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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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English
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PIRATE HUNTERS

Robert Kurson

The Search for the Golden Fleece

PIRATE HUNTERS is the gripping true story of lost gold and bitter rivalries on the high seas, a brilliant 17th-century English pirate captain, and the two adventurous men determined to win treasure.
Two men–John Chatterton (one of the two main characters from SHADOW DIVERS) and John Mattera (a tough private security expert who grew up in Staten Island amidst mob circles) -- have set their sights on finding the mysterious Golden Fleece, a pirate ship sunk in 1686 and captained by Joseph Bannister, an English gentleman turned rogue who was “more daring than Blackbeard and more audacious than Kidd.” To look for it, they must risk everything and throw in their lot with Tracy Bowden, a legendary treasure hunter who uses Polaroids, scribbled notes, and gut instinct, rather than modern technology, to find his shipwrecks. Their research for the sunken ship takes Chatterton and Mattera all over—from the alleged shipwreck site off the coast of the Dominican Republic, to Spain, and New York, and Florida—but over the course of their journey, the pair learn that in order to find the Golden Fleece, they’ll need to think like her skilled and devious captain, and to act like him. This is the story of their discovery.

Kurson’s narrative not only brilliantly recreates the Chatterton and Mattera’s frantic race against time – and other treasure hunters—to find the wreck, but it also vividly reimagines the swashbuckling golden era of piracy in the 17th century. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a cast of more daring and adventurous characters from both past and present. There is something for everyone -- from pirate enthusiasts to history buffs to modern day explorers!

Robert Kurson is the author of the run-away bestseller, SHADOW DIVERS, and CRASHING THROUGH. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin and a law degree from Harvard Law School. He began his writing career at the Chicago Sun-Times as a data entry clerk, a position which led to a full-time features writing job. In 2000, Esquire published "My Favorite Teacher," his first magazine story, which became a finalist for a National Magazine Award. Based in Chicago, he is currently a contributing editor to Esquire.
Available products
Book

Published 2015-06-01 by Random House

Book

Published 2015-06-01 by Random House

Comments

An exceptional adventure . . . Highly recommended to readers who delight in adventure, suspense, and the thrill of discovering history at their fingertips.

[Kurson] takes his knowledge of the underwater world and applies it to the ‘Golden Age of Piracy’ . . . thrillingly detailing the highs and lows of chasing not just gold and silver but also history.

There’s nothing in the world like buried treasure—and people hungry and obsessed enough to risk their lives for it. Pirate Hunters isn’t just a good story—it’s a true one. Searching for the souls of its explorers, it takes you to the far tip of the plank and plunges you deep to the bottom of the ocean.

The two contemporary pirate-ship seekers of [Robert] Kurson’s narrative are as daring, intrepid, tough and talented as Blood and Sparrow—and Bannister. . . . As depicted by the author, they are real-life Hemingway heroes.

A great thriller full of tough guys and long odds . . . and: It’s all true.

Action and adventure on land and sea—you can’t ask for more. But Robert Kurson raises the ante in Pirate Hunters with an array of mystery and a fleet of colorful characters spanning four centuries. This is a great summer read!

Pirate Hunters is a fantastic book, an utterly engrossing and satisfying read. It tells the story of the hunt for the rare wreck of a pirate ship, which had been captained by one of the most remarkable pirates in history. This is a real-life Treasure Island, complete with swashbuckling, half-crazy treasure hunters and vivid Caribbean settings—a story for the ages.

A wild ride [and an] extraordinary adventure . . . 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.

Rollicking . . . a fascinating [story] about the world of pirates, piracy, and priceless treasures.

John Chatterton and John 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.

Estonia: Helios, Netherlands: Luitingh-Sijthoff, UK/BC, Elliot & Thompson

A terrific read. I was pulled in from page one. Kurson brings us face to face with some of the most swashbuckling pirates ever to sail the Caribbean, even as he takes us underwater on a high-tech quest to discover the relics they left behind.