Bestselling author Gary Kinder tells, for the first time, an extraordinary tale of history, maritime drama, heroic rescue, scientific ingenuity, an...
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Apr 16, 2009
Julie
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This is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. It's about a ship that sank in the mid-1800s off the coast of the Carolinas on its way back to New York from the California Gold Rush and the search to find it and retrieve the treasure. It sat there--almost 2 miles under water and about 200 miles off the coast--until the late 1980s. The author does a great job of interweaving the stories of the lives of the people on the ship and the sinking of the ship with the story of the scienti
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Jul 26, 2008
Rose
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On September 9, 1857, the sidewheel steamer "Central America", which was carrying passengers from the Panamanian port of Colón to New York, encountered hurricane winds and savage seas off the coast of the Carolinas. Although a sturdy ship, her sails were quickly shredded and a leak in one of the seals around the paddle wheels prevented her boiler from functioning. Captain William Herndon exhausted every means to save the stricken ship and its passengers, many of whom were on their way
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Jan 23, 2009
Pamela
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The historical background story was fascinating, and the tenacity and genius of Tommy Thompson was amazing. However as a history major and trained archivist, I thought the research and findings made by Bob Evans were astounding. It's amazing all the little stories that were tied together with this tale (such as Mark Twain) and how small historical clues gave Evans the knowledge he needed to guide the search. By the end I couldn't put the book down so that I could find out what happened. Now
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Jan 05, 2010
Dlora
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Sarah lent me this book along with the companion pictorial coffee table book America's Lost Treasure and said I'd like it as much as Shadow Divers. That was almost true. Ship of Gold tells two stories--one of the dramatic sinking of the steamship Central America carrying passengers and gold from the goldfields of California the other story of Tommy Thompson and his amazing search to find and recover it in deep ocean water off the east coast. Gary Kindle talked about "shaping the story,"
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Jun 11, 2011
Shawn
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Kinder's writing is entertaining and the parts about the S.S. Central America riveting, however, he tries to do to much. He can't decide whether to do a history about the 1849 California gold rush, write a docudrama of the S.S. Central America, do a biography of Tommy Thompson or narrative on Thompson's hunt for the Central America and millions of dollars in sunken gold.
I found the chapters chronicling the ill-fate voyage of the Central America thrilling and wanting more. But when Kind More...
I found the chapters chronicling the ill-fate voyage of the Central America thrilling and wanting more. But when Kind More...
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Jun 24, 2011
hankmyfoley
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If you have ever dreamed of finding sunken treasure, an act I spend a good portion of my day engaged in, then this book is certain to excite the adventurer in you. It is a well researched exploration of the final voyage of the side wheel steamer Central America and a detailed account of the modern day ROV (remote operated vehicle) arms race to finance and develop the technology to search for it. The author, Gary Kinder, spent ten years reserching and writing this incredibly detailed account, a
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Feb 21, 2011
Linda
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This is a long book – over 500 pages—but I found it engrossing. It is really three stories in one. The first is a brief account of the Gold Rush in California. The second is an account of a shipwreck, the Central America, which was carrying twenty-one tons of gold when it went down off the Carolina coast in a hurricane. The third is the story of Tommy Thompson, who spent years working to find the Central America and salvage the gold. The very human stories of the people who were on the ship
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Jan 03, 2012
Allen
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This was a very interesting memoir detailing the sinking and recovery of the USS Central America. It was a side-wheel steamer that sunk off of the coast of Florida. The first section of the story details the sinking of the ship, created from first hand accounts and news stories about the ship's demise from the passengers and crew. The rest of the story focused on the recovery efforts led by Tommy Thompson and his crew of dedicated sponsors, assistants, and fellow scientists. The book does an exc
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Jan 21, 2012
Jahwerx
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An excellent account of the history and recovery of the 19th century ship "Central America". It would have garnered 5 stars if it had simply been more descriptive of the ACTUAL means by which the recovery team was actually able to so scientifically and carefully recover the ship's artifacts. There was SO MUCH detail early on in the essay, but where it really counted, it was a real let-down.
With that said, please read this book, and be astonished at what makes the United State More...
With that said, please read this book, and be astonished at what makes the United State More...
Apr 23, 2011
Pamela
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This book gave me an appreciation for the difficulties and complexities of working in the deep ocean, something I knew nothing about. If I had understood more of the sailing terms, maybe I would have liked it better than I did. While echoing Erik Larson's structure, it just wasn't as enjoyable as Larson's books. Commander Herndon was certainly an admirable character, but while Tommy Thompson was an interesting man, to say the least, I have to admit that by the end of the book the Tommy-worship w
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Nov 15, 2009
Elizabeth
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This is one of those books that while you are reading it, you are very aware of the fact that it is 1. good and 2. long. Boy, it's long.
I picked this up because it seems to appear with some frequency on "Best of " non-fiction lists or what have you. So there's this boat, the Central America, that sinks off the coast of the Carolinas during a hurricane in 1857, carrying passengers and transporting a crazy quantity of gold from the California gold rush. Maybe a fourth of t More...
I picked this up because it seems to appear with some frequency on "Best of " non-fiction lists or what have you. So there's this boat, the Central America, that sinks off the coast of the Carolinas during a hurricane in 1857, carrying passengers and transporting a crazy quantity of gold from the California gold rush. Maybe a fourth of t More...
Jul 19, 2009
Mary
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This book has two interesting parts - history and technology. In the first part, you read about the Gold Rush - how pioneers raced to the west coast to mine gold, and the lucky ones were rich enough to leave their wagons behind and take "the long way home" the Panama way. (Actually, this was before the Panama Canal, so the lucky rich ones lugged their trunks full of gold across the narrow strip of Panama, then boarded another ship bound for New York. Unfortunately, the ship in this
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Apr 15, 2011
Ellen
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I would give this probably 3.5 stars. I think the story is super super duper interesting. The sinking of the historic ship itself and the stories of the people that were on it is enough to make it a great story. The tenacity and intelligence of the team that tried to find 130+ years later is incredible too! BUT I kept saying to myself..."Enough of your darn underwater shenangans!! Where's the LOOT!" So, I guess it was a bit long for me. AND I realized the problem I have had wit
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Jun 03, 2010
Doubledotter
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Wow. Loved the story of Tommy Thompson and the author didn't get in the way. I closed the book challenged to pursue what I want most with the same kind of vigor and creativity that drove Thompson. The scope and magnitude of the task central to the story is a conglomeration of legal, ethical, historical, entrepreneurial, missional, and last but certainly not least, technological issues. Thompson is a big thinker, an even bigger 'do'er'. A must read.
Aug 24, 2011
Andrea
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This book was fantastic! Floating back and forth between the story of the people and the ship (SS Central America) and the story of the engineer and crew working to recover it was exciting and riveting. I'm not an engineer, but Kindler did a wonderful job explaining the science of the technology and theories behind the work of the recovery ship and crew. A must read for anyone who is interested in history, boats, adventure, and innovation.
May 08, 2011
Mark
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Kinder does a nice job of recounting Tommy Tompson's search for the ship Central America and her gold. The initial narrative switches nicely between the background of the sinking and Tommy's development. Overall the book does a good job of portraying the risks, the achievement and the creativity of the team that found the Central America. I did feel that the book was too long by about a 100 pages.
May 16, 2010
Tiffany
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This book is exciting and keeps you at the edge of your seat. Kinder does a great job of weaving the story of the ss central america and the current day search for the sunken ship and all its treasure. I was constantly thinking "when will they find the gold, when will they find the gold...". This is a must read for any "treasuring hunting, disaster loving" fan.
Feb 19, 2010
Kathy
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Inasmuch as I knew how this book would ultimately end, I still found the telling of this true story amazingly gripping. I read this while I was still a science teacher, and so maybe that mindset helped me enjoy all the technical descriptions used by author, Gary Kinder. Gold is a very dense element and one of the heaviest metals used by mankind--very valuable, too.
Oct 30, 2010
♥ Marlene♥
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Finished it this morning. Had a few pages left and had to read it. last night I could not stop reading. That is what is so amazing about this non fiction book, it sometimes reads as a thriller.
At the start you read about the sinking of the ship and learn more about the people on the boat. Then we were in this century and it was about a guy called Tommy. (At first I wasn't sure if i wanted to read any more to be honest but Oh I am so glad I did. Never in my dreams would I expect to like a b More...
At the start you read about the sinking of the ship and learn more about the people on the boat. Then we were in this century and it was about a guy called Tommy. (At first I wasn't sure if i wanted to read any more to be honest but Oh I am so glad I did. Never in my dreams would I expect to like a b More...
Jul 22, 2011
Betsy
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Great TRUE story that you couldn't make up. I would have given it 5 stars except that it goes in to so much detail about the mechanical aspects of making this device to recover a shipwreck in deep sea. Plus all of the nautical terms slowed me down. However, I think it would make a great movie! Three cheers for the innovative mind!
Sep 15, 2011
CK
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I remember reading this and thinking it was the most fascinating book I had read in a while. It introduced me to deep sea treasure hunting and yet it also made a very personal story: first of the people on the ship, returning from California's gold rush, and then second of the treasure hunters themselves.
Wonderful.
Wonderful.
Dec 08, 2010
Kris
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Easy read. Great book. The author traveled with the salvage team for quite some time and the detail of the account is fantastic. Kinder really puts you in the head of Tommy Thompson, his creative process and his bizarre approach to problems. If you like treasure, shipwrecks or engineering, you'll love this book.
Oct 17, 2010
Judith
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I gave this book 5 stars, not just for the compelling story but for the fascinating history layered into what might have been just a treasure hunt, and for the brilliant characters, real people with remarkable skills and determination and spirit. Those people inspire me and they'll inspire you too to try harder, do better, and on some level live a more challenging life.
Apr 03, 2009
Mary Anne
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This is a great book and hard to describe. It covers the sinking of an American steamship off the Carolina coast in the 1850s and the efforts of the interesting characters who try to recover the cargo in the late 20th century. It's a true story and full of history and science and maritime law.
Dec 07, 2008
Darlis
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I read this many years ago and loved it. I love the two stories it tells--that of the original ship and her passengers and the trials of finding, raising capital, creating the means to raise the ship. This is enthralling! I felt drawn into the chapters and enjoyed the challenges each presented.
Aug 06, 2011
Mike
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A real-life Clive Cussler adventure. An exhilirating & exhausting expedition to seek out
and recover a sunken 1840's packet ship. A salvage bonanza awaits. Like Larson's "Devil in the White City", Kinder's book is the stuff of fiction made that more riveting by it's actual source.
and recover a sunken 1840's packet ship. A salvage bonanza awaits. Like Larson's "Devil in the White City", Kinder's book is the stuff of fiction made that more riveting by it's actual source.
Sep 16, 2011
thomas
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One of the best books I have read. A true story about a salvage operation that is ultimately successful in finding a gold laden vessel on the bottom of the sea. but what they go through to get it is almost too amazing to be true. Expertly written. Highly recommended.
Jul 16, 2011
Heather
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It was recommended by one of my favorite people. Perhaps a bit too much detail at times, but I loved the true account of what happened. The story was told just in detail as required to understand the scientific approach to deep-sea recovery. I enjoyed the step by step process and ingenuity required to accomplish everything that Tommy did.
Apr 03, 2010
Rob
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This is a fantastic story and a great read. The way Kinder weaves the historical tale of the sinking of the S.S. Central America into the modern effort to locate the sunken ship and its bounty of gold was hard to put down. One of the best books I've read, bar none.
Aug 23, 2009
Tom
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I keep saying I'm not wild about adventure non-fiction, but this is the third one I've given a good rating to, so maybe I do. Have you seen the ads on tv for gold from the wreck of the Central America? This is the story of the race for that gold. A fun read.
