Customer Reviews:
Good Overview, Short on Archeology.......2004-11-19
I will say that like most of Ballard's books this is nicely laid out; good sized and with excellent photographs & drawings.
Most of the book is taken up by short histories of the various battles that make up the 'Guadalcanal Campaign.' This didn't leave much room for the exploration of the wrecks themselves which gives you a rather rushed feeling despite the good background history.
Perhaps this would have been even better as an expanded two volume set.
An incredible journey through a graveyard of lost ships........2004-09-23
The work of Dr Robert D. Ballard knows no bounds and is truly inspirational to those of us who read of his exploits and seek to emulate his standards with much lesser shipwrecks.
Once again, just as soon as I took delivery of "The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal" I knew I had a 5 Star Book in my hands and, once again, I found nothing within it's 220 pages to make me take away any of those stars.
This book will stand the test of time as a literary work and outstanding account of one of the major naval battle zones of the Pacific in WW2. There are modern photographs including a number taken from the air, historic photographs (American, Australian, Japanese and local) of the places, the personalities, the ships, aircraft and soldiers, some incredible paintings of the night actions that took place, pictures of Ballard's crew as they go about their work and his advanced equipment being deployed and used. There is also a picture of a very young John F. Kennedy in his PT-109.
The first underwater pictures are enough to make the heart stop for just a moment as you realise this man Ballard has done it again - not once, but in this case several times. Commencing with the 9,850 ton Heavy Cruiser HMAS Canberra (the "A" stands for Australian) we no sooner see the first underwater photographs of this once magnificent ship - which went down fight in the opening minutes of the Battle of Savo Island, then we turn the page to find a 3-page open-out spread of Ken Marschall's painting of the entire wreck.
On the opposite side of that 3 page spread is another equally outstanding painting of USS Quincy followed by her own set of underwater photographs. As the story of Guadalcanal continues, so we find more details of US and Japanese successes and losses and the trials and tribulations endured by the forces of both sides as the author carefully draws us towards that part in the overall series of battles that will bring us to his next discovery and Ken Marschall's next incredible painting - the USS Monssen.
With more underwater photographs of yet more of the "Lost Ships of Guadalcanal," and yet more paintings by Ken Marschall, the author skilfully brings the reader both to the end of the series of battles and to the end of his own journey of discovery. Whilst not one of the greatest works of art within the book, one of my favourite paintings is found on p.200. This is an aerial picture of the entire area called "Iron Bottom Sound" - painted as though the water had been removed and showing the location of no fewer than 13 warships, one aircraft and two beached freighters. As part of the caption states ".... that makes this one of the greatest submarine battlefields." Yes it is, and in this book it was all brought back to life by Dr Robert D. Ballard.
An excellent book by any standards.
NM
Price of Freedom Lies Between These Pages.......2002-11-12
The title above is what my great-uncle inscribed on the inside cover of this book. He is the Tommy Morris whose story is told in the pages of this book. Like many more famous sailors and soldiers, Uncle Tommy (who died only two weeks ago after a long decline, for those readers who might be interested)used to tell me and my grandfather (Tommy's brother) that it was impossible for him to think of people as "civilized" having seen how we turn our new discoveries and technology so easily to the unhappy task of killing each other. He also said to me once that his role in the Quincy sinking was that of a "damsel in distress".. which description was follwed by that sort of masculing deep-seated chuckle which only come forth from heroic men who have seen hell on earth.
I am biased, but I wer I not, I would still think this an excellent book!
Gary Morris
Great book on the warships lost in Iron Bottom Sound.......2001-09-15
Between August 1942 and February 1943, a land-sea and air battle was waged for an island in the south pacific called Guadalcanal. The six-month long battle for the island would be one of the definitive battles of the war. It was also one of the costliest. Thousands of Allied and Japanese soldiers died. And a channel north of the island had so many ships go down there that it was renamed Iron Bottom Sound.
It is possible that more men died in the waters off Guadalcanal then on the island itself. But for many years, most of the ships were out of reach to divers and eventually were all but forgotten. Then, in 1992, Oceanographer Robert Ballard, who had found the Titanic and the Bismarck, decided to explore the area using the latest in technology. It is quite an experience to see a past battlefield on land like Normandy, Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg or Guadalcanal itself. But the battlefields were obviously cleaned up afterward and don't look the way they did when the battle concluded. But time knows no boundaries in Iron Bottom Sound. The paintings by Ken Marshall and the photographs show many of the ships still upright on the ocean floor; Their guns and torpedo tubes still trained outward as if firing at a long gone enemy. But some of the ships are not so beautifully preserved. The Battleship Krishima, for example, lies upside down in two pieces on the ocean floor. And the Destroyer Barton is broken in half and lying on its side from two torpedoes. Nevertheless, most of the ships appear ready to rise up and continue fighting.
Lavishly illustrated and with a detailed text, The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal will make a welcome addition to the collection of any War, Naval or Shipwreck enthusiast (If you can find a copy that is).
A keystone in every maritime library.......2001-08-28
Dr. Bob Ballard discovered the Titanic in the mid 1980's using cutting-edge underwater technology. For this book, he turned that skill and knowledge to lead an expedition to examine the wrecks of one of the bloodiest naval battles of World War II, one so full of death and destruction that veterans of the battle gave the waters of Gualdalcanal the nickname of "Iron Bottom Sound" because of the number of ships and aircraft that lay underwater. Guadalcanal was the linchpin of American and Japanese military strategy for control of the south Pacific islands. The Americans controlled the airfield, but the Japanese controlled the island and the waters around it. The Japanese couldn't resupply its army because of attacks to its freighters by Allied aircraft and the Americans couldn't resupply its airfield because of attacks to its fleet of ships. In one single battle in the pitch-black darkness of night, the mighty Japanese fleet engaged a weaker American destroyer group where American guns were aimed by radar and Japanese guns were aimed by looking for the flashes from the American weapons. The American fleet was destroyed but it was a Pyhric victory because the Japanese supply ships failed to reach the starving Japanese troops on the island. Dr. Ballard does a remarkable job of capturing both the essence of the battle and the essence of underwater archeology to create a wonderful book filled with full-color pictures of the wrecks and period black-and-white pictures of the war. He also includes the fantastic paintings and maps in the style that has adorned his other books to show how the wrecks would look if there was absolute clarity underwater and with a "God's Eye". This book is one of the better ones I've found that deal with the ships of Guadalcanal and underwater archeology. I've noticed copies adorning the workbenches of many model-ship builders (including mine). Its a great gift idea and sure to please anyone interested in great battles, maritime history, WW2, underwater exploration, or tales of bravery (by those who fought and those who study the ocean).
Book Description
Miracles, viruses, plane crashes and acts of terror perpetrated by a group of Others. This is the perplexing and radical world created by J.J. Abrams in his hit television show, LOST. Joley Wood, with wit and insight, explores the show'ss quirky details, and argues for an idea as weird as the show itself: That we'sre all stuck on the island.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful and intelligent.......2007-05-24
This book is a great starter for anyone interested in the literary references found throughout the television show.
J. Wood is extremely insightful and articulate and it is apparent that he is a fan of the show.
J Wood has you covered.......2007-03-29
If I ever had to complain about Lost, it would be about the way they leave me hanging and bewildered. All the while that I have watched this show I know there are a million things that I'm just not picking up on, and therefore I'm Lost.
And then along came J Wood to the rescue.
I first came across J when I ran into his blog on Powells.com. He guts out each episode six ways to Sunday, and then he checks back in to answer further questions. What I like best about J's analysis of Lost is that its clear that he's not just a TV nerd. He seems to know a little something about everything. Not only does J understand the intricacies of what is happening on the show, he delivers about six more layers of meaning to everything that happens on the show.
These layers are described beautifully in his book, making you see the show entirely different, and even some aspects of real life.
Living Lost has value as cultural criticism, a lesson in literary theory, the answers to all of your lost questions, and just a plain old entertaining read. I've read it twice and still reference it as an excellent coffe table reader.
Lost.......2007-03-28
I'm a Lost fiend and really enjoyed the book. Would be cool to have an updated version with the same kind of insights when the show comes to an end.
Not a guide, great cultural criticism.......2007-03-11
This isn't your standard TV "unofficial" guide to the show. It is actually a fantastic work of cultural criticism that touches on politics, art and literature. Highly recommended for people who are interested in the intricacies behind the storytelling of LOST.
Average customer rating:
- Best Ever
- An Indispensable Reference Book
- sweet memories
- GREAT GIFT FOR FORMER CONEY ISLANDERS
- A well-done history of Coney Island
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Coney Island: Lost and Found
Charles Denson
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
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ASIN: 1580084559 |
Book Description
Coney Island: Lost and Found by Charles Denson
Growing up on Coney Island in the '50s and '60s, Charles Denson experienced legendary amusements and attractions like the Cyclone and Thunderbolt roller coasters, the Parachute Jump, and Steeplechase Park. In CONEY ISLAND: LOST AND FOUND, Denson gives us an insider's look at one of New York's best-known neighborhoods, weaving together memories of his childhood adventures with colorful stories of the area's past and interviews with local personalities, all brought to life by hundreds of photographs, detailed maps, and authentic memorabilia. CONEY ISLAND is a heartfelt chronicle that stretches from colonial times to the island's heyday in the early 20th century and through its subsequent decline and revival, culminating in the 2001 opening of the new ballpark that brought baseball back to Brooklyn.
Customer Reviews:
Best Ever.......2007-10-21
If you really want to know the history of Coney, this book is a must. I grew up in Brighton Beach during the 50s, and this book was a wonderful read.
An Indispensable Reference Book.......2007-06-06
This is the best book I've ever read on the history Coney Island and I've read every one I could find. It is extremely well researched and written, has incredible photographs and graphics, and a personal story that's moving and deeply felt.
Like many of the other reviewers of this book I grew up in the Coney Island area (Brighton First Street). Coney Island has an almost magical draw for me, so much so that I recently completed writing and illustrating a novel called, "Coney Island Book of the Dead" that takes place in 1956. Charles Denson's book proved to be an invaluable source of facts, lore, and pictures, but, even more importantly, of inspiration. If my novel ever gets published (I'm looking for an agent as of 6/08/07) I hope all of you coneyislandaphiles read it.
Also, you might also be interested in a new book by Charles Denson called "Wild Ride! A Coney Island Roller Coaster Family." I just ordered it.
sweet memories.......2007-05-02
The Terra and Belgenio patriarchs arrived in Coney Island at the turn of the 20 th centuty--legend has it that they got on a train and got off at the last stop--Stillwell Ave. This wonderful book put me in touch with them and my parents who lived and died on 15 th and 17 Streets between Mermaid & Neptune Aves. up until the mid 70's. My grandfather Anthony Terra sold ice in the summer and coal in the winter while his wife Maria ran a fruit & vegetable store and raised 6 children--one of whom was my father George, who knew everybody and everybody knew him. This book --the narrative and photos--ignited so many memories for me that I cannot read it without shedding some tears --as I am doing now. Buy the book--you'll love it! Dr Anthony Terra
GREAT GIFT FOR FORMER CONEY ISLANDERS.......2005-12-13
I actually got a copy of this book from my grandfather -- who was featured in the book. I enjoyed this book so much that I have since bought this book for every friend and relative who has moved out of state. This is a great gift for any occassion... for any Brooklynite.
A well-done history of Coney Island.......2005-05-27
Like many of the other reviewers, I'm a Coney Island native. Unlike them, I grew in Trump Village, located on the border between Coney and Brighton. Growing up in the 1970's and 80's, central Coney was always a bad neighborhood and I'd only heard vague stories about how great it used to be. While I have since read books and seen documentaries about Coney, Denson's book goes even deeper, especially with his wonderful use of oral history.
I had always been told that before Trump Village and Warbasse, there used to be nothing but empty land in that area. Thanks to this book, I have finally learned the truth, that there used to be a vital, functioning and even happy lower and middle income neighborhood called the Gut, before Fred Trump, Robert Moses and other developers and politicians came along and destroyed all that. Despite it's unfortunate beginnings, Trump still ended up being a decent, affordable place for many middle class Jews and Russian immigrants to live, thanks to this book, I'll always see the ghosts of the homes, theaters and people who came before everytime I go home.
For anyone who is interested in Coney Island or the rise and fall of a city neighborhood, this book is most definitely recommended. And if you grew up in or even near Coney, this book is a must-read.
Book Description
Long ago, in the Second Age of history, a young Nain explorer by the name of Ven Polypheme traveled much of the known and unknown world, recording his adventures. Recently discovered by archaeologists, a few fragments of his original journals are reproduced in this book. Great care has been taken to reconstruct the parts of the journal that did not survive, so that a whole story can be told....Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme--known as Ven--is the youngest son of a long line of famous shipwrights. He dreams not of building ships, but of sailing them to far-off lands where magic thrives. Ven gets his chance when he is chosen to direct the Inspection of his family's latest ship--and sets sail on the journey of a lifetime. Attacked by fire pirates, lost at sea and near death, Ven is rescued by a passing ship on its way to the Island of Serendair. Thankful to be alive, little does Ven know that the pirate attack--and his subsequent rescue--may not have been an accident. Shadowy figures are hunting for the famed Floating Island, the only source of the mystical Water of Life. They think Ven can lead them to this treasure, and will stop at nothing to get it--even murder. In a narrative that alternates entries from his journals and drawings from his sketchbooks, Ven begins the famous chronicles of his exciting and exotic adventures--adventures that would later earn him renown as the author of The Book of All Human Knowledge and All the World's Magic.
Customer Reviews:
Just all right.......2007-08-09
I did enjoy the action in this novel, but the characters weren't compelling enough for me to care dearly about them. The only thing I found truly *real* were Ven's feelings for his family, and they were relegated to far away, long ago for too much of the story.
Ven himself seemed to morph too much to seem a real character. I felt like she didn't have a good handle on him, so I didn't either.
loved it!.......2007-04-27
I absolutely loved this book! I usually read all my kids books before they read them and this is one I will highly recommend that they read.
The only question I have about the book is, why is there a dragon on the front when there is no dragon in the book?
The Prologue to: The Symphony of Ages........2007-02-04
While everybody is bragging about how great The Floating Island is (which I highly agree) when they are missing out on a greater, more amazing series known as: The Symphony of Ages. The Floating Island is only a twink compared to Haydon's larger series.
Nevetheless, The Floating Island is a great companyion to S.O.A series. You may find that most of the remarks made in T.F.I are made in: Requiem for the Sun (The fourth novel in Haydon's series). Like the books Ven wrote later on in age, remarked by Talquist in Sorbold.
But The Floating Island is for: The Young at Heart. So it's a little treat for me to read. I'm to page 208 after reading it for a day, and I found it very enjoyable. I'm already looking forward to: The Thief Queen's Daughter, the second novel to The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme series.
But if you are over the age of 15, then you should read The Symphony of Ages first before continuing on in T.L.J.O.V.P. You will find it MUCH more gripping, (less magical, since it takes place after The Second Age: The Broken World.) and more mature of course. Rhapsody, Achmed, and Grunthor are very enjoyable characters, and treasures you don't want to miss in the fantasy field.
Great read.......2007-01-14
Wonderfully imaginative, well written and original. Even some good lessons mixed into the adventure. Obviously the start of a series, and a long one I hope. Definitely give this one to your kids--and read it yourself.
Bedtime Story.......2007-01-13
If I had a little boy, this would be the book I would be reading to him at night. One chapter at a time. In fact, if I had a little girl this would be what I read her!
Each chapter is the perfect mini adventure, often with a suspenseful ending. Pirate attacks, mermaid rescues, mysterious islands...all in the first few chapters.
But I have no kids, so instead...I am reading it to myself before bed, and loving every twist and turn.
Book Description
It is one of humankind's most enduring myths. And now it is a fantasy no longer...
In the year 347 B.C., Plato wrote of a miraculous island with hot and cold flowing waters, terraced multi-storied buildings, and "the fairest of all plains." For thousands, of years, the legend of the mysterious vanished "continent" of Atlantis has captivated writers, poets, artists, philosophers, and dreamers. But now Atlantis has been found -- and the truth about its vibrant life and horrific destruction is even more remarkable than the myth.
Based on artifacts and evidence uncovered in an ancient buried Minoan city, noted scientist and New York Times-bestselling author bestselling author Charles Pellegrino reanimates an astounding lost civilization and re-creates with explosive power the apocalyptic cataclysm that destroyed their remarkable island metropolis. A brilliant synthesis of historical, literary, archaeological, and geological detective work, here is both the story of the astounding discovery that transformed tale into fact -- and a breathtakinq vision of Atlantis reborn.
Customer Reviews:
Thought provoking.......2006-11-07
Atlantis as both a concept and an historical reality appeal to the romantic and the practical in all of us.
Dr. Pellegrino's beautiful writing raises once again the idea that the volcano "Thera" on the island of Santorini wiped out the Minoan civilization and sent Minoans (our name - not theirs) as refugees to countries around the Mediterranean rim. Those who arrived in Caanan were called "Philistines" and may be ancestral to today's Palestinian people.
At the same time, according to this book, the Egyptian pharoah refused to release Moses (there's an Egyptian name, eg Tut-mose and so on) and his people from their "servitude" in Egypt. Darkness by day, rivers of blood and the famous escape scene (which may represent the Theran tsunami) result in a second group of fleeing refugees arriving in Caanan claiming they were promised or given the land.
Four thousand years later, whether one believes in Plato's Atlantis or not, the story of the Volcano of Thera is a fascinating one. Get yourself a copy of the King James' Bible as Dr. Pellegrino presents Biblical citations often in his work and it is very helpful to be able to read along and mark all the juicy bits for later.
Fire and brimstone, the voice of angels, the clap of the celestial trumpets, lighted pillars of flame, the gnashing of teeth and wailing of the wounded - all make sense when viewed through a volcanic perspective. Reading about Krakatoa, Vesuvius and Thera all in a group both in Dr. Pellegrino's work and that of Simon Winchester gives a very interesting view into the role of volcanos and other geological processes on human history.
Certainly in our own age, we have seen the awesome power of tsunami waves, as the December 26, 2004 wave took away a quarter of a million people. Waves produced by Thera were nearly 30 stories high and washed inland for miles and miles - producing a channeled scablands in Turkey almost as far as Mount Ararat.
Dr. Pellegrino never pointed this out, but if "Noah's flood" were a river flood - the ark would have been washed out to sea. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights and the ark ended up on a mountain, raising the interesting possiblity that this event, too is associated with volcanic darkness and accompanying tsunamis.
Get this book. Even if you believe Plato's Atlantis was anywhere or nowhere at all - you'll learn a lot and be dragged along by the beautiful and evocative writing every inch of the way. I'll never think of Vesuvius the same way again - and I'm a trained Geologist.
I only wish I'd read Dr. Pellegrino's books when I was teaching. I think my students would have been much more excited by volcanos - because I sure would have been!
Beauty, Grace and Destruction.......2006-06-22
First and foremost: Yes, it did exist.
The significance of an ancient Atlantis existing in our past and flourishing to a point that the Minoan civilization is a millennium ahead of it's time is unprecedented. With emphasis on the exaggerations and mythological components added to Plato's story, it becomes necessary to provide factual information to contradict the erroneous speculations. And essentially, that is how this book comes into play.
In all reality, Atlantis was a rather small volcanic isle within the Mediterranean Sea, Northwest of the larger Island Crete where the Minoan empire had also settled. Due to several fortunate details, including being surrounded by ocean, hot springs, a volcano and so forth they advanced beyond belief and beyond the very grasp of the most enthusiastic human imagination. All the characteristics that would aid the Minoans in mastering the ocean with its own Navy, utilizing aqueducts with warm and cool flowing water, showers and flush toilets, also lead to the most tragic demise known to both the ancient and modern worlds. And at this point, the author expresses the reader's wonder about such people, capable of such things, wonder about the possibilities of landing on the moon before even the birth of Christ, or colonies near Alpha Centauri which would seem possible if only nature had spared us that one disaster. Perhaps the Minoans could have accomplished these tasks that now only appear to exist at the nucleus of science fiction. That is, had they lived to truly influence the "modern" world in that sense.
Dr. Pellegrino introduces fact and differentiates it from the fiction surrounding Atlantis. His conclusions are also quite logical, for example Plato's embellishment of the story described to Solon in Egypt, by placing Atlantis in the far, vast and unknown Atlantic Ocean as an Africa-sized continent nearly 9000 years old. The errors that could contribute to ridiculous numbers such as 9000 years and possibilities as to several facts and myths regarding Atlantis are presented as well, including the likely mistake between Linear A and B zero, and the idea of Noah living to see the age of 950 as a thought of the time. The author provides reasoning that may have affected the nature of the story, such as why the island sank, its hanging gardens and technological achievements, while weaving in the archaeological finds that back his ideas. What is by far the greatest aspect of the book aside from the author's understanding of how dramatic such a story was, is his comments about the true beauty of the island and its people, the art frescoes within every home, the rich vegetation and the fleet of ships docked in a natural port. The contrast of what was to what exists now is just so...
This is not to mention Thera's (Atlantis') influence on not only the downfall of the Minoan civilization but its impact on biblical stories, surrounding areas like Egypt and Turkey, and the wonder behind such power the earth can release within a fraction of a second. Pellegrino's ability to tie science in with history to interpret a story as grand as that of the Minoans is extraordinary. The details of the excavation and research are also enthralling.
However, there are a few flaws in the book that do harm it's otherwise enthusiastic and informative content. For one, at least three sentences were repeated. At one point in the book, the author explains how humans experience difficulty in understanding events more than 2000 years old. This is a valid point. However in an attempt to place the history of our world into perspective, the author took it too far. One seems lost in chronological time, and Thera is then a distant subject mentioned only a few times while this is taking place. The chapter did contain very interesting information, including one of my favorite factoids about bacteria and Uranium - 235; however it didn't pertain as much to Thera and threw the reader off task. A slight alteration to the ending would also have made a difference.
Yet the author is eloquent and interesting. He'll engulf you in a world you'll never want to leave. The beauty that is the fresco of Madonna Lilies is to Thera what the Grand Staircase was to Titanic. The greatest civilization was devoured by the hand that fed them, yet it isn't as dismal as one tends to think. The one event that wiped out the Minoans is the one event that will ensure the Minoans will last forever.
You'll have much to ponder about!
Enchanting Atlantis.......2005-07-21
"Unearthing Atlantis: An Archaelogical Odyssey to the Fabled Lost Civilization" by Charles Pellegrino is an enchanting, well researched, well rounded book about the Greek island of Santorini and the volcanic explosion which probably destroyed Minoan civilization. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time; it was very difficult for me to put down, as Pellegrino expertly combines history, archaelogy, art, literature and science to write a comprehensive story of the lost civilization of Santorini/ Atlantis. As a matter of fact, I found myself studying , not just reading, this book, and am currently rereading it a second time. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Greek history, Atlantis, or a good mystery.
Very important subject, but sketchy writing.......2001-11-17
YES: this book is about the real Atlantis. It really did exist, but not in the literal way that Plato described it, and certainly not in the way that New Age speculation "theorists" want it to.
I really wanted to give this book a perfect five-star rating, as the subject matter is immensely important, and the author's enthusiasm makes this book a truly exciting experience. The long story made short is that "Atlantis" was in reality a small island in the east Mediterranean way back around 1600 BC. Thera was a part of the Minoan Empire, and, being a group of islands between Egypt and Greece, had not only the world's first navy, but aquaducts (long before the famous Roman water systems) and a surprisingly highly-evolved culture. Then one day, the volcano at the center of Thera exploded with as least six times the power of Krakatoa (the 1883 eruption that was heard over 2000 miles away), and within seconds 2/3 of the island was in the stratosphere.
This was all before even the Greeks became the dominant force in the region, and so the sudden disappearance of the Minoans (who dominated trade between Europe and Africa) not surprisingly became various stories passed down through the generations, which is where Plato heard it. Plato's description of an entire continent all the way out in the Atlantic that sunk into the sea turned out to be an embellishment on what was, by then, just a myth. He was essentially trying to make a point about how quickly even the most powerful civilization can crumble, and what he said was passed down through the ages, in one form or another, to us. This is how and why these Art Bell "experts" have hijacked this subject and nailed it onto their "theories" of other subjects that have been blown completely out of proportion, such as the Bermuda Triangle, life on Mars, Bigfoot, etc. Case in point: just because Atlantis was advanced by ancient standards, NO: THEY DID NOT HAVE AIRPLANES OR LASERS. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but REAL history isn't "Spear of Destiny" garbage: it's how real people really lived, not whatever garbage you want it to be.
Of course, this book was an emotional one to read: an ancient culture creating such high technology (a millenium ahead of its time), only to be totally annihilated in just seconds. If the downfall of Rome and the unsuing loss of knowledge and the onset of the Dark Ages is considered to be historically tragic, this story is then the most epic catastrophe EVER. The author points out that if they were doing what took another 1000 years for the Romans to figure out (such as running water through pipes), who knows what these people might have managed to do? Maybe we would have been on the moon 2000 years ago. We'll never know.
The downfall of this book that I hinted at earlier is that 90% of everything important is said immediately: none of what I've said here is a "big mystery" that gets unravelled through the course of the book. It's like getting hit from all sides with amazing (and very enthusiastic) information about who the Therans might have been, how the world was at the time, and the excitement that Atlantis did exist after all. As great as all of that is, the book suddenly takes a left turn into endless archaeological stories and theories that simply don't have much of anything to do with the subject. At first, it's the author trying to put Theran history into perspective (he says that people have a hard time comprehending what happened over 2000 years ago, and he's right), but he just starts beating this idea to death. He'll occasionally get back to Thera and the ongoing excavations, and then he'll launch back into a whole list of other things that become more and more distracting. By the last 100 pages of the book, it becomes a chore to get through to the end, in the increasingly dismal hope that he'll say more than just one or two things about Thera itself.
This book isn't written as much badly as just way off target. The author's enthusiasm will make you picture him as a kid playing in a sandbox for the very first time (which is probably how he'd actually describe himself), but unfortunately, he runs out of steam when he runs out of things to really say. On the other hand, this subject is fascinating and important, and I would, of course, still highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to find a huge missing piece of history, or to anyone trying to scrape that layer of filth known as "New Age speculation" off of some really solid history: the real thing is far more interesting than the National Enquirer version.
Wrong time, wrong place, by coauthor of Atlantis In America.......2001-08-17
This is a beatifully written book. The author has a keen sense of the majesty of time and he very effectively imparts this greater view to the reader. He deals with the background to a very significant find in ancient civilization. However, to validate placing Thera (Santorini) in the context of Atlantis, Pelligrino cites Plato but suggests the learned man didn't understand math and referred to a culture destroyed not 9,000 years before but 900. Pelligrino, in insisting on a small Mediterranean island as Atlantis also challenges Plato's knowledge of geography. In the Critias Plato describes three distinct seas -- The Mediterranean, which Plato described as "merely a harbor, having a narrow entrance", the named sea (The Atlantic), and that other that "is the real sea (the Pacific), and the surrounding land that may truly be called continent (Asia)." In fact the Mediterranean could not have supported a climate such as that found in Plato's lush Atlantis 9,000 years before his time -- ice-sheets dominated all of Europe. As to inconsistencies with the legend, Pelligrino complains, "All we have is Plato's word." Untrue. There are other sources both in ancient times and currently. The most significant are Andrew Collin's GATEWAY TO ATLANTIS, Colin Wilson's ATLANTIS BLUEPRINT, and Ivar Zapp's research into the remarkable spheres of Costa Rica, ATLANTIS IN AMERICA, Navigators of the Ancient World. All point to an actual Atlantis just where Plato said it existed. On this point Plato's words seem likely to outive Pelligrino's.
Amazon.com
When the Order of Knights Templar was destroyed in 1307, the secret society supposedly had vast wealth that was rumored to include the genealogies of David and Jesus and other religious artifacts as well as your run-of-the-mill gold and jewels. Over 200 years ago, the site of an elaborate vault was discovered by three teenagers on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, which was determined to have been built sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries. Author Steven Sora has been investigating both the Order and the vault for over 17 years, and The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar details his fascinating theory of where the Templar's hoard went and what is buried under Oak Island. If you enjoy real-life mystery, the intrigues of secret societies, or thoughtfully researched revisionist history, this one's for you. --P. Randall Cohan
Book Description
A compelling argument that connects the lost treasure of the Knights Templar to the mysterious money pit on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, that has baffled treasure hunters for two centuries
• Fascinating occult detective work linking the Cathars, the Scottish Masons, and Renne-le-Chateau to the elusive treasure pit on Oak Island
• Draws on new evidence recently unearthed in Italy, France, and Scotland to provide a compelling solution to one of the world's most enduring mysteries
When the Order of Knights Templar was ruthlessly dissolved in 1307 by King Philip the Fair of France it possessed immense wealth and political power, yet none of the treasure the Templars amassed has ever been found. Their treasure is rumored to contain artifacts of spiritual significance retrieved by the order during the Crusades, including the genealogies of David and Jesus and documents that trace these bloodlines into the royal bloodlines of Merovingian France.
Placing a Scottish presence in the New World a century before Columbus, Steven Sora paints a credible scenario that has the Sinclair clan of Scotland transporting the wealth of the Templars--entrusted to them as the Masonic heirs of the order--to a remote island off the shores of present-day Nova Scotia. The mysterious money pit there is commonly believed to have been built before 1497 and has guarded its secret contents tenaciously despite two centuries of determined efforts to unearth it. All of these efforts (one even financed by American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt) have failed, thanks to an elaborate system of booby traps, false beaches, hidden drains, and other hazards of remarkable ingenuity and technological complexity.
Customer Reviews:
A LETDOWN! Speculative! More of a "Conspiracy Theory".......2007-04-29
This book is a bit of a stretch if you are looking for FACTS.
It is more of a hodge-podge of fact and fiction leaving the reader with a convoluted mess that is hard to pick through. Speculation abounds and creative license is plentiful in this work.
Although an entertaining read, it presents many very interesting opinions, there are not supportive texts, archeological finds or historical proofs.
Please do enjoy if you are looking for fantasy, historical fiction or could-have-been storylines, but this book is NOT FACT as it is advertised.
If taken as a work of FICTION, this is a fairly good read, but as advertised, it is a poor excuse for history.
So, It would be an average read as fiction, but must be marked down a little due to the fact that it is purported to be fact. This is how I arrive at a 2 out of 5.
Lost Treasure a great find as is Swords at Sunset.......2007-01-14
Carefully researched and thought-provoking, The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar offers compelling evidence that the Holy Grail was spirited to North America - more specifically Oak Island in Canada. As such, it should really be read alongside Swords at Sunset by Michael Bradley, as Bradley's book establishes that the Holy Grail was and perhaps still is in Niagara, Ontario and Quebec and Vermont along with much of the Atlantic seaboard. This alone is a compelling reason to read this remarkable book. Also, I've come across a number of reviews suggesting Swords at Sunset be read in tandem with The Da Vinci Code. Now I understand why. I had the pleasure of reading this remarkable book recently and was captivated by Bradley's well framed argument that the Knights Templar brought Holy Grail refugess, descendents of Jesus, to North America long before Columbus ever set foot here. Then I learned that Bradley was a researcher behind the Da Vinci Code movie. The Da Vinci Code book and movie are both highly enjoyable. But what's really fascinating is Bradley's non-fiction book putting the Grail in Canada and the United States centuries ago. I learned a great deal. You should also check out Bradley's great new Grail novel The Magdalene Mandala. All of these books are highly recommended for anyone interested in the Holy Grail.
The Knights Templar.......2006-11-23
I put off reading about the KT's involvement with the Oak Island mystery simply because it is a path whose foot steps are difficult to verify never mind follow. Historically steep. So how does Sora do it? I found it to be an enjoyable read, fact filled and well written. How would anyone verify what he is saying or rather the facts he presents? To take his books contents on face value would be to say whats buried on Oak Island is KT related. I reccommend it to any Oak Island enthusiast as its an important angle to the Oak Island mystery needed to be understood. If you're a skeptic I would buy it so you can have something else to poo poo about..Oh what a minute one of the skeptics already has written a review poo poing the book...good for you!
Scottish Masons Hid Templar Treasures at Oak Island in Pre-Columbian Times.......2006-07-18
That about sums up the author's thesis; the rest of the book is a poorly edited, rehashing of the tired Holy Blood, Holy Grail myth. The author clearly possesses a strong belief in the Priory of Sion, the bloodline of Jesus Christ, and other such nonsense, and uses this venue to air his enthusiasms. Unfortunately, only about 100 pages of this 250+ page book is actually about the Oak Island mystery. To his credit, the author does present a valid theory of the origins of the treasure but unforunately stops there. Just as he gets the story rolling and the reader's excitement bubbling he charts another course and veers away from his thesis. In the end, the reader is left to try and assemble for himself a puzzle that spans about four continents, 3,000 years, and countless secret societies.
Get this one at your local library if you're really interested.
A mystery not really solved.......2006-07-13
I'm not a reader of history, meaning I don't read history books cover to cover. This was an exception--if it is in fact history. But it was a tough read, and not because of my reading predilections. Hooked by the topical subject matter in the wake of Da Vinci Code, I figured I'd sit down for the afternoon to read the 250 pages. But the afternoon turned into several days. It wasn't just the scores of grammatical errors or repetitive explanations and descriptions or sentence run-ons that caused me to spend so much time with this book although those things tend to lose a reader. It wasn't even the weird syntax that had me re-reading and re-reading just to grasp what the author intended. Astoundingly, for such an overwritten book, what I found missing was information, pertinent, corroborating and clarifying information throughout. The author covers 2000 plus years of history and weaves in and out of centuries on a dime, and there are numerous occassions when important dates or approximate dates would have helped me keep my bearings. The author also spins off names and places by the pound, some explained some not. I found myself laying the book down to turn on my computer to check for facts. An example is the name Samuel Elliot Morrison. Now pardon me for being so ignorant of American 20th century historians, but I had no idea who this detractor of the Sinclair-Zeno expedition was or whether he was alive now or if he'd been speared by Eskimos 300 years ago. Thank God for Google. Putting the negatives aside, "The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar" contains some interesting alternative/possible histories and hypotheses, and author Steven Sora definitely got me to chomp on some of these. In parts, the book is provocative, and it does cover a lot of ground: Norse explorers, dastardly French Kings, the wars of England and Scotland, the Merovingian dynasty and so on. But ultimately this book fails to prove that Templar treasure exists on Oak Island. The author borrows much from Michael Baigent's "Holy Blood Holy Grail," a book most historians would classify as fiction. Fiction or not, I tried to substantiate some of the claimed history in both of these books, checking into, for example, the organization Prieure de Sion and its supposed former name Ordre de Sion. There are dozens of resources, books, articles, blogs, mentioning these organizations, but I found nothing written pre 1970. Most of the articles debunk the Priory of Sion and Pierre Plantard the Frenchman credited with the hoax. Of course it could be argued that the organization was so secret that nothing was written, or perhaps certain arcane documents existed but were confiscated or burned by the Church. But Steven Sora doesn't seem to care about the veracity of Pierre Plantard or the Order/priory of Sion. In this book, the Priory of Sion is real and Mr. Sora runs with it. Discerning readers and researchers are unlikely to be so easily persuaded. If you can wade through the author's bulbous style, the book is worth picking up. Review by David Marsh.
Book Description
The untold story of the last odyssey of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration
Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914 Antarctic endeavor is legend, but for sheer heroism and tragic nobility, nothing compares to the saga of the Ross Sea party. This crew of explorers landed on the opposite side of Antarctica from the Endurance with a mission to build supply depots for Shackleton's planned crossing of the continent. But their ship disappeared in a gale, leaving ten inexperienced, ill-equipped men to trek 1,356 miles in the harshest environment on earth. Drawing on the men's own journals and photographs, The Lost Men is a masterpiece of historical adventure, a book destined to be a classic in the vein of Into Thin Air.
Customer Reviews:
Gripping saga of leadership, adventure and cold discomfort. .......2007-10-19
The world remembers swashbuckling Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton as a selfless leader who would do anything for his men. But this tale of the hardships suffered by his support crew paints a different picture of Shackleton - a charismatic and courageous figure, yes, but also a man whose disorganization and carelessness wasted the lives, health, loyalty and courage of half his party. Three members of Shackleton's Ross Sea party died while leaving supplies of food that Shackleton never used. Historian Kelly Tyler-Lewis uses the survivors' journals and interviews with their families to chronicle the Ross Party's relationships and sacrifices in compelling detail, illuminating the missteps and mismanagement that caused the expedition to go awry. We recommend this study to managers who want examples of how to respond - and how not to respond - in a crisis.
Inspiring tale of adventure and discovery.......2007-08-24
This book is quite a gripping story both in based in tragedy and triumph.
I saw the PBS special on the Shackleton Journey, but many times, like this, the book is much better.
The book was highly researched and vividly written describing the many astonishing moments of the expedition.
It was a ten-man journey the relies heavily on personal journals about some happy moments and some very terrible times. It goes into detail about the decreasing health of the journeymen and stuggles with scurvey, frostbite, snow blindness and the horrible mental and emotional anguish that many sucumb to on this dangerous 1330-mile mission to Antarctica.
Can You Be A Hero If Your Efforts Are Ultimately Pointless?.......2007-06-04
Both sucessful and failed feats of courage are lauded by literature. Many have heard (and read) of the failed expedition of Ernest Shackleton to cross Antarctica. Shackletom failed to even reach the continent, as his ship, the Endurance failed to reach land.
Less well known is the story of the Ross Sea Party -- the group charged with laying in supplies that Shackleton would need as he crossed the pole and returned northward. This book tells the saga of the poorly funded "other half" of the planned expedition.
Focusing more on the shore party, rather than on the shipboard party on the Aurora, the book details the mistakes that were made in the first summer attempt to stock the depots, where Macintosh drove the sled dogs to death and made very little progress, to the stranding of the shore party at the end of the first summer when they were not picked up by the ship.
Presuming the ship lost, and wondering if a rescue would even be attempted during WWI, the 10 men were determined to do the job they were sent to do and proceeded through all odds to strive to lay the depots that Shackleton would never need.
Kelly Tyler-Lewis examines the physical and mental struggles of the shore party including their deep divisions over leadership styles. Culled from the diaries of the expedition, she has weaved a gripping tale of man's struggle against incredible odds.
Thought-provoking chronicle of adventure and adversity.......2007-01-10
The attractive front-cover design is the first indication of the quality of this work, which is well researched and written and a thoroughly engrossing read. Highly recommended.
The Strong Men.......2007-01-09
I have read nearly every book in print dealing with the exploration and saga of Shackleton and his men. Kelly Tyler-Lewis' book The Lost Men rates as one of the best. The "harrowing story" of these hearty men stranded in the desolate Ross Sea is incredible, for lack of words.
Duty-bound, these men laid the stores for a transantarctic voyage that would never materialize. These were men who risked their own lives to ensure the safety of others whose whereabouts were unknown.
The Lost Men is an epic struggle of man versus the ravages of nature and reveals the triumphs and the tragedies involved. It is a book of determination, leadership and accountability.
Of special interest are the generous notes included dealing with such issues as diet (e.g., Their diet lacked nearly all essential vitamins necessary for such a feat), body temperature (e.g., One man recorded a body temperature of 94.2), and navigation of pack ice (e.g. in 2002 it took two Coast Guard ships over two weeks to break through ice roughly thirty miles to Hut point.)
The Lost Men is an exciting and riveting book. As a two-time traveler to McMurdo Sound, I highly recommend this work.
Book Description
An extraordinary and dramatic tale of shipwrecks, underwater discovery, and the dawn of the golden age of piracy.On January 2, 1678, a fleet of French ships sank in the Caribbean Sea, one hundred miles off the Venezuelan coast, on the killer reef of Las Aves Island. These wrecks, which claimed more than 1,200 lives, proved disastrous for French naval power in the region and sparked the rise of a golden age of piracy, an era that was forever to alter the shape of the Americas. In The Lost Fleet, writer, explorer, and deep-sea diver Barry Clifford interweaves the dramatic tale of this maritime catastrophe -- and the dangerous upsurge of piracy in the world's seas -- with the contemporary account of his own expedition to document and explore the wrecks.Tracing the lives of fabled pirates like the Chevalier de Grammont, Nikolaas Van Hoorn, Thomas Paine, and Jean Comte d'EstrÉes, The Lost Fleet delivers a stunning portrait of a dark age, rich with historical detail and romantic drama. Toward the end of the eighteenth century, the outcasts of European society came together to form a democracy of buccaneers, settling on a string of islands off the African coast. From there, the pirates made their fame and fortune by haunting the world's oceans, wreaking havoc on the settlements along the Spanish main and -- often enlisted by French and English governments -- sacking ships, ports, and coastal towns. Now, two hundred and fifty years later, Barry Clifford has followed the pirates' destructive wake around the world all the way back to Venezuela. With the help of a remarkably accurate map, drawn by Jean Comte d'EstrÉes (the captain of the lost French fleet) himself, Clifford was able to locate the exact site of the disaster and the wreckage of the once mighty armada. Beautifully told, epic in scope, and steeped in period detail, The Lost Fleet is a mesmerizing account of historical discovery and underwater reclamation for anyone with a heart for adventure and history, myth, and treasure hunting.
Customer Reviews:
Admirble.......2005-05-05
An entertaining and educational effort combining modern day treasure hunting with events from the piratical days of the late 1600's. Clifford and his crew search out and locate the nearly forgotten shipwreck of the 1678 French fleet to conquer the Dutch at a little unknown island by the name of Las Aves, off the coast of Venezuela.
The author blends the history of this rough and defiant time period with the modern day struggles he encounters in finding and obtaining permission to fulfill his explorations.
There is much to be learned about these forgotten pirates of the past and the lives they lived. Names such as Jean Compte d'Estrees, Laurens de Graff, Thomas Paine, Chevalier de Grammont, Nikolass Van Hoorn and others deserve the recognition Clifford attributes to them.
The intermittent flip-flopping back and forth from past to present and visa-versa may be somewhat hampering for a few, but still a good book. Makes you want to read more of this freebooter time period.
Buccaneers and Underwater Archeology.......2004-03-31
Barry Clifford has put together an entertaining book that tells two stories linked across 300 years by a maritime disaster that drastically altered the fate of the Caribbean. He interleaves the stories in a successful effort to provide tension and suspense, keeping the reader interested throughout the book.
The first story is a narrative of the underwater exploration of the site of the wreck of Jean Comte d'Estrées fleet off Las Aves island. He details the interpersonal relationships and trials of gaining approval to explore the wrecks in foreign waters. While I am not very interested in underwater archeology, Clifford made these segments entertaining and very readable.
For my interest, the other thread of the book was the real meat. Barry Clifford provides a detailed history of several of the major figures from the beginning of the Golden Age of Piracy, specifically 1678 to about 1700. He provides a good deal of information on the Chevalier de Grammont, de Graf, Thomas Paine (not the author of Common Sense) and Nikolaas Van Hoorn. Clifford recounts the many sackings of towns, and interactions with local governments, including the changing attitudes as the years wore on.
Overall, I found this to be an entertaining and informative read. I may have to look into finding copies of his other books. For more information on piracy in the Caribbean (from the Spanish viewpoint) try Pirates in the Caribbean :1493-1720 by Cruz Apestegui. P-)
Another engrossing read by expeditioneer Barry Clifford.......2003-07-31
Another book by the "archeological privateer" Barry Clifford, the oceanic excavator who found the wreck of Black Sam Bellamy's ship the Whydah in the sands off Cape Cod. His writing has improved since he wrote "Expedition Whydah," though he's still not a master with words. No matter, his subjects are always facinating enough I don't mind that the prose can be a bit clunky.
This one traces his team's discovery and exploration (underwritten by Max Kennedy, the BBC, and the Discovery Channel) of a wreck of an entire fleet of ships--5 French warships and two pirate ships the French fleet hired to assist them in warfare--on the reef of Los Aves off the coast of Venezuela. In a similar vein to the Whydah book, Clifford intersperses his text with photographs, maps, and drawings, and alternates the story of his expedition with history about the pirates involved in the wrecks.
In this case, he does the opposite of the Whydah story (which traced Sam Bellamy's rise to captainship and followed him until his demise), and instead follows the lives of the documented pirates who *survived* the massive wreck at Los Aves, among them a famous and ridiculously lucky mulatto captain named Laurens de Graff, and a New England pirate named Thomas Paine who later went on to return to his home and established himself as a powerful and corrupt politician (not the same Thomas Paine that wrote the "Common Sense" political publication, this was a few decades earlier). The historical portions of the text offer a lot of great insight into the piratical/buccanneer climate (political, economical, etc) of the mid- to late-17th c. in the Caribbean and Spanish Main.
Most interesting is the existance of a period map he brought with him, drawn by the leader of the shipwrecked fleet from shore where he survived the wreckage, outlining the positions of each wreck and labelling them by name--his accuracy was apparently quite high, so it functioned like a literal 'treasure map,' showing the explorers exactly where they would find the wrecks of which ships! There's not as much info on artifacts in this one, since they merely mapped and filmed the wrecks and haven't excavated yet (unknown if they will, in fact, due to most of the wreckage having become an integral part of the ecosystem of the reef by now), but there's a lot of really new discoveries on the research front (pub date on this is 2002) about the various pirates involved, most of whom are lesser known names (as opposed to the more "famous" pirates like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, who came later...these were the pirates operating on the cusp of the Golden Age of Piracy).
So, if you want to read some detailed info about pirate captains of the pre-1700 era, this is a good book to check out!
Two Stories In One Book.......2002-10-06
Barry Clifford has written an interesting book on a fleet of French ships that were in pursuit of Dutch ships which led the French into the treacherous waters of the reef off of Las Aves Island near the coast of Venezuela in 1678. He states the wreckage of the French fleet on Las Aves was the beginning of some of the greatest pirate careers in history. British and French ships would attack Spanish ships as they returned to Spain after loading up on riches in the New World. Many pirates, Clifford states, met a brutal demise and he goes into detail in regard to a number of pirates to illustrate his point while one in particular, Thomas Paine (not the one of Common Sense fame), managed to retire and lead a somewhat respectable life. Clifford organized a team to visit the site in 1998 and locate the fleet for purposes of drawing and photographing whatever he may find of the remains. He was not interested in disturbing the reef by removing artifacts. Clifford goes into interesting detail on his team's visit to Las Aves as they go about doing their assigned work. Clifford alternates throughout the book covering piracy during the 1600's and his visit to the site during 1998. I took a chance on buying this book through the History Book Club not really knowing what I was getting. I found this book to be very worth while to read and it will have a permanent place in my library.
Book Description
The lost colony of Roanoke is America's birthplace and one of America's oldest mysteries. What makes this book unique is that every clue furnished by primary documents is treated as evidence. It answers the three questions essential to solving the mystery: Why were the lost colonists lost? Where did the lost colonists go? Why were the lost colonists never recovered?
The answers come from the clues the colonists themselves left and are startling:
* The colonists were not lost because of bad luck or a shortage of food, but because they were sabotaged! (cont.)
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful pick.......2007-07-10
Lee Miller's ROANOKE: THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST COLONY is a wonderful pick for either leisure readers or libraries strong in early American history for grades 2-4. Every clue about the circumstances of this real 'lost colony' is furnished by primary documents that invite the reader to turn detective to solve the mysteries. The answers to this age-old question are all spelled out by the clues and in conclusions, and kids will find the approach and facts intriguing.
Amazon.com
Fire on the Beach is a wonderful book on a forgotten piece of history: The story of an all-black unit of the U.S. Life-Saving Service on North Carolina's "beautiful and unforgiving" Outer Banks. Stationed on Pea Island, near the hazardous "Graveyard of the Atlantic," the men of the segregated Station 17 showed that African Americans were just as capable as their white peers when it came to saving the lives of sailors and passengers whose ships foundered on deadly shoals. Their leader was Richard Etheridge, an inspiring figure born into slavery. He fought during the Civil War and later entered the LSS. Much of the book is a reconstruction of his life, and Civil War buffs will appreciate the extensive treatment given to his military service.
Yet Fire on the Beach is not a mere biography. It's a fascinating portrait of 19th-century Outer Banks culture, long before these isolated little towns became tourist destinations. Authors David Wright and David Zoby, for instance, describe "wreckers" whose main occupation--a surprisingly profitable one--was combing the beach for the detritus of shipwrecks. The town of Nags Head apparently derives its odd name from this weird heritage: "Many claim that the name Nags Head originated in an era when malicious wreckers would tie a lantern around an old horse's neck and lead it up and down the dunes. From the sea, the rising and falling light would give the impression of a ship safely moored in a harbor, taunting unsuspecting ship captains to sail to their destructions." Even without these manmade deceptions, the seas off the coast of North Carolina were plenty treacherous, giving Etheridge and his men lots of rescue work. Race is a necessary and fundamental theme of the book, and Etheridge knew he would have to defy white skeptics by proving his abilities over and over: "There was no room for error. The continuation of the black station could be compromised by any slipup, no matter how slight. Misjudgment or poor performance could result in his or one of his crewmen's dismissal. Inadequacies, no matter how slight, could lead to the reinstatement of a white keeper and crew. They had to excel if they were to maintain their station." Fire on the Beach ultimately rises above the parochialism of race: It is a gripping story about "a man among the men" and his harrowing exploits. When Wright and Zoby describe Etheridge's role in saving the crew of the schooner E.S. Newman in hurricane conditions, the skin color of Etheridge and his men does not matter at all. Fans of The Perfect Storm and Isaac's Storm--books that mix thrilling sea stories with calamitous weather--are sure to enjoy Fire on the Beach. --John Miller
Book Description
FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, THIS IS THE TRUE-LIFE STORY OF THE ORIGINAL COAST GUARD AND ONE CREW OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HEROES WHO FOUGHT STORMS AND SAVED LIVES OFF NORTH CAROLINA'S OUTER BANKS.
Fire on the Beach recovers a lost gem of American history. It tells the story of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, formed in 1871 to assure the safe passage of American and international shipping and to save lives and salvage cargo. A century ago, the adventures of the now-forgotten "surfmen" who, in crews of seven, bore the brunt of this dangerous but vital duty filled the pages of popular reading material, from Harper's to the Baltimore Sun and New York Herald. Station 17, located on the desolate beaches of Pea Island, North Carolina, housed one such unit, and Richard Etheridge -- the only black man to lead a lifesaving crew -- was its captain.
A former slave and Civil War veteran, Etheridge recruited and trained a crew of African- Americans, forming the only all-black station in the nation. Although civilian attitudes toward Etheridge and his men ranged from curiosity to outrage, they figured among the most courageous surfmen in the service, performing many daring rescues. From 1880 to the closing of the station in 1947, the Pea Island crew saved scores of men, women, and children who, under other circumstances, would have considered the hands of those reaching out to help them to be of the wrong race. In 1896, when the three-masted schooner E. S. Newman beached during a hurricane, Etheridge and his men accomplished one of the most daring rescues in the annals of the Life-Saving Service. The violent conditions had rendered their equipment useless. Undaunted, the surfmen swam out to the wreck, making nine trips in all, and saved the entire crew. This incredible feat went unrecognized until 1996, when the Coast Guard posthumously awarded the crew the Gold Life-Saving Medal.
The authors depict the lives of Etheridge and his crew against the backdrop of late-nineteenth-century America -- the horrors of the Civil War, the hopefulness of Reconstruction, and the long slide toward Plessy v. Ferguson that followed. Full of exploits and heroics, Fire on the Beach, like the movie Glory, illustrates yet another example of the little-known but outstanding contributions of a remarkable group of African-Americans to our country's history.
Download Description
Fire on the Beach brings a previously undiscovered chapter of American history and maritime adventure to light. It tells the story of the U.S. Life-Saving Service (forerunner of today's Coast Guard) and its "surfmen" who, in crews of seven, shouldered the dangerous work of saving lives along America's coasts. In the 1880s, the men of Pea Island, North Carolina, were one such unit, and Richard Etheridge -- the only black man to lead a lifesaving crew -- was their captain. A former slave and Civil War veteran, Etheridge recruited and trained a crew of African Americans, forming the only all-black station in the organization. Among civilians, attitudes towards Etheridge and his men ranged from curiosity to outrage, but they were some of the most courageous surfmen in the service, leading many sea rescues. When a hurricane hit the coast in the late 1890s, Etheridge and his men managed to save the entire crew of the wrecked E. S. Newman. This incredible feat went unrecognized for a century until 1996 when the Coast Guard posthumously awarded the crew the Gold Life-Saving Medal. Full of exploits and heroics, Fire on the Beach, like the movie Glory before it, depicts yet another example of the outstanding contributions of a remarkable group of African Americans to our country's history.
Customer Reviews:
Great story - not a great book.......2004-09-15
The story of Richard Etheridge is fascinating and inspiring. It is unfortunate that its telling here is tedious and uneven.
A gripping tale of courage and bravery........2003-09-23
Faced with several days of enforced inactivity as Hurricane Isabel bore down upon Baltimore, what I needed was a good book with which to pass the hours. There on my shelf was Fire on the Beach, purchased several months ago but set aside for just such a circumstance. As the wind howled around my apartment and rain slashed at my windows, I settled in to read.
Authors Wright and Zoby have written a thrilling account about the American Life Saving Service (ALSS), predecessor to the U.S. Coast Guard. Their focus is on the life of Richard Etheridge, born into slavery, a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War, and later, leader of a courageous crew of lifesavers at Pea Island's Station 17 on the Outer Banks.
Richard Etheridge, probably the son of a white "Banker," raised and educated as part of his family, obtained his freedom fighting with the North Carolina Colored Volunteers (NCCV), under infamous Colonel Edward A. Wild. After the war, the scandel-ridden ALSS was reorganized and Etheridge was appointed Keeper of the station at Pea Island; the only black man to command a station up to that point. Etheridge was, indeed, a "man among men," risking his life time and again, driving his 6-member crew of surfmen to rescue sailors and passengers off unfortunate ships driven ashore by storms at least as furious as the one threatening Maryland on this day.
Here is a tale of daring exploits during an obscure time in American history; of courageous men of color fighting steep breakers and raging surf over shallow shoals while saving stranded survivors of doomed vessels before the deadly sea could claim them.
A fascinating account. Some might say it's black history. But it's more than that. It's about raw courage; about bravery against a treacherous enemy - the sea at its worst. Etheridge and his crew were black, but first and foremost, they were real men who willingly risked their lives daily for others.
I heartily recommend this work as an eye-opening account of a time along the Outer Banks before storms were tracked with high-tech equipment, and as a gripping tale guaranteed to hold your interest.
suberbly written, well researched.......2002-10-03
This history of the Pea Island Lifesavers is beautifully written so that the story captivates from start to finish. In fact, I wasn't sure that this was my kind of book, but the early, vivid description of the dangerous coast and the duties of the men who walked the Outer Banks looking for shipwrecks hour after hour convinced me that I had to read the whole book. Clearly well researched, this book taught me a great deal about the Civil War and U.S. maritime history but, more importantly, explored the humanity in our country's history. It takes saavy authors to recognize that the real beginning of the Pea Island Lifesaving Station begins not with its inception but with the lives of the men, namely Richard Etheridge, who served there. Because of the emphasis on people and place, the book reads quite like a novel and, therefore, can be appreciated by a wide audience. Fire on the Beach deserves to be read, for it demonstrates that history must be revealed and retold with all its contradictions, complications, and individuals.
Should be" Wild's African Brigade Revised".......2002-07-20
The book purports to tell the story of Richard Etheridge but the first third is about "Wilds African Brigade," a black brigade that committed murder, arson, looting and the hostage taking of white women in Tidewater North Carolina and Virginia in October and December 1863.
On its return to base in Portsmouth Virginia Brigadier General Wild was relieved of command and the brigade disbanded.
Entertaining History!.......2002-01-07
I am admittedly not a history buff. I do however treasure the three years I was lucky enough to live on North Carolina's Outer Banks. "Fire on the Beach" was recommended to me & now I would like to pass that gift on to anyone who reads these reviews. This book tells a fantastic tale of a man & a period of time that are both truly inspiring. It does not read like a "historical text", but more like a well plotted out novel. If you have any interest in Post Civil War South, Turn of the century maritime history, North Carolina's Outer Banks, or the US Coast Guard, do not pass this book up!
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