Pirate Hunters

Starred review from February 9, 2015
The odds of finding a bona fide pirate ship are quite rare, a fact Robert Kurson (Shadow Divers) points out in the first few pages of this extraordinary adventure. Only one—the Whydah—has ever been positively identified as belonging to pirates. The subjects of Kurson’s latest, John Chatterton and John Mattera, are undeterred by such unlikelihood in their conquest to locate the elusive Golden Fleece, the 17th-century ship captained by Joseph Bannister, lost somewhere in the waters near the Dominican Republic. Kurson takes readers on a wild ride alongside these bigger-than-life pirate hunters as they navigate the red tape of maritime code, dead ends, and dwindling resources, as well as rival hunters keen on beating Chatterton and Mattera to the prize. Though this drama would be more than enough, Kurson also examines the many myths surrounding pirates in their golden age, some of which were true (they did keep parrots and used colorful language, but they were also remarkably egalitarian in terms of race and rank—all races were welcomed and every man from the captain to the cook was treated equally, though women were not present unless they were in disguise). Kurson’s own enthusiasm, combined with his copious research and an eye for detail, makes for one of the most mind-blowing pirate stories of recent memory, one that even the staunchest landlubber will have a hard time putting down. Agent: Flip Brophy, Sterling Lord Literistic.

April 1, 2015
A look inside the world of professional treasure hunters, focused on the search for a sunken pirate ship. Journalist Kurson (Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See, 2007, etc.) tells the story of John Chatterton and John Mattera and their quest for the Golden Fleece, a pirate ship sunk off what is now the Dominican Republic in the 1680s. Joseph Bannister, the ship's captain, was an English merchant captain who turned pirate. Chatterton and Mattera learned about the ship from Tracy Bowden, himself a legend among treasure hunters, who hired them to find the ship. Kurson focuses on the long, often frustrating search, interspersed by library research in New York and Spain. He gives brief biographies of the two men, tough, driven characters thriving in a world in which death is usually one mistake away. There's a fair share of drama as they run into debt, argue with each other and with Bowden, and deal with threats to their mission, ranging from claim jumpers to international bans on treasure hunting. Their breakthrough came when they realized the key to the search was the character of the pirate himself. Along the way, readers get a capsule history of the "Golden Age of Piracy," from about 1650 to 1720, when the likes of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Henry Morgan were active. Kurson has done an impressive amount of research, and he has a good sense of painting scenes, though readers might sometimes wonder where the line is between straight reporting and entertainment. The book tends to jump around too much, though given the long stretches in which the protagonists' search for Bannister's ship was stalled, it's easy to understand why. In the end, Chatterton and Mattera come across as modern heroes, the kind of men the modern world often finds it hard to make a place for. An enjoyable read, especially if you've got a thing for pirates.

Starred review from April 1, 2015

Kurson (Shadow Divers) provides the reader with an exceptional adventure of pirates, treasure, and searching for lost history. But it is not merely the thought of pirates and sunken treasure that keeps the reader's attention. Kurson's own style of writing and the story he tells is reason enough to read this narrative from cover to cover. The author reveals the psyche and determination of archaeologists John Chatterton (former host of History Channel's Deep Sea Detectives) and John Mattera in their search for the Golden Fleece wreck near Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, and what results is a fascinating historical account of the pirate Joseph Bannister. The reader gets two exciting tales in one book: the adventure, intrigue, and risk that Chatterton and Mattera face as they search for the Golden Fleece and Bannister as well as the story of Bannister's emergence as a pirate on the high seas in the 17th century. While the book is accessible, some of the terminology and history is appropriate to older audiences. VERDICT Anyone with a sense of adventure and a love of history will enjoy this book. Highly recommended to readers who delight in adventure, suspense, and the thrill of discovering history at their fingertips.--John Dockall, Austin, TX.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2015
Kurson, the New York Times best-selling author of Shadow Divers (2004), takes his knowledge of the underwater world and applies it to the Golden Age of Piracy, 16501720, and, specifically, to the search for the sunken pirate ship Golden Fleece and its booty. Per the request and with the backing of treasure hunter Tracy Bowden, John Chatterton and John Mattera, treasure hunters themselves, take on the task of trolling the wild waters and small islands of the Dominican Republic's north coast. The Golden Fleece's captain, Joseph Bannister, was a respected seaman turned rogue pirate, and Chatterton and Mattera search for him, as well, in documents and maps in libraries around the world. Kurson pulls in information on the equipment used, the changing rules of ownership of found items, and the excitement of the search itself, thrillingly detailing the highs and lows of chasing not just gold and silver but also history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)