Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea

Amazon.com

The facts speak for themselves. In 1857, the Central America, a sidewheel steamer ferrying passengers fresh from the gold rush of California to New York and laden with 21 tons of California gold, encountered a severe storm off the Carolina coast and sank, carrying more than 400 passengers and all her cargo down with her. She then sat for 132 years, 200 miles offshore and almost two miles below the ocean's surface--a depth at which she was assumed to be unrecoverable--until 1989, when a deep-water research vessel sailed into the harbor at Norfolk, Virginia, fat with salvaged gold coins and bullion estimated to be worth one billion dollars.

Author Gary Kinder wisely lets the story of the Columbus-America Discovery Group, led by maverick scientist and entrepreneur Tommy Thompson, unfold without hyperbole. Kinder interweaves the tale of the Central America and her passengers and crew with Thompson's own story of growing up landlocked in Ohio, an irrepressible tinkerer and explorer even in his childhood days, and his progress to adulthood as a young man who always had "7 to 14" projects on the table or spinning in his head at any given moment. One of those projects would become the preposterous recovery of the stricken steamer, and the resourcefulness and later urgency with which the project would proceed is contrasted poignantly with the Central America's doomed battle in 1857 to stay afloat.

Thompson, who spent nearly a decade planning and organizing his recovery effort, emerges as one of the great unsung adventurers of these times (the technical innovations alone required for such a task produced a windfall for the scientific community and defined a new state of the art for deep-sea explorers and treasure hunters), and the story of the steamer's sinking is compelling enough to make any reader wonder why the Central America sinking isn't synonymous with shipwreck in this Titanic-happy age. --Tjames Madison

Book Description

"White knuckle reading...with generous portions of adventure, intrigue, heroism, and high technology interwoven."
--Los Angeles Times Book Review

This enthralling true story of maritime tragedy and visionary science begins with a disaster to rival the sinking of the Titanic.

In September 1857, the S.S. Central America, a side-wheel steamer carrying passengers returning from the gold fields of California, went down during a hurricane off the Carolina coast. More than 400 men--and 21 tons of gold--were lost. In the 1980s, a maverick engineer named Tommy Thompson set out to find the wreck and salvage its treasure from the ocean floor.

With knuckle-biting suspense, Gary Kinder reconstructs the terror of the Central America's last days, when passengers bailed freezing water from the hold, then chopped the ship's timbers to use as impromptu liferafts. He goes on to chronicle Thompson's epic quest for the lost vessel, an endeavor that drew on the latest strides in oceanography, information theory, and underwater robotics, and that pitted Thompson against hair-raising weather, bloodthirsty sharks, and unscrupulous rivals.

Ship of Gold is a magnificent adventure, filled with heroism, ingenuity, and perseverance.

Customer Reviews:

What an Adventure !.......2007-09-21

This is an appealing book on many levels. 19th century sea adventure, heroes, tradegies, great survival stories, heart stopping excitement, 20th century high tech recovery adventures, interlopers and bottom feeding lawyers and insurance companies, it's got it all. Why 4 stars rather than 5 ? I found it a tad long after they found the boat and began that part of the story. But, that is a small point. Well worth the reader's time.

Ship of Gold is a good story with excellent details about the recovery of the gold........2007-08-28

Ship of Gold is a good story with excellent details about the recovery of the gold.
In my next recovery book I will look for more diving experience. The ROV's do not have the same adventure value as the human diving experience we have on the North Sea but then again the North Sea is maximum 40 meters deep. We don't need ROV's at these depths.
I liked the sonar specialist story and the systematical scanning of the area's with the best values in the probability matrix.

Hands down one of the best book ever! .......2007-08-20

This is by far the best book ever. I have purchased more copies then I can count and I have given it to all of my family members and most of my friends. All of them loved it. Even my mom told it was one of the best books she had ever read. Being she reads a book every two weeks that's a pretty good compliment.

This is a short book, but it takes a long time to read. It's not that it's a hard read; it's just that it's so good you will take your time to read it. Almost like savoring a great wine.

I don't recommend many books, but this one should be on the top of your reading pile. Once you read it you will understand why and I'm willing to bet you will recommend it to all of your friends.

Good modern day treasure hunt.......2007-07-04

I liked the way the author took the reader back and forth from the past to the present. It was interesting to see how much planning and inguenuity it took to accomplish the recovery of the gold. Once the treasure was found, I have to admit to having a mild case of 'gold fever' due to the vivid descriptions provided by G. Kinder. The only reason I didn't give it the full 5 is because of the Tommy (the technical mastermind of the recovery) praising!!!! Alright already, he certainly must walk on water, and if he doesn't, he'll surely invent a way to. Inspite of the Tommy factor, this is a good book.
Also recommended: In the Heart of the Sea

Fantastic Nonfiction.......2006-12-28

When the Central America sank in 1857 she took 21 tons of gold and more than 400 souls to the bottom of the sea, including one of my ancestors. Kinder's incredible book weaves the tale of the shipwreck together with the story of the thrilling recovery more than 130 years later.

Ship of Gold is a fantastic book from historic and scientific perspectives. If you read this book, you will gain new insights about the Gold Rush and 19th-century sea travel; better yet, you will be amazed by the technological and biological advancements which were a direct consequence of Tommy Thompson's recovery.

I read Ship of Gold to fill in the details of an old family legend. I was pleased to discover a truly amazing work of nonfiction.

Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta

Average customer rating:

definitive history of the blues
Bitter Lemon Revival
Great blues DVD
Historical Value to Blues genre
If you love the blues, you'll love this

Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta
Robert Palmer
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140062238

Customer Reviews:

definitive history of the blues.......2007-08-21

this is a serious history of the blues treating the blues with the same respect & seriousness given jazz, classical and other forms. it is a wonderful book combining interviews with blues legends like muddy waters and howling wolf with in-depth musical and cultural analysis.

for serious blues lovers or the novice looking for a deeper understanding of the music's roots, the culture that spawned and the incredible musicians who created it.

Bitter Lemon Revival.......2007-03-21

Hi,my name is Steve Kaplan.I play the keytar behind Big Jack Johnson in the movie DEEP BLUES.I just released a cd called "BITTER LEMON REVIVAL".If you liked the movie call 901-355 7210 and order my cd for 12$ plus shipping and handling tot 13.95$ Order today!!! They could pull this ad anytime! Sincerely
Lemon Bitter Kaplan

Great blues DVD.......2007-02-21

For someone wanting to get a feel for some relatively modern Delta blues this is a great documentary. Lots of gritty feel to the setting and characters here. The tracks were recorded with great attention to quality. Of especial interest is the portion about RL Burnside as this was his re-discovery! His music career really took off from here! Also, Jesse Mae Hemphill's solo performance is absolute magic, very powerful.

If you like the blues you can't go wrong with this DVD.

Historical Value to Blues genre.......2007-01-04

Deep Blues was refered to me by an artist who amazed me with his talent one night at the Aligator Soul in Everett WA. Ryan played delta blues very well, I saw several folks in the crowd stop eating their meal to listen to this man in his 30's belting out the blues on his dobro. After his show I talked with him asking him how he came to know delta blues so well. He said he had watched "you see me laughing" and many video's on blues but desired to see "Deep Blues". As a blues artist and fan I had to have this video so I bought it, I have watched it several times over and will continue to draw from the rich history of where it started, learning from many of the artists the main stream has not heard of, simply put Deep Blues is a must for blues fans and aspiring artists alike it will help you keep the blues alive.

If you love the blues, you'll love this.......2006-11-03

This is a great documentary of true Mississippi Delta Blues. I've been searching for this since it was first released in 1992 and finally found it on Amazon. I've had the soundtrack since 1992 and still consider it one of my all-time best blues recordings. If you love the blues, you'll love this and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader
Deep Blue Goodbye
Classic Travis McGee tale (as are they all) with lessons and language for the ages
If you are just starting this series, I'm jealous
A Classic

Deep Blue Good-by
John D. Macdonald
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0449223833
Release Date: 1995-05-31

Book Description

TRAVIS McGEE
He's a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He's also a knight errant who's wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out and his rule is simple: he'll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half....
With an introduction by CARL HIAASEN
JOHN D. MACDONALD
"....the great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller."
--STEPHEN KING
"....a master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer."
--MARY HIGGINS CLARK
"....a dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character."
--SUE GRAFTON
"....my favorite novelist of all time."
--DEAN KOONTZ
"...the consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer."
--JONATHAN KELLERMAN
"...remains one of my idols."
--DONALD WESTLAKE
THE TRAVIS McGEE SERIES
"...one of the great sagas in American fiction."
--ROBERT B. PARKER
"...what a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again."
--ED McBAIN

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-08-19

Fifty percent is better than nothing.

At least that is what you are desperate enough to take if you hire Travis McGee as a 'Salvage Consultant', to recover something lost that may just be of dubious legality. (Not sure what he will do if it is a racehorse, woman, or parrot, however).

Here, a friend asks him to help out another friend, both of whom are female dancers, and he reluctantly agrees, ending up in a sordid plot involving some treasure recovered in a now-jailed husband's army days, and a violent man (think rape and murder) trying to get his hands on it. Along the way, there is plenty of seedy Florida, broken women, and biffo.

If you like this sort of adventurer with booze and broads style of thing, not much doubt you will find this enjoyable. Good stuff.

Deep Blue Goodbye.......2007-08-11

It's a shame that ol' John D. had to pass away. His writing is still as good as it was during his lifetime.

Classic Travis McGee tale (as are they all) with lessons and language for the ages.......2007-08-02

For some reason there's a gap in my reading history for John D. MacDonald's fine fiction, especially the hugely popular Travis McGee mystery crime novels. So you can't call me an expert witness in this case, but a friendly one on this his first in the Travis McGee series.

I had read something in the series before--I think it was the Pale Gray one (the Travis McGee titles always contain a color)--but did not remember what an astute judge of character ol' Trav is... and how he teeters so on the edge of cynicism when it comes to sociological observations.

For example, after Travis assesses his soon-to-be client--"The world had done its best to subdue and humble her, but the edge of her good tough spirit showed through."--he launches into a broad internal diatribe on the world as he knows it:

"I am wary of a lot of other things, such as plastic credit cards, payroll deductions, insurance programs, retirement benefits, savings accounts, Green Stamps, time clocks, newspapers, mortgages, sermons, miracle fabrics, deodorants, check lists, time payments, political parties, lending libraries, television actresses, junior chambers of commerce, pageants, progress, and manifest destiny."

With MacDonald I feel in the presence of greatness, and I'm thrilled to have 20 more Travis McGee books to read for the first time.

...

For my complete review of this book and for other book and movie
reviews, please visit my site [...]

Brian Wright
Copyright 2007

If you are just starting this series, I'm jealous.......2007-02-17

I read the entire series as they came out starting 40 years ago, and am now listening to the unabridged audiobooks with delectible slowness.

If you are lucky enough to be reading reviews to contemplate starting this series, you have a wonderful journey ahead of you. I think Travis McGee, along with Nero Wolfe, are the two best (albiet very different) characters ever in the mystery/crime genre.

Since it is now 43 years since this book was published, you will be astounded at the amazing contemporary nature of the books.

This is one of the more complicated plots with as many characters as any story in the series, perhaps as befits the first one written. It is a great story, but as MacDonald hits his stride around the third or fouth book in the series, the plots simplify, the number of characters goes down, and the depth of each charcter intensifies.

You can read other stuff about the plot, characters, et. al. The purpose of this review is to tell you that when you finally get to the 21st book in the series, The Lonely Silver Rain, you'll be writing a review like this and be looking forward to your second visit to The Deep Blue Good-by as you start the adventure all over again.

A Classic.......2007-02-06

The first in the John Macdonald "Travis McGee" series, this book sets the stage for the rest of the series. You get to know a little about McGee, and get a good mystery story. It's a little "dated" now for younger readers, but I think most adults who like mysteries would enjoy "The Deep Blue Good-bye", along with the rest of the Travis McGee series.

Average customer rating:

Atherton does her usual stellar job - a pleasure to read.
Aunt Dimity
Dislike Lori
Everything a cozy reader could ask for
Light but enjoyable mystery

Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea
Nancy Atherton
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0143038303

Book Description

The eleventh cozy mystery featuring everyone's favorite phantom-detective

Nancy Atherton 's Aunt Dimity novels have enchanted thousands of readers, and this new addition to the series is likely to broaden the spell. A series of death threats sends Lori Shepard to a remote island off the Scottish coast and to a fabulous castle restored by an eccentric friend of her husband's. But she finds herself drawn into an elaborate whodunit that may involve smuggling—or worse. Why has a human skull washed up on the beach? Is a desolate island really the best place to hide from a murderer? As Lori draws once more on Aunt Dimity's supernatural aid, Atherton whips equal measures of whimsy and suspense into an irresistible confection.

Customer Reviews:

Atherton does her usual stellar job - a pleasure to read........2007-09-29

Lori Shepherd is uprooted and her life turned upside down when her husband Bill Willis receives death threats. Whoever the disgruntled client is, he has taken pictures of the family at close range, which makes the threats far more convincing than an anonymous letter or the like.

Using his family and business connections, Bill has Lori and the boys spirited off to a remote island in the Scottish isles, where the tourists never come and all outsiders are closely scrutinized by the locals. While there, Lori runs into an old family friend, who is traveling incognito. This is surprising, and a trifle alarming. Damien, the bodyguard, is not amused by this coincidental happenstance, and he is also skeptical of the general affluence and xenophobia exhibited by the locals. Lori, as always, is convinced that there are logical and legal explanations for everything. Nobody else is as optimistic as she.

In the meantime, Bill and the police are working their way through his client list, searching for someone disgruntled and crazy enough to want Bill and his family dead. Since Bill's clients are staid upper-class types, and his usual practice involves writing wills and setting up trusts, the search seems futile. Of course it is not.

This is the eleventh in the Aunt Dimity series. Constant readers will not be disappointed; Atherton does her usual stellar job of placing Lori in jeopardy and then getting her out of it. Aunt Dimity (a ghost, for those who are not familiar with the series, who communicates with Lori via an old journal) plays a fairly small part in DEEP BLUE SEA; she is more of a sounding board and less of a sidekick than in some of the earlier books. While I would not suggest starting the series with DEEP BLUE SEA, I've skipped a few and had no trouble catching up on what little back story I didn't already know. As has happened in previous books, some of the plot devices are a little far-fetched, but not totally out of the realm of possibility, especially if the reader can accept the givens of ghostwriting and a telekinetic rabbit.

Aunt Dimity.......2007-08-24

I love the Aunt Dimity stories. They are so well written, as well as exiting. Thanks for a good read.
Mireille McKell

Dislike Lori.......2007-04-04

Enjoy Atherton's writing, but dislike Lori Shepard. I was hoping she'd get killed (isn't that awful). She is obnoxious. Bill deserves better.

Everything a cozy reader could ask for.......2007-01-27

An unknown person calling him- or herself Abaddon is threatening the lives of Lori Shepherd and five-year-old twins Will and Rob, ostensibly to get back at her attorney-husband Bill for some perceived injustice. It seems ominous to Lori that the alias Abaddon has chosen is the name of the king of the bottomless pit in Revelations.

While Bill works with Scotland Yard to go through his case files to determine which of his clients might be Abaddon, Lori and the boys are whisked away to the castle Dundrillin on a remote island off the coast of Scotland - the personal fiefdom of a fantastically wealthy oilman and family friend, Sir Percy Pelham. Guarding Lori is Damian Hunter, a dashing defender who takes his job very seriously. Villains may have found Damian a formidable foe, but he hasn't come up against anyone like the very strong-willed Lori. While on the island of Erinskil, Lori and Damian notice some very strange goings on - not to mention a legendary ghost (?) of a religious brother who died on the island centuries ago.

The Aunt Dimity stories - typically take a familiar route: Lori Shepherd and/or her idyllic life in rural England are imperiled (an actual crime may or may not be involved). Lori takes action, usually in the company of a handsome man and often with her twins in tow. Lori consults with the ghost of Aunt Dimity to resolve whatever problem she faces. All the good people live happily ever after - or at least until the next story - and any bad guys get their comeuppance. Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea is no exception - it will delight Nancy Atherton's many fans.

I have enjoyed all ten of the previous Aunt Dimity stories and Nancy Atherton's latest book did not disappoint. Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea has everything a cozy reader could hope for. Readers who are put off by the idea of a ghost among the cast of characters should know that Aunt Dimity has recently begun to play much less of a role in the stories; Lori is very much center stage. She's a strong heroine who is only getting better with age. [...]

Light but enjoyable mystery.......2006-07-15

When her husband receives death threats from an apparently angry client, Lori Shepherd and her twin sons are packed into a helicopter and whisked from England to an island off the Scotland coast. There, with family friend Sir Percy Pelham, and with a couple of bodyguards Pelhan provides, Lori hopes to remain safe--and to protect her children. Surely there is no way the mysterious "Abaddon" could follow them here. Even if he learned where they were hiding, he would have a hard time reaching the island, and a harder time doing it secretly. It seems that the islanders, wishing to prevent developers from ruining their island paradise, have cut off most contact with the outside world. Any strangers are closely observed.

The first night on the island, Lori observes mysterious lights on a nearby rock formation--a formation claimed by the locals to be both cursed and haunted. Could it be that the ghost of a long-dead monk still haunts the rock? Or is it more likely that Abaddon has somehow managed to cross the distance? With the assistance of her notebook, which contains the ghost of a spirit named Aunt Dimity, Lori hopes to address at least the question of lingering spirits. Gradually, though, and with the help of an old family friend, she begins seeing cracks in the too-perfect life of the islanders. Everyone lives comfortably, with the latest conveniences. Yet they distain tourism and the handcrafted tweed industry, said to be the basis of their wealth, simply couldn't generate the level of wealth enjoyed by the locals.

With the help of Aunt Dimity, and a sexy bodyguard, Lori attempts to unravel the mystery of the too-rich island, while simultaneously attempting to ensure that her children remain safe.

Author Nancy Atherton spins an enjoyable mystery. Lori makes a sympathetic sleuth, with the threat from Abaddon combining with the mysterious nature of the island's wealth combining to create interest. The notebook that is Aunt Dimity serves more as a sounding board for Lori's musings than as a major character, but then, most mystery readers would want Lori to solve the mysteries rather than being given the answer by a book.

Mystery traditionalists may object that Lori doesn't actually solve either mystery herself. One she has explained to her and the other leads to a bit of deus ex machina, but Atherton's engaging writing makes the reading worthwhile. I did think that Lori's crime rankings (drugs are bad, despoiling archeological remains and avoiding income taxes are okay) were a bit convenient. Surely a person as inately good as Lori would have more concerns about any type of illegal activity--especially as even morally justified illegal activities tend to create the need for other, more violent, crimes.

If you're looking for a quick light mystery, AUNT DIMITY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA might just be the story for you.

Average customer rating:

My baby's favorite book!
Adorable Swimmy Rhyme
Way down deep fun!
Way Down Deep is Oceans of fun and learning for children!

Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea
Jan Peck
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689851103

Book Description

Way down deep
in the deep blue sea,
there's a lot to find.
I guarantee!

Come on! Be brave!
Just follow me!
And let's explore
the deep blue sea!

Customer Reviews:

My baby's favorite book!.......2006-04-23

This book is fantastic! I have been reading it to my baby since he was a couple of months old. He is now nine months and picking it up on his own and "asking" to have it read. When I open it and start with "Way down deep in the deep blue sea..." he shrieks with delight! This book and Way Up High in a Tall Green Tree get read over and over in my house!!

Adorable Swimmy Rhyme.......2004-05-14

This is an adorable picture book. The rhyme is skillfully written to hold the attention of the most wiggly of small children. They'll swim under the water meeting all kinds of sea creatures and be surprised at the end. The art, inspired by the text is fun and colorful. The illustrator nailed it! Children will read this over and over. Jan Peck has now, another excellent picturebook to her credit.

Way down deep fun!.......2004-05-05

As in her previous picture book, The Giant Carrot, Jan Peck has created a fun and lively story with carefully chosen words to entice children to read and re-read this delightful adventure story. Full of fun sea creatures and lyrical language, Way Down Deep is stimulating both in listening to the story and the enjoyment of the bright illustrations. Well-done and worth owning!

Way Down Deep is Oceans of fun and learning for children!.......2004-05-02

I am a children's writer who wishes he had written this book! Jan Peck has surely been touched by the hand of God. "The Giant Carrot" was a classic Ms. Peck created, but "Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea" will be read by generations of children too. The tight musical writing and beautiful illustrations will please every child--plus teach them rhythm and the names of sea creatures. On top of all this, the book shows the child the wonders of using his imagination. Buy your copy now, because the first edtion will become a collector's item. "Cat in the Hat" move over!

The Deep Blue Alibi: A Solomon vs. Lord Novel

Average customer rating:

The Deep Blue Alibi: A Solomon vs. Lord Novel
Boom!! 2 great books in a row!!
paul levine novel
If the facts don't fit the law- bend the facts
Witty as usual!

The Deep Blue Alibi: A Solomon vs. Lord Novel
Paul Levine
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440242746
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Book Description

They are Florida’s most mismatched legal duo—one a glamorous Miami blue blood, the other a Coconut Grove beach bum. And when they get together, you can throw every law right out the window….

What do you get when you mix beautiful people, family secrets, and a yacht washed up on Sunset Key with a hundred grand in cash and a dying man? If you’re Steve Solomon, you see a case that can get Solomon & Lord off the ground. If you’re Victoria Lord, you see a golden opportunity to go out on your own. With her uncle a murder suspect and her hunky ex-boyfriend back in the picture, Victoria is pushing to take control as Solomon struggles to keep from losing it.

As an explosive trial looms, they’re fighting against time, the law, and each other—to expose a killer who came to paradise…and hasn’t left.

Customer Reviews:

The Deep Blue Alibi: A Solomon vs. Lord Novel.......2007-07-14

The Deep Blue Alibi is the sequel to Solomon vs. Lord. In the first book readers met Victoria Lord, an uptight by the book kind of lawyer, who through a series of hilarious twists and bizarre turns finds herself partnered with Steve Solomon, another lawyer who plays by his own rules, to defend a murder case. As the team have almost no evidence, they have to be rather creative in their defence.

In this book, Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord are preparing for another very difficult murder case. In this case, there seems to be more potential murder suspects and too many leaps of faith for the team's comfort. Worse yet, one of these potential suspects is one of Victoria's old flames.

I absolutely loved Solomon vs. Lord. The book was interwoven with various sub-stories and subplots; the characters were clever with amazing chemistry; and the ridiculous events surrounding the actual murder trial were hilarious because they were so realistic. I didn't really expect that the sequel could stand up to my high expectations after the first book yet I actually think I enjoyed The Deep Blue Alibi more that the original book. I think that in already knowing the characters, the depth of their sarcasm, wit, and ability to always get them into strange situations added even greater depth and enjoyment to the story. It's also kind of nice to see that happily ever after never quite looks like what you expected.

Boom!! 2 great books in a row!!.......2007-07-13

Almost, but not quite as good as the first book. But it would be hard to compete with the first one because everything is new and exciting and we are getting to know the characters, etc. But this 2nd story is filled with hilarious lines, and maintains an excellent plot with suspense and emotion.

paul levine novel.......2007-06-27

He's not going to win any literary prizes with these, but I hope he's making a nice living. Each is a fun read. Funny is hard.

If the facts don't fit the law- bend the facts.......2007-06-03

This novel has been compared to John Grisham and Carl Hiaasen, but actually doesn't quite meet the standard of either of the two gentlemen. Truth be told, it ends a lot better than Grisham's latest novels, but the legal part of the story is a pale comparison, and although humor is used extensively, it lacks the edge of Hiaasen and is somewhat repetitive.

The legal team of Solomon (Steve) and Lord (Victoria) are all at sea when a runaway powerboat almost runs them over. It turns out that one of the occupants has a spear sticking out of his chest, and the other is a family friend of Victoria's and their next client. The case takes an environmental twist, not because of the greenbacks blowing across the lobster strewn beach, but due to their client's ambitious plan to build a floating casino on top of a coral reef.

There are several people with a vested interest in getting the casino built, and even more who think the plan should be scuttled and sunk, but the stakes get even higher when someone tries to scare the antiheroes off the case. Red herrings swim through the pages when secrets from the past are unearthed, old flames still carry torches, and meetings are conducted at an exclusive club for the rich and toned, but the biggest obstacle the duo face is their inability to get along.

That's it in a nutshell, ignoring the product placements for Manolo Blahnik, Speedo and the music of Jimmy Buffett. The plot is stretched to breaking point, and you get the impression that hidden within this 467 page novel is a 200 page novella struggling to make a name for itself. Overblown, yet not without its flashes of brilliance, this one is at the heavy end of light reading.

Rated: 3.5 stars

Amanda Richards, June 2, 2007

Survey on the sidebar:

You may have noticed that Amazon has made some changes to its website. If it looks the same to you right now, look out for a new format that will be rolling out gradually in the weeks to come. If you can see the changes, I'd like to know what you think. Please leave me a comment with your opinion.

"Love the new look" or "Hate the new look" comments are perfectly acceptable.

Thank you for your time.

Witty as usual!.......2007-05-09

Not as good as the first, but still worth the read. His humor is witty as usual and makes for an entertaining read.

Average customer rating:

A hit with our 1 year old!

The Deep Blue Sea: A Book Of Colors
Audrey Wood
Manufacturer: The Blue Sky Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0439753821

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Readers will love learning their colors with this brightly illustrated, cumulative picture book by bestselling author Audrey Wood and her dynamic, digital-artist son, Bruce. Starting with a rock, a red rock, in the middle of the deep blue sea, the story takes a closer look at this tropical locale. The simple, repetitive text makes for a fun read-aloud for storytime or sharing, and identifying the vivid images and strong colors provides an exciting concept learning experience for young readers.

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A hit with our 1 year old!.......2006-09-03

This book is fun to read; it is rhythmic and the story builds page by page. It's different than most children's books: big, simple, crisp and bright (computer generated?). My son gives a little giggle when we pull it out.

The Deep Blue Sea: Rethinking the Source of Leadership

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leadership and its evolving principles
leadership and its evolving principles
Drowning in the Deep Blue Sea!
He's On To Something
A must read for those struggling with leadership in this era

The Deep Blue Sea: Rethinking the Source of Leadership
Wilfred Drath
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0787949329

Amazon.com

If whitecaps are the individual leaders within organizations, then the deep blue sea is the rest of us--that vast foundation often obscured beneath the whitecaps but the very foundation that makes them possible. This is the central metaphor of this book, which posits that, in our age of multiple backgrounds and meanings, the image of the leader as a single, dominant figure--or even as someone who knows how to cultivate and wield the most influence--must broaden to encompass many people sharing leadership across perspectives to reach common goals. That idea is expanded upon here, interspersed with the fictional tale of the changing of the guard at the Zoffner Piano Company, which illustrates the book's main points.

If Drath's idea seems sound to the point of dullness, that's perhaps because it has been, in some incarnation or another, the crux of every new book about leadership for the past 10 years: the age of the single, great lone leader has passed into a new age where dialogue, collaboration, and cross-perspectives are more important than ever. With its quasi-academic language, The Deep Blue Sea, doesn't really add to that lot, and moreover, it lacks the real-life examples from major companies that give so many books of this sort their kick. It's not a must-read, but for anyone determined to read absolutely whatever they can on the topic of 21st-century leadership, it certainly won't hurt--and the story about the daughter who inherits the reins of Zoffner Piano from her benevolent-ruler father and then has to reinvent the rules of leadership to keep the company alive is actually quite compelling in its quaint, family-business fashion. --Timothy Murphy

Book Description

The forces of globalization and collaboration have presented a challenge to the traditional notions of leadership. How does leadership happen when there are many leaders trying to reach a goal and no clear followers? And what does leadership look like when no one person is in charge? In The Deep Blue Sea, Wilfred Drath responds to these challenges by presenting a new leadership framework called "relational leadership." His revolutionary approach recasts the idea of leadership as a group function that results in self-organized entities. Using the story of a fictional piano company, Drath helps us understand why this new notion of leadership is needed to face the challenges of the 21st century.
A Center For Creative Leadership Book

Customer Reviews:

leadership and its evolving principles.......2003-06-27

One of the difficulties of leadership is that people variously experience it through differing worldviews. Drath does us the enormous service of pointing out three main worldviews, or principles as he calls them, by which people construct and enact the idea of leadership. For example, if all the actors in a situation construct leadership though the dominance principle, then leadership in that situation is then for all practical purposes a function of the authority of dominant leaders. But worldviews can develop beyond dominance, toward what Drath calls relational dialogue or relational meaning-making. Thus, later evolving principles can transcend and include earlier ones, and dominance can be seen as very particular form of relational meaning-making. Problems inevitably arise when various actors hold different principles as their truth about leadership, and come to different conclusions about what it is and how to do it. The previous reviewer totally missed Drath's central and repeated points: that the principles are the ones variously in use in the world; that these principles can evolve; the latter ones include the earlier ones as special cases; and the relational principle is apparently being manifested with greater frequency in complexly interconnected organizations and societies.

leadership and its evolving principles.......2003-06-27

Drowning in the Deep Blue Sea!.......2003-06-18

Drath's stated purpose of his book, namely, to: change with the changing ideology of leadership, away from a focus on the leader, to a focus on relationship, I believe, is essential to furthering the construct of leadership study today. He states that the terrible "persistent central idea" that "leadership is something leaders possess as an individual attribute and, therefore, leadership is given by, created by, leaders." Causes confusion (p. xiv)! And that this confusion of leadership as a process only being done (exclusively) by the leader is wrong, and not the future of leadership as relationship -- I AGREE!

However, it seems the Author forgets (or gives-up on) his central thesis of "leadership as relationship" when he states, on page 13, in the first of his central three "principles," "Personal Dominance," that:

- Leadership is something a person possesses,
- Leadership is an expression of this personally possessed quality or characteristic,
- Leaders lead because followers are convinced of the truth of their leadership

Unbelievable! This is the very problem he states he will "lead" us away from... the Leader "doing" leadership! This "principle" of "leadership" only begs the question: If leadership is a relationship (like you propose), how is it that the Leader can be the one who "possess" leadership!? Can't a follower? And other questions like: If followers are convinced of some 'truth' about a Leader's "leadership" then you are stating the leader is the one doing "leadership" not the follower! How is this a relationship if you clearly state the Leaders do "leadership?"

The author repeatedly uses examples like, "Mr. Karl's leadership of Zoffner Piano Company..." and other positional examples when trying to discuss leadership as a relationship, when it really extends the ill-conceived concept that persons in the executive position (in this case owner of a company) are the "leadership." If leadership is a relationship, then it can't be done exclusively by a person in a position!

As early as 1957, Peter Selznick, in Leadership in administration: A sociological interpretation, writes, "Leadership is not equivalent to office-holding or high prestige or authority or decision-making . . . only some (and sometimes none) of the activities of decision-makers are leadership activities."

Lastly, not withstanding the confusion this author causes, in his attempt to de-confuse the school of leadership understanding by not focusing on leadership as a relationship... he totally misses the scholarly contributions of Joseph Rost when he summarizes, on page 107, (in a paragraph entitled: "Writing about these new concepts") where he
states: "The emergence of these challenging new contexts in organizations is mirrored in the work of a number of writers on leadership who reflect the limitations of the interpersonal influence principle. In Leadership for the Twenty-First Century (1991), Joseph Rost discusses leadership as a process shared equally between leader and followers."

Rost's book has almost 200, content ripe pages, and the Author distills it to: "a process shared equally between leaders and followers." This doesn't even start to explain Rost's thesis. Having been a student of Rost, I believe Rost's key thesis is actually that there needs to be a "post-industrial school of leadership" (Rost, p. 182). Where leadership is conceived of as an influence relationship, and de-focused away from the leader as possessing leadership -- where this book is unfortunately focused.

Two stars for a great concept! Rost had it in 1991!

He's On To Something.......2001-05-09

Get this book.

... I found this book was on to something different. Drath sees that the source of leadership is increasingly moving away from the single leader, even away from the single influencer who is not the official leader. It is moving toward relational leadership, meaning that the group or community or partnership or whatever IS the leadership. The prompt for this appears to be at least multi-cultural influences, as different cultures agreed they must work together -- what he calls shared work. When I read this book, I immediately thought of the International Space Station as an example, where one witnesses the law of politics dance with the law of science -- a complicated dance that demands new behaviors and ways of working. I also thought of the US Government's Census 2000 Partnership, in which the Bureau of the Census says it brought together more than 140,000 partnerships. This was not the typical Federal Agency "interagency" project, this was a change of control, a change of ownership, a change of how the work got done, as an impressive peacetime mobilization occurred to "make every American count." Both stories here strike me as illustrations of what Drath is working to get his arms around. Both stories are imperfect, but I sense Drath's thinking is seminal on this, still working out the nuances of this Relational Leadership.

Drath is honest that he is at the early stage of identifying the dynamics at work here and giving a name to the behaviors, but he proceeds to describe what he sees.

I've read lots of leadership books over the years and more recently because I am in a leadership development program. But when I heard Bill Drath recently present his thinking in person recently, at a Smithsonian Business Series in Washington DC, I found I was hearing thinking that I hadn't heard anywhere before.

This was my first exposure to him and his book. I followed up later and learned more about his inquery into understanding shared work across complex boundaries.

I think he's on to something that is at least in my future...and maybe yours.

A must read for those struggling with leadership in this era.......2001-05-08

The Deep Blue Sea is low on hype and full of rigorously explored insight. It is not "inspirational" in any traditional way, nor is it a "how to." Instead it aims to get down to--and under--the very roots of one's thinking about leadership. One goes on a thoughtful journey with this author, and slowly sees more and more, until finally the whole landscape seems to shift and a new vista appears. That is the value of this book--a solid place to stand and think that affords a very different view of what leadership is and could be. Drath has forever changed my view of leadership, a shift not without pain but with many rewards.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Merchant Seamen, Pirates and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 17001750

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Sailing Socialism
No Quarters given
A Review
A remarkable investigation on an original topic.
A remarkable, true account of the lives of ancient seamen.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Merchant Seamen, Pirates and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 17001750
Marcus Rediker
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521379830

Book Description

The common seaman and the pirate in the age of sail are romantic historical figures who occupy a special place in the popular culture of the modern age. And yet in many ways, these daring men remain little known to us. Like most other poor working people of the past, they left few first-hand accounts of their lives. But their lives are not beyond recovery. In this book, Marcus Rediker uses a huge array of historical sources (court records, diaries, travel accounts, and many others) to reconstruct the social cultural world of the Anglo-American seamen and pirates who sailed the seas in the first half of the eighteenth century. Rediker tours the sailor's North Atlantic, following seamen and their ships along the pulsing routes of trade and into rowdy port towns. He recreates life along the waterfront, where seafaring men from around the world crowded into the sailortown and its brothels, alehouses, street brawls, and city jail. His study explores the natural terror that inevitably shaped the existence of those who plied the forbidding oceans of the globe in small, brittle wooden vessels. It also treats the man-made terror--the harsh discipline, brutal floggings, and grisly hangings--that was a central fact of life at sea. Rediker surveys the commonplaces of the maritime world: the monotonous rounds of daily labor, the negotiations of wage contracts, and the bawdy singing, dancing, and tale telling that were a part of every voyage. He also analyzes the dramatic moments of the sailor's existence, as Jack Tar battled wind and water during a slashing storm, as he stood by his "brother tars" in a mutiny or a stike, and as he risked his neck by joining a band of outlaws beneath the Jolly Roger, the notorious pirate flag. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea focuses upon the seaman's experience in order to illuminate larger historical issues such as the rise of capitalism, the genesis the free wage labor, and the growth of an international working class. These epic themes were intimately bound up with everyday hopes and fears of the common seamen.

Customer Reviews:

Sailing Socialism.......2003-03-23

Rediker is hardly the only man to notice - though he is one of only a very few to have written on the topic at length - that the Anglo-American Maritime world of the early to mid 18th Century was a socio-political hotbed of burgeoning revolution. To criticize the author for being a Marxist is absurd - the era about which he is writing, and the sailors and specific cultural events of that era, were socialist themselves, though they wouldn't have had the insight to realize it at the time.

Political scientists and economists should find this book of even more interest than historians, as many of the same events in the rise of Capitalism as Rediker writes about are now coming full circle and repeating themselves, with NAFTA and GATT creating the same social conditions that led to widespread - and often remarkably effective (in the case of piracy) - rebellion between 1700 and 1750. As Rediker points out, our very word "strike," in its labor union connotation, originated with merchant mariners striking sail on their ships and halting the movement of their cargoes.

Rediker is a remarkably thorough researcher, backing his thesis with the best possible sources and representing both the Capitalist and Labor points of view from contemporaneous documents. His masterful rendering of the world of "Jack Tar," an average mariner of the age, ably demonstrates that the social upheaval witnessed during the Golden Age of Piracy was an inevitability - as was its eventual downfall. Rediker is not a Marxist apologist, as his critics claim, but a keen and competent observer of statistical trends and social events, which he elucidates with extreme precision. He is less advancing any kind of argument, than simply putting the merchant marine world of three centuries ago into clear focus, and to some degree comparing and contrasting it with our modern landscape.

This is a truly fascinating book, as much for its brilliantly vivid portraiture of the age as for the validity of its social and economic arguments. It would make an excellent textbook for political science, economics, or sociology classes.

No Quarters given.......2000-12-31

First off, before you even think about buying this book, understand that is a socioeconomic study of the maritime profession from 1700 to 1750. The book was written by a Marxist who has succumbed to Hollywood's romantic characterization of the Pirate as a misunderstood individual who only wanted his unalienable rights which were withheld by the running dog lackeys of the capitalist pigs who ran the shipping business and the Navy. Even if he had to murder people to get it.

If you want a semi-legitimate justification of piracy, you may find enough here to keep you happy. Most of the study is a legitmate presentation of maritime economics and the danger of the trade in the early part of the 18th century. Yes, most ship owners and captains were capitalist pigs who would man a ship with a minimum crew and pray they lost no crew members to the many dangers that were common to shipping at that time. Not the least of which was piracy.

His arguements begin to fall down when he describes the commraderie and equalitarian brotherhood that pervailed on board a pirate ship. He intimates that slaves captured were treated as equals. (there is documentation to indicate otherwise including the sinking of a pirate ship which the crew members escaped, but the captured slaves were allowed to drown.

If you are reading this for the economic history of the shipping industry or for information of the quaint Naval custom of impressing their crew (both the Americans and British were known for grabbing able bodied saling men off the docks and encouraging them to join - they'd untie them when they were far enough out to sea) then this book is excellent.

If you are looking for information on a typical sailor's life, I'd suggest "Before the Mast" in conjuntion with this. But if you are looking for real information on pirates and piracy, This book does not provide much. there is is more accurate information regarding piracy in "Under the Black Flag" with a more varied discussion of the possible causes of the choice of piracy, backed by statements taken from court records of the time.

I would not recommend Between the Devel and the Deep Blue Sea as a history to most people as the author is attributing many modern sociological and psychological causes to historical events about which we have only in some cases, the account books for reference.

A Review.......2000-11-03

This text is interesting and engaging, but Rediker's bias ruins the credibility of his arguments. Rediker is a Marxist historian and therefore provides an extremely slanted view of seafaring men. His thesis is centered on the seaman as a member of the working class, and his struggle to rise in a capitalist system. One example of how his bias has clouded his analysis is in his discussion of alcoholism. Rediker assumes that the resort to alcohol is caused by alienation- this draws obvious parallels to Marx's own work focussed on the alienation of the workers (200). A particularly appalling example of his bias is when Rediker discusses the cruel treatment of seaman by their masters. Rediker then asserts that "when Karl Marx noted that the modern wage labor system could not have emerged without the bloody assistance of the lash, he may well have had the early modern shipping industry in mind" (213 n19). Clearly there is no basis for this statement save his personal beliefs.

A remarkable investigation on an original topic........2000-05-28

"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" constitutes a very serious study on a topic often covered just superficially by historians: the life, ways , customs and culture at sea in the Anglo - American Maritime World in the Eighteenth Century. The title itself suggests the wooden world of the ship, sailing through the ocean with its sailors trapped in the middle of the Devil, or the harsh conditions on board, and the Deep Blue Sea. The first part of the book provides the reader with a wide view of the port cities and trade routes where this maritime culture evolved. And starting from this geographical tour, the topic is narrowed down to the specific aspects and details regarding "Jack Tar", or the personification of an average sailor of those times. It is amazing to think of such a harsh world, very well portrayed by the autor, that was the heart of the English Commerce, and the cornerstone of the future British Empire. The conditions on board were so insane that only the stongest could survive. This reality, very accurately described by the autor, led to multiple mutinies that often ended up in piracy. The fact that English sailors died in similar proportion as slaves in the African Coast, is a true revelation for the reader. A remarkable fact dealing with piracy, that makes this book different from others, is that this investigation prooves that the pirates are the good guys of the story. These men of free spirit that broke away from the strict discipline on board, constituted a democratic but ruthless society, aside of the law, in their pirate ships and communities. Such form of democracy, based on principles of solidarity between the English poor, was one of the first examples of the fight for equality among men, before the French and American Revolutions.

A remarkable, true account of the lives of ancient seamen........2000-02-02

Markus Rediker explores the amazing way in which the harsh conditions surrounding seafaring in the Eighteenth Century built up a unique environment. The wooden world that constituted the deep sea sailor's reality is carefully detailed and well documented, which makes it very interesting and entertaining to read. Rediker reveals the reader what the real world was like, much different from the romantic idea of the sailor, built up by popular culture. He shows how seamen fought their lives caught "between the devil...", or the harsh conditions on board, and "the deep blue sea", that surrounded everything. He takes the reader in a fascinating trip to the most important port cities of the old Anglo-American Maritime World to experience how and where the personality, ideology, psychological and social characteristics of the deep sea sailor evolved. And, the most interestig feature of all, is how a group of brave and daring men decided to break away and declare a war where "no quarter wold be given" to that unfair reality to which they once belonged. Those rebels became the notorious pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy, who are undoubtedly the most fascinating seamen of the period. Rediker's comparison of the tyrannical conditions of the merchant service and the navy, on one hand, and the democratic principals that guided the Pirate Brotherhood, on the other, is a true revelation of this outstanding book.

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Deep Blue
Blue Magazine
Manufacturer: Studio Magazines
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0975088181

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