piracy (1650-1720) or deep sea diving or treasure hunting. It is a present day quest for the Golden Fleece.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Random House for review purposes.
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