Ghost Ships: Tales of Abandoned, Doomed, and Haunted Vessels - Hardcover

Praise of Angus Konstam and other books he has written: "While Titanic does indeed feature this famous tragedy, it details the history and salvaging techniques of other ill-fated ships...Booty, bounty, and the activities of bloodthirsty pirates add extra spice to these dramatic accounts. The reference section is as juicy as the body of the work with its tantalizing facts and informative tidbits.""--School Library Journal, on "Titanic"Author Konstam, onetime Arms Curator at the Tower of London and lately Chief Curator at a maritime museum in Key West, has put together a pair of oversized paperbacks, stuffed with photos and drawings. These two titles are remarkably well done. Konstam covers the entire history of piracy, from the miscreants that Caesar hanged in ancient times down to the pirates that infest corners of the Far East today. Feature pages about the various types of ships favored by sea brigands are especially choice, complete with excellent color drawings and plans.""--KLIATT, on "The History of Pirates"Renowned historian and museum curator Konstam, in association with the National Maritime Museum, has produced a masterly account of exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries...Lavishly illustrated with maps, charts, and paintings, this book includes informative chapters on the construction of ships and the navigational science of the era. Essential for all public and college libraries, this is an enjoyable book for lay readers as well as specialists.""--Library Journal, on "Confederate Submarines and Torpedo Vessels 1861-65

There are few images more chilling than an abandoned ship drifting at sea. Ghost Ships is an anthology of the best true-life accounts of vessels, which for whatever reason, never madeport. These are stories that prove the real mysteries of seafaring life are even stranger and more chilling than any fictional account. Between the devil and the deep blue sea, many ships have met with a tragic end. The first section of the book, Doomed Vessels, includes the most famous, such as the "Titanic," and the" Lusitania"--sunk by a torpedo in 1915. The next section, Haunted and Phantom Ships, explores the modern-day observances of supernatural events. Here are stories of ominous ghost ships, such as the Flying Dutchman, said to appear as an omen; and of mysterious figures that are glimpsed aboard haunted ships, such as the Queen Mary, where visitors have seen the figure of a lone woman. Nautical mysteries such as the "Mary Celeste," a ship found empty and adrift in 1872, make up the final section of this book. Ghost Ships explores the tragedy and what lies behind these amazing narrativesand enduring legends.