graduate-level, accred ited courses in maritime studies duri ng the su mmer months. T hi s vo lume is a "m ust-own" for any serio us stud ent of history and a welcome addition to the library of even the most casual maritime heritage aficionado. It has style, authority, and the credibili ty born o f careful research and lifelong commitment to the subject. I found myself getting caught up in the prose and reading with th e en thusiasm wi th which one might app roach a novel. T he authors, and Mys tic, are to be congratulated for recognizing the need and filling it so magnificenrlywith Americaand the Sea. W. H . WHITE, T rustee, NMHS Rumso n, New Jersey Ship of Gold in the D eep Blue Sea, by G ary Kinder (Atlantic Mo nthl y Press, New Yo rk NY, 199 8, 507pp, JSBN 0-871 13464-0 5; $24hc) When I first saw the title of this boo k, my heart sank; I was sure it was one more acco un t of an irresponsible, treas ure-hunting exped ition with little if any regard fo r the possible archaeological signi fi cance of the wrecked vessel. H ow wro ng I was! Instead this boo k is an almos t unbelievable account of the fatefu l fi nal voyage of the SS Central A merica, her battl e with an overwhel ming hurri ca ne in theAdamic in 1857, her sinking and the meticulously carefu l attemp t ro pinpoint the exact spot where the sh ip rested . It is also the acco unt of patient, carefu l attention to scientific derail in the design and co nstruction o f special equipment to recover obj ects as small as a go ld co in a mi le and a half below the surface of the sea. Above all, it is the remarkable story of a yo un g engineer, Tommy T hompso n, wh o designed and perfected equipment neve r known before in the wo rld of maritime expl oration and salvage. To acco mplish his quest, he managed to overcome legal hurdles erected by jealous co mpetito rs and raise incredi ble sums of money from hardheaded businessmen. T he book first tells in graphic derail the story of the CentrafAmerica on her fa teful voyage fro m Panama to New Yo rk in which she enco untered a hurricane off the coast of the Carolinas. Captain H erndon did everyth ing in his power to save the ship and , when th is became obviously imposs ible, transferred the wo men and child ren to
SEA HISTORY 86 , AUTUMN 1998
A utheThiic Ship M({))Jeli§
Th is rend ition of t he 1907 Lu ne Va lley Fast .,. Steam Launch is I/ 10th sca le, 42 " in lengt h . T h e brass fittings a nd sta in less-steel shaft for t he prope lle r give t h is mode l the authent ic ity of th e fu ll-s ized or iginal , and the w h ite 'OPAL' 1907 Lu ne Vall ey Fast Steam Lau nch (Made in En gland) fibe rglass hull ca n be c usto m pa inted any color. All pa rts fo r th e steam eng ine tested to '°""! 200ps i. La se r-cut p ly b u lk heads, sheet mah ogan y, ply and str ip wood are a ll i s upp lied. Mod e l ca n eas ily be adapted to radio contro l (not incl uded ).
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