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SHIPWRECK
SALVAGE
and TREASURE |
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DEEP
WATER GOLD
Keith Gordon.
"The story of RMS Niagara
- the quest for New Zealand's greatest shipwreck treasure." The tale has
been told before, by Taylor in 1942, Maynard in 1996, and now Gordon in
2005. So what makes this book any different from its predecessors? Surely
the story is the same. What new material could entice the reader? Gordon
covers the initial recovery of most of the gold, and the later attempt
by the original diver diver Johnno Johnson for the recovery of the remaining
35 bars of gold in the 1950s. Comparison between previous authors is not
necessary. Sufficient to say that Gordon is an excellent researcher and
author. Halfway through the book we come to the present time, or a decade
or two ago, and under the appropriately titled chapter New Tools, the Niagara
is visited by an ROV team, and the book takes a decidedly modern turn with
ROVs, and high tech diving using mixed gases to visit the wreck at 300ft
plus. This is present-day diving at its best, utilising the highest skills
and first class equipment to reach a ship that has been beyond the reach
of recreational divers for over have a century. This is diving that few
will follow, but those who do experience the thrill of diving where few
have been before, and utilizing the utmost of skills gained through thorough
training. Gordon describes these dives with highly competent technical
detail, fascinating for those, like myself, who will not venture down that
path. Yes, another book on the Niagara, but with something extra
to offer. Superb!. And by the way, there are five gold bars left.
Softcover, 240 pages, mono
and colour prints, index, glossary, bibliography - an excellent production.
$36.00 |
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RAISING
THE KURSK SORRY - No
longer available.
Hans
Offringa.
A
remarkable book - where to start! Leaving the subject matter aside for
a moment, we have here an insight into what will probably be the norm in
the future for non-fiction high quality books - excellent design and a
DVD included to cover the moving image and to add additional material.
But back to the Kursk - I wrote soon after her loss on 12 August 2000 that
the Kurst will remain a gravesite and would not be raised - I was wrong.
I gave a comparison to the loss of the British submarine Thetis in 1939,
and noted the bureaucratic bungling that prevented the immediate raising
of the Thetis, with the loss of ninty-nine lives. Perhaps there was less
urgency with the Kursk. She was deeper, at 110 metres on the floor of the
Barentz Sea, and the explosion that caused her loss gave, perhaps, justifiable
concern that all on board were dead. Russian President Putnin does not
call in international expertise until four days later. It is too late.
A Norwegian diving team report that the ship is flooded. One hundred and
eighteen crew are dead. It now remains to raise the submarine - if possible.
With international offers of help, the political intrigues start. Matters
of insurance and law prevail, but finally the Dutch salvge company Mammoet,
whose motto "Welcome All Difficulties", has the contract, in a joint venture
with Smit International. The salvage operation is remarkable in the difficulties
that the engineers overcame to reach their successful goal. ‘Raising of
the Kurst' tells you how it was done, with an emphasis on the remarkable
people involved. It is one thing to think of the stupidity of man that
we can cause such horrors in the first place, but the balance is found,
somewhat, in the ingenuity and technical skills in raising the submerged
tomb. Althought the description, photographs and technical drawings support
the title of the book, it is the people involved that create the greatest
impression - those lost, those family members in grief, the politicians
and naval officers, and of course the salvage team that not so much brought
back a cigar of steel, but much more important, the bodies of those lost
so that they may receive a fitting burial and a final farewell. Never have
I read a book that combines such passion and compassion with technical
matter of factness. Yes, this is a remarkable book.
Hardcover,
large square format 265 x 255 mm, 184 pages, full colour throughout, drawings.
Comes
complete with DVD containing interviews, a 32-minute documentary, animation
of the salvage procedure and a photo gallery. Initial offer $78.00. |
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FATAL
TREASURE.
Jedwin
Smith.
Greed
and Death, Emeralds and Gold, and the Obsessive Search for the Legendary
Ghost Galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha. There have been several
books writtn on the discovery of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de
Atocha, and the story of Mel Fisher and his team raising millions in gold
and jewellery is the stuff of legends. What is not known is the tragedy
and suffering that resulted from the search, and more surprisingly, from
its first discovery of the US$400 treasure. Five lives were lost, including
a son and daughter-in-law, in accidents and murderous sabotage.
Fatal
Treasure centres on the ‘emotional roller-coaster ride' of the Fisher
family and others involved in seeking the treasure. Quite frankly, I wonder
if it is worth all the trauma - certainly not when a son is lost. Hardcover,
dust jacket, 257 pages. $44.95 |
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GOLDFINDER
Keith Jessop. SORRY
- No Longer available.
This
is the extraordinary true story of the author's salvaging of the richest
prize ever recovered from the bottom of the sea - $100 million in gold
from the warship HMS Edinburgh, in the Arctic Ocean. It is a remarkable
story, a biography of an ordinary kid who overcame all difficulties to
pursue a dream and succeed in its achieveement - and in so doing making
him a very wealthy man indeed, reportedly the most successful treasure
hunter and salvage diver in history. It is not usual to find a treasure
hunter who possesses not only the determination to succeed, but also an
exceptional ability to write about it. The son of a penniless Yorkshire
mill-girl, Jessop may have lacked in basic schooling, but somewhere along
the line he learnt how to write exceptionally well - perhaps it was a natural
talent. This is a truly incredible book and a wonderful read. Softcover
(paperback), 420 pages, with mono plates. $22.00 |
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IN
THE WAKE OF GALLEONS.
Robert
Marx.
The
author needs little introduction - in his forty years as a maritime archaeologists,
treasure hunter and author, he has written many books. This is one of his
;atest, and covers his personal side of research and discovery of many
important wrecks, including the Colombus Shipwrecks, those of the 1715
Spanish Fleet, Montezzuma's treasure, the Panama treasure and sunken cities.
A very readable book, heavy on personal anecdote and less so on historic
tedium.
Hardcover,
laminated boards, 418 pages, many mono prints.
$68.00 |
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LOST TREASURES IN AUSTRALIA
AND NEW ZEALAND
Kenneth W. Byron. Published
by Ure Smith, Sydney, 1964.
From the fly: Kenneth W.
Byron has spent several years investigating all the available records concerning
the lost treasures of Australia and New Zealand, and has written a well-docu-
mented book that covers the whole subject in fascinating detail. Many extraordinary
happenings and un- solved mysteries come under exam- ination here - stories
of the Dutch treasure ships of the seventeenth century wrecked off the
coast of Western Australia; of lost gold reefs said to exist in Australia,
and the caches of bushrangers like Ben Hall and Thunderbolt; of two famous
treasure ships of New Zealand waters, the Elingalnite and the General Grant;
of treasures that hav:e actually been found and many others still awaiting
discovery. Illustrated with sixteen pages of maps drawn by Josephine Mayo,
cartographer of the Australian Encyclopaedia.
Only
one second-hand copy available. $45.00. Ex-library but in very good condition,
with dust-jacket. |
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LOST TREASURE SHIPS OF
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Nigel Pickford.
Published by National Goegraphic
and qwrotten by one of the world's ;pading authorities on shipwrecks, this
large format book is superbly presented in large format and full colour.
Just some of the vessels mentioned include Admiral Nakhimov, Lusitanmia,
Titanic, Hampshire, Laurentic, Empress of Britain, Awa Maru and Edinburgh
- and nine others. It really is a remarkable read as most of the ships
were lost in the last century - there are no Spanish treasure ships of
the Carinnean. The book is well illustrated with mono and colour photographs,
and charts. An excellent read. Hardcover, dust jacket, full colour, 192
pages, glossary, index. $52.00. |
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PIECES OF EIGHT.
Recovering the Riches of a Lost Spanish Fleet
Kip Wagner, as told to L.B.Taylor.
Appears t have been first
published in 1966 by Real Eight Company, Inc.
Also have indication of
publication in 1966 by E. P. Dutton. British edition published by
Longmans. Green & Co. Ltd, London, 1967. Hardcover, dustjacket,
222 pages, mono and colour plates throughout. Combines 20th century sleuthing
methods with the romance and mystery of the past in this true story of
a treasure hunt that has yielded millions. The author, a Florida
construction man, picked up the first clues of the treasure fleet from
Spain. Occasionally, blackend silver coins were discovered along a Florida
beach. His imagination was fired and with the help of his friends he began
a long research and search operation that is described in this engrossing
book. Their work was arduous and at times dangerous. There were setbacks,
grueling underwater ordeals but in time the rewards were sensational-thousands
of silver pieces of eight and gold doubloons, silver bars and bullion,
gold ingots, gold rings and pendants, priceless Chinese porcelain, a gold
necklace and $3 million in treasure recovered by the hard working and persistent
men. The story is told with humor, drama and the kind of factual detail
any treasure hunter wants to know and that every armchair adventure will
find fascinating. It has become one of the true classics of 'treasure literature'.
We
have just the one copy available; the Longman's edition, 1967. In very
good condition with intact dust jacket. $55.00 |
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PORT ROYAL - THE SUNKEN
CITY
Robert F. Marx.
In the seventeenth century,
Port Royal was a legendary city, a city of vast wealth and pleasure-seeking,
the home port of the buccaneers. Today, Port Royal is a city of legends,
legends of the 1692 earthquake and tidal wave that caused the city to sink
beneath the sea, and legends of the fortunes that may be buried there.
Bob Marx was caught up in those legends. Hos excellent book, whiuch has
undergone many editions, describes the fulfillment of his childhood dream:
a two-and-a-half year exploration of the historic Jamaican port. The first
investigation of the site by a trained marine archaeologist, his expedition
discovered thousands of perfectly preserved artifacts of life in the 17th
century city: silver and pewter ware; brass, iron and wooden tools; and
much more, including two hoards of classic buried treasure: Spanish pieces
of eight. But Port Royal did not easily give up its treasures: working
on a painfully slim budget, Marx and his rag-tag crew had to cope with
murky, polluted waters; inhospitable sharks, eels and crabs; razorsharp
coral and ancient walls on the verge of collapse; and the intractable opposition
of some financial and political interests. Blending real-life adventure,
colourful history and the thrill of discovery, Marx has written a fascinating
account of one of the most important marine archaeological expeditions
ever undertaken. Hardback, 304 pages. $48.00. |
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SHIP
OF GOLD IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA .
Gary
Kinder.
In
September 1857, the SS Central America, a side-wheel steamer carrying nearly
six hundred passengers returning from the California Gold Rush, foundered
in a hurricane and sank two hundred miles off the Carolina coast. Over
four hundred lives and twenty-one tons of California gold were lost, at
the time the worst peacetime disaster at sea in American history. Eventually
the women and children were led into lifeboats manned by crewmen and were
saved.Recreates the ship's downfall, based on survivors' accounts,
and the decade-long pursuit of the wreck. "The bottom was carpeted
with gold. Gold everywhere, like a garden. The more you looked, the more
you saw gold growing out of everywhere." Hardcover, dustjacket, 507 pages.
$34.00 Sorry, all gone. |
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SHIPWRECKS
AND SUNKEN TREASURE IN S.E. ASIA
Tony
Wells.
This
is one of the most interesting books I have read in quite a while, and
makes me wonder why I am living in Victoria. It covers over 450 wrecks,
including the incredible Flor do Mar, the 'Nanking Cargo' ship Geldermalsen,
the ceramic ship Tung Vao, and the Marie Therese. This is not just a list
of treasure wrecks. There is excellent chapters on search techniques and
identification of ancient wrecks, the law, maritime archaeology or plundering?,
coins and currency, and the shipping trade in South East Asia. Superb book,
in full colour with excellent maps.
Softcover,
158 pages, 145x225mm.
$38.00 |
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SO ENDS THIS DAY - An
Autobiography.
Captain Sir John Williams.
Globe Press, Victoria. 1981.
From the fly: In this autobiography
Sir John I Williams recounts the story of his long and eventful life. Born
in Wales in 1896 he went to I ,ea on sailing ships when he was fourteen,
and his years before the mast tell of a past era of romance, danger, harshness
and hard work. After meeting his future wife on a voyage to Australia he
migrated and worked in the port of Townsville. Moving to Melbourne as Wharf
Manager he developed a stevedoring business which later diversified into
freight, salvage and engineering. The energetic, young John Williams also
maintained interests in gold-mining, cool stores, paint manufacture and
farming. But from the gold ship Niagara through service with the war time
Salvage Board to the present day, marine salvage has been the main interest
of this multi-faceted man. Appointed as Chairman of the Australian Coastal
Shipping . Commission in 1956 he presided over its first years of development
until his retirement in 1971. This book is not simply the outline of an
outstanding career. With amazing recall and endearing frankness it shares
the the life of a remarkable man. Hardcover, dustjacket, 230 pages, index,
mono prints.
We
have just the one copy. In absolutely NEW condition, complete with dust
jacket of course. $65.00 |
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STALIN'S GOLD
The Story of HMS Edinburgh
and Its Treasure.
Barrie Penrose. Published
by Granada Publishing, UK, 1982.
Hardcover, dust jacket,
224 pages, 16-page mono photograph feature. Although not a classic in the
true sense, it is nevertheless a collectors item as the book was ordered
to be withdrawn and pulped after litigation brough about, I believe, by
Keith Jessop who was the leader and true finder of the Edinburugh. It is
not know how many copies remained in circulation after the court order
was issued.
We
have just the one copy available. Very good condition, with dust jacket.
$42.00 |
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SUBMERGED
Adventure
sof America's Most Elite Underwater Archaeology Team.
Daniel
Lenihan.
The
author led a team of divers from the (US) National Park Service for twenty
five years, with the aim of finding and preserving historical shipwrecks.
But its not all about America, and includes diving in Pearl Harbour, the
Virgin Islands, Bikini atoll, the Aleutians, and Micronesia. With narrative
intersperced through an authorative text, the author attempts quite successfully
to make this an ‘adventure', and thus an interesting read.
Hardcover,
dust jacket, 287 pages, colour and mono prints. $54.00. |
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SUNKEN
TREASURE
Pierre
de Latil and Jean Rivoire.
Copyright
1959 by Libraire Plon. English translation 1962 by Hill and Wang Inc. Published
by Rupert Hart-Davis, London, 1962.
Hardcover,
dust jacket, 276 pages, mono plates throughout, charts.
These
are two of my favourite authors, and yet I can find nothing on them personally.
Never mind, they have left a legacy to the existence by way of this book,
and Man and the Underater World. This book is about sunken treasure, of
course, and contains 25 chapters of individual wrecks and wreck sites including
the Spanish galleons, the Lutine, Egypt, Laurentic, Elisabethville, Niagara,
Florencia and many others. A great read. Now well out of print. Secondhand
only, when available.
We
have one excellent copy, with dust jacket.
$64.00 |
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SUNKEN
TREASURE, HOW TO FIND IT Sorry - no longer
available.
Robert
Marx .
Four
hundred pages of interesting facts; methods, stories. This book could change
your life! A very good read-modern salvage, galleons, identification,preservation.
Softcover,
some colour.
$42.00 |
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THE
DIANA ADVENTURE.
Dorian
Ball.
Over
four million dollars worth of porcelain was raised from the British ship
Diana which went down off Malacca on the west Malaysian coast in 1817.
Author Dorian Ball spent several years locating and raising the treasure
which was eventually sold at auction. Like the raising of the famous Nanking
cargo (which Ball worked on), the location and salvage of the Diana's cargo
makes for fascinating reading. This is one of the finest books I have read
on the whole process of a ‘dream come true' -from the dream to reality
of finding the wreck, overcoming bureaucracy, raising the treasure and
the sale. The book is exceptionally well produced. Hardcover, dust jacket,
176 pages, full colour. $64.00 Limited
copies. |
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THE ELINGAMITE
AND ITS TREASURE
Shipwreck off the New Zealand
coast and the excitement of a modern search for gold.
Wade Doak.
Hodder & Stoughton.
London and Auckland. 1969. From the fly: On a foggy November morning in
1902 the Elingamite, a passenger steamer on the run from Sydney to Auckland,
was wrecked with a loss of forty-five lives on one of the lonely Three
Kings Islands, north of New Zealand. The drama of the wreck, the tragedy
and tension of death and rescue, the treasure that went down with the ship
have kept the story fresh in the minds of many people in Australia and
New Zealand. Hardcover, dustjacket. 192 pages, mono prints.
We
have just the one second-hand copy available. $32.00. Ex library, but in
good condition with protected dust jacket intact. |
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THE NANKING CARGO
Michael Hatcher with Antony
Thorncroft and Max de Rham.
Published by Hamish Hamilton,
London. 1987.
This lavishly illustrated
book tells the story of the most exciting underwater adventure of the decade
- the finding, raising and selling of the Nanking Cargo. In 1985 Mike Hatcher,
ex-Barnado boy, ex-sheep farmer, located a Dutch East Indiaman, the Geldennalsen,
which had been wrecked in 1752 in the South China seas. From the ocean
bed, Hatcher and his partner, Max de Rham, salvaged its vast cargo of Chinese
porcelain and gold. When this haul- known to the world as the Nanking Cargo
- was sold at Christies in Amsterdam, it made over ten million pounds,
and established Captain Hatcher as the. most controversial and wealthy
treasure hunter of the day. Hatcher calls himself a marine archaeologist
on a commercial basis; others have named him the new Jacques Cousteau.
But he is very far from being a dry academic - more a modern buccaneer.
Tough, uncompromising and ruthless, his home is his yacht, The Restless
M, from which he and de Rham are hunting an even larger treasure somewhere
off the coast of Singapore. Hatcher's many remarkable adventures have not
only made him a millionaire. They have transformed the antique trade and
set historians at each other's throats. And what has he found on his current
expedition? Hardcover, dustjacket, 175 pages, mono and colour prints.
We
have just the one copy available, in perfect as NEW condition. $94.00 |
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THE
SALVAGE OF THE CENTURY.
Rick
Wharton.
The
Salvage of the Century is a detailed account of the most succesful
salvage operation in modern times, with some £50,000,000 sterling
worth of gold raised from the WW2 warship HMS Edinburgh torpedoed and sunk
in 1942 in the Barents Sea, wihin the Arctic Circle. The author led the
team of saturation divers who recovere the gold. The book covers in some
detail the recovery of the gold, whereas Goldfinder by Keith Jessop covers
in gretr depth the intrique in attempting to obtain rights for, and locate,
the gold. Hardcover (laminated boards) 196 pages, mono and colour prints.
Note: Interestingly, although Keith Jessop gets due mention in the book,
he perhaps does not receive the accolades due to him for his persisentence
in recovering the gold. After all, it was Keith Jessop's project, and he
brought in Wharton's company to oversee the recovery. $85.00 |
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THE
SEARCH FOR SUNKEN TREASURE.
Exploring
the World's Greatest Shipwrecks.
Robert
F. Marx and Jennifer Marx.
Diving
on local wrecks off the eastern Australian seaboard is interesting, but
pales into insignificance compared to the magnificent treasure wrecks that
Robert Marx has visited over his many years as a maritime archaeologist
and treasure hunter. Marx takes us on a diving journey through the history
of the Scandinavian wrecks (Vasa), the Spanish galleons (and the Armada
wrecks), the Manila galleons, the East Indiamen (Batavia and Gilt Dragon
included), and the inevitable pirates and privateers. Fascinating. Softcover,
A4 size format, 192 pages, full colour. $59.95 |
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THE
TREASURE DIVER'S GUIDE** SORRY, No longer
available **
John
S. Potter.
‘Including
locations of Sunken Treasuree: Techniques of Research, Search, and Identification;
and submarine archaeology.' This is a fascinating book. I am sure it has
inspired many divers to go out there and seek their fortune - of failing
that, to wallow in frustration at what is beyond our grasp. This is a totally
revised edition to the original ‘bible' put out in 1961. Its content over
some 566 pages is incredible, and covers the whole world. The first ting
i did was check out Australia. We get about 18 pages, and a fine coverage
it is to. The illusive ‘Mahogany Ship' is mentioned, the Catterthun, a
wreck off Long Island, Queensland, and of course all the famous Dutch wrecks
off the WA coast. A few off tasmania look interesting - the Hope, Portland
and Enchantress. It is a very entertaining book, well written, with fascinating
material on major treasure (potential treasure?) Wrecks throughout the
world.
Well
recommended. Softcover, 566 pages, mono photographs, maps (but not
of specific locations). $65.00 |
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THE
UNDERWATER DIG *** SORRY, OUT OF PRINT
***
Robert
F. Marx.
An
excellent Introduction to Marine Archaeology by one of the world's most
successful maritime archaeologists, treasure finders, lost city locators,
and wreck divers. Tools and techniques of underwater archaeological research.
A very interesting book and a must for all serious wreck divers who aspire
to something more than pillage.
Softcover,
270 pages, colour.
$34.95 |
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THE
WRECK OF THE AMSTERDAM.
Peter
Marsden.
Published
in 1974 by Hutchinson & Co. (Publishers) Ltd, London. Hardcover, dust
jacket, 288 pages, mono prints and drawings.
This
Dutch East Indiaman set out on her maiden voyage in 1748 laden with a rich
cargo and silver bullion - and three huindred people on board. She didn't
get far as fiece gales in the English Channel ked her mster to put her
onshore near Hastings, Sussex. She sand into the beach, and was re-discovered
in 1969 when a mechanical excavator bought up items whilst putting in a
new sewerage outfall. Three-quarters intact, she becam one of the most
historical finds in English history. The author was Field Archaeologist
with London's Guidhall Museum and is thus fully qualified to writ of its
preliminary excavation and preservation.
Secondhand,
around $30.00 |
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TREASURE
- THE BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY
Phillip
S. Olin. (Revised edition).
Looks
at the more technical aspects of underwater treasure hunting, including
the equipment, methods, research and funding. (He makes some interesting
observations about Robert Ballard's discovery of the Titanic). The author
calls this ‘commercial marine archaeology'. There are actually two books
in one (which makes the pagination a bit awkward). A very interesting and
valuable book pcked with information. However, in one respect, I hope the
author is wrong. He suggests the day of the book is over, being replaced
by CD-ROM and the web. These have a most vluabl place in th dissemination
of information, but they will never totally replace a good book.
Softcover,
374 pages, many mono photos, drawings and charts.$64.00. |
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TREASURE SHIPS AND TROPICAL
ISLES
Kenneth W. Byron.
Published by Gemcraft Pty
Ltd, Melbourne, 1985.
Covers predominantly two
significant ships in the Pacific: the Port au Prince, lost in Tonga in
1806, and the Eliza, lost in Fiji in 1808. The Port au Prince carried a
fortune in pirated treasure, and the Eliza was laden with more than 30,000
Spanish dollars. The tale of shipwrecks is interwoven with bloody massacres,
primitive island customs, brutality and gory cannibal feats. At the time
of writing, the vessels had not been oun; to date, I have heard nothing
to the contrary. Softcover, 118 pages, mono prints.
Only
one copy available. $30.00. In sold condition but strange light
brown stains on the coverand a few of the leading pages - maybe coffee. |
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TREASURE
HUNTING WITH A METAL DETECTOR
Steve
Blount.
In,
around and underwater. A very handy guide. Softcover, 64 pages, colour.
$19.95
Sorry,
no longer available. This does not mean however that the book is out of
print. |
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TREASURE
OF THE ATOCHA.
Duncan
Mathewson.
The
search and discovery by Mel Fisher of the incredible treasure on this Spanish
ship.
Hardcover,
dustwrapper, 160 pages.
Limited
stock.
$34.00.
We
have one copy that has a slightly damaged dust jacket where it has been
torn at the spine. $24.00 |
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TREASURE
RECOVERY FROM SAND AND SEA Sorry
- no longer available.
Charles
Garrett. .
The
bible on the subject - from America's top treasure hunter. Extensive text
on metal detectors,dredging,underwater salvage and archaeology. A very
interesting book.
Softcover,
408 pages, with some colour.
$32.95 |
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TREASURES
OF THE ARMADA.
Robert
Stenuit.
Translated
by Francine Barker. Published by David and Charles (Publisher) Ltd, Devon,
England, 1972.
Hardcover,
dust jacket, 282 pages, mono and colour plates.
What
a remarkable find - the Spanish galleon Girona, one o Spanish Armada fleet
that went astry in October 1588. The author located the vessel off the
Irish coast ans subsequent salvage brought up remarkable treasures - gold
and silver plate, 1300 coins and rare navigational instruments. Thi was
one fo the most important archaeological fins of the 20th century. The
book is in two parts - first section is on the Armada, and how it came
about, Phillip II of Spain's crusade against Queen Elizabeth; part two
covers the research, finding and excvation of the wreck. Very interesting
and important work.
Secondhand.
Generally around $40.00 |
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TREASURES
OF THE DEEP
The
Extraordinary Life and Times of Captain Mike Hatcher.
Hugh
Edwards.
The
name Hatcher may not be so well remembered, but mention the Nanking Cargo
to a diver and you will see an immediate interest. But the Nanking Cargo
of exquisite porcelain is only one of Hatcher's incredible recoveries.
This excellent book by Perth-based award-winning author Hugh Edwards tells
of Hatcher' discoveries, his battles with governments and bureaucracies,
and his life threatening experiences in Asian waters. "His story is one
of guts and determination in the face of adversity, and of daring, skill
and fantastic rewards". Softcover, 280 pages, colour plates.
$32.95 |
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WRECK,
RESCUE & SALVAGE
Dick Jolly. $48.00.
If you spend four decades
in a remarkable career involving the oceans, generally off Australia, it
is only natural that you will want to write and publish your memoirs. Few
do it, mercifully perhaps. But here we have an excellent book of recollections
in a field that fascinates so many of us divers - that of shipwrecks and
salvage. The back-cover blurb emphasises the adventurous spirit of
the author's achievements as a tug-bopat master and salvage expert: "dragging
blazing ships off rocky shorelines", "avoiding hostile natives", and the
like. Captin Jolly writes without an emphasis on the dramatics, but the
drama is certainly there., as is the frustration and procedural formailty
of international salvage, and the need to succeed at all costs. The theatres
of operation are international, but the majority of the salvage and rescue
operations covered are in Australia, for Captain Jolly is an Aussie, and
resides, retired, in a southern NSW coastal town. The book was published
overseas, perhaps because of its greater appeal in the UK and European
market, and is less well known in Australia. But you now have the opportunity
to read it, and read it you should if this is the genre of your marine
interest. The world has its Ellsbergs, Masters, and Keebles, but here we
have a jolly-good representation of an Australia salvage master turned
author. Softcover, 235 x 170mm, 154 pages, mono and colour photographs,
no index (unfortunately, as I would liked to see a list of ships). |
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