What do you think?
Rate this book
Graveyard Harbor: Treasure, Murder, and Vigilantes in the Gold Rush's Fantastic Floating City of One Thousand Abandoned Ships
From the New York Times bestselling author of Zodiac, Auto Focus, and Black Fire.
SO CLOSE TO SHORE, SO FAR FROM FORTUNE.
WITH THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD, THEY CAME. San Francisco, 1849. Some arrived by land, but most came by sea. From packet to clipper, the first steamers, and even a stolen paddlewheeler, ships of every kind poured in through the Golden Gate. Packed to the gills with passengers and bursting to the brim with valuable cargo, they crowded Yerba Buena Cove. The perfect harbor in every way except one fatal flaw—its shallow waters offered no passage to shore. Fever overtook even the heartiest of men. Passengers and crew alike jumped ship and swam ashore. Within sight of their prize destination, a thousand majestic vessels were left adrift. Each incapacitated vessel’s fate locked in by the next.
Some dedicated captains remained aboard these derelict hulks, in a short time forming a fantastic floating city, Graveyard Harbor. Families, commerce, intrigue, and crime all thrived and died within its skeletal framework. Among them were captains held hostage by their own cargo, families that could not afford nor find housing on land, criminals hiding out from the law, and their pursuers hot on their heels.
A LANDLOCKED CAPTAIN.
A KILLER WHO LOOKED LIKE CHRIST.
HIS UNFORTUNATE DOPPELGÄNGER.
THE BLOODTHIRST OF SAN FRANCISCO’S FIRST VIGILANTE SOCIETY.
AND THE TEXAS RANGER TURNED SAN FRANCISCO SHERIFF.
WOULD CRIME, JUSTICE OR VIGILANTISM PREVAIL?
Illustrations by the author.
SO CLOSE TO SHORE, SO FAR FROM FORTUNE.
WITH THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD, THEY CAME. San Francisco, 1849. Some arrived by land, but most came by sea. From packet to clipper, the first steamers, and even a stolen paddlewheeler, ships of every kind poured in through the Golden Gate. Packed to the gills with passengers and bursting to the brim with valuable cargo, they crowded Yerba Buena Cove. The perfect harbor in every way except one fatal flaw—its shallow waters offered no passage to shore. Fever overtook even the heartiest of men. Passengers and crew alike jumped ship and swam ashore. Within sight of their prize destination, a thousand majestic vessels were left adrift. Each incapacitated vessel’s fate locked in by the next.
Some dedicated captains remained aboard these derelict hulks, in a short time forming a fantastic floating city, Graveyard Harbor. Families, commerce, intrigue, and crime all thrived and died within its skeletal framework. Among them were captains held hostage by their own cargo, families that could not afford nor find housing on land, criminals hiding out from the law, and their pursuers hot on their heels.
A LANDLOCKED CAPTAIN.
A KILLER WHO LOOKED LIKE CHRIST.
HIS UNFORTUNATE DOPPELGÄNGER.
THE BLOODTHIRST OF SAN FRANCISCO’S FIRST VIGILANTE SOCIETY.
AND THE TEXAS RANGER TURNED SAN FRANCISCO SHERIFF.
WOULD CRIME, JUSTICE OR VIGILANTISM PREVAIL?
Illustrations by the author.
563 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2023
12 people want to read
About the author
Robert Graysmith
22 books326 followersROBERT GRAYSMITH is the New York Times Bestselling author and illustrator of
Zodiac
,
Auto Focus
, and
Black Fire
. He was the political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle when the letters and cryptograms from the infamous Zodiac killer were opened in the morning editorial meetings. He lives in San Francisco where he continues to write and illustrate.
Graysmith's latest book Shooting Zodiac is now available in paperback!
As well as the beautiful new edition of The Sleeping Lady: The Trailside Murders Above the Golden Gate in paperback and Kindle!
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Kobo | Apple Books | Google Play Books
Two films have been based on his books: Auto Focus and Zodiac. Graysmith is portrayed in the film Zodiac by Jake Gyllenhaal.
Also narrated by the author are the audiobooks Black Fire and Zodiac Unmasked .
Graysmith's latest book Shooting Zodiac is now available in paperback!
As well as the beautiful new edition of The Sleeping Lady: The Trailside Murders Above the Golden Gate in paperback and Kindle!
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Kobo | Apple Books | Google Play Books
Two films have been based on his books: Auto Focus and Zodiac. Graysmith is portrayed in the film Zodiac by Jake Gyllenhaal.
Also narrated by the author are the audiobooks Black Fire and Zodiac Unmasked .
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.