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The black ship: The quest to recover an English pirate ship and its lost treasure
Swallowed by the shifting sands off Cape Cod in April 1717, were Bellamy, the English-sailor-turned-pirate adventurer, the "Whydah" and its loot. Spellbound by the folklore, the author writes a story of adventure, history and underwater archaeology which is also the tale of two men separated by almost 300 years yet united by a common obsession.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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October 10, 2025
This was a delicious read. Over the years, I’ve found myself really enjoying books about 17th century piracy—high sea highjinx. There is something about getting a glimpse into Caribbean life centuries ago that seems so adventurous. Nobody really knew what the fuck was out there, and you just had all these city goers speculating on life on these far off worlds. But then, there was this whole other class of individuals who did know—because they’d like to stop in, get supplies, and navigate to some other, far off island. It's this setting which seems so free, so charming.
This book chronicles the story of how one man found, and raised, the Wydah off the coast of Cape Cod. The Wydah was an interesting ship. A slaver turned pirate ship, stolen by a young Englishman named Bellemy who has his own remarkable story. The book is really three things. The story of the man who learned how to hunt for pirate treasure at the bottom of the ocean, the story of pirates in general, and the story of Bellemy, the pirate himself.
For one it's remarkably well written, has this really well honed sense of pace and has all of the hallmarks of high-end writing. I couldn’t put it down for days. Equally, it's fascinating, and very well researched. Plus, there is the whole economic endeavour of actually pulling up a pirate ship. It's a modern day business book in many ways. The funding, lawyers, lawsuits. I loved it.
This book chronicles the story of how one man found, and raised, the Wydah off the coast of Cape Cod. The Wydah was an interesting ship. A slaver turned pirate ship, stolen by a young Englishman named Bellemy who has his own remarkable story. The book is really three things. The story of the man who learned how to hunt for pirate treasure at the bottom of the ocean, the story of pirates in general, and the story of Bellemy, the pirate himself.
For one it's remarkably well written, has this really well honed sense of pace and has all of the hallmarks of high-end writing. I couldn’t put it down for days. Equally, it's fascinating, and very well researched. Plus, there is the whole economic endeavour of actually pulling up a pirate ship. It's a modern day business book in many ways. The funding, lawyers, lawsuits. I loved it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review