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The Curse of Oak Island: The Story of the World's Longest Treasure Hunt Kindle Edition

by Randall Sullivan (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,009 ratings
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An in-depth look into the history of a Canadian island rumored to hold buried treasure and of centuries of failed attempts to claim the riches.

Updated with new material from the author

In 1795, a teenager discovered a mysterious circular depression in the ground on Oak Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada, and ignited rumors of buried treasure. Early excavators uncovered a clay-lined shaft containing layers of soil interspersed with wooden platforms, but when they reached a depth of ninety feet, water poured into the shaft and made further digging impossible.

Since then, the mystery of Oak Island’s “Money Pit” has enthralled generations of treasure hunters, including a Boston insurance salesman whose obsession ruined him; a young Franklin Delano Roosevelt; and film star Errol Flynn. Perplexing discoveries have ignited explorers’ imaginations: a flat stone inscribed in code; a flood tunnel draining from a man-made beach; a torn scrap of parchment; stone markers forming a huge cross. Swaths of the island were bulldozed looking for answers; excavation attempts have claimed two lives. Theories abound as to what’s hidden on Oak Island–pirates’ treasure, Marie Antoinette’s lost jewels, the Holy Grail, proof that Sir Francis Bacon was the true author of Shakespeare’s plays–yet to this day, the Money Pit remains an enigma.

The Curse of Oak Island is a fascinating account of the strange, rich history of the island and the intrepid treasure hunters who have driven themselves to financial ruin, psychotic breakdowns, and even death in pursuit of answers. And as Michigan brothers Marty and Rick Lagina become the latest to attempt to solve the mystery, as documented on the History Channel’s television show The Curse of Oak Island, Sullivan takes readers along to follow their quest firsthand.

Praise for The Curse of Oak Island

“Sullivan writes with open-minded balance, rendering the Oak Island story into a weirdly fascinating mystery.” —Booklist

“A definitive read for fans of the History Channel television show. Sullivan delves deeper into the history, personalities, and theories presented only briefly on the show. . . . The book is incredibly well researched and the presentation . . . is very readable. If you’ve watched The Curse of Oak Island and were frustrated that snippets and possibilities were left tantalizingly unexplored, this is the book for you.” —Heather Cover, Homewood Library (Birmingham, Alabama)

“Sullivan isn’t writing about Oak Island the TV show; his subject is Oak Island the place, largely as seen and imagined by the show’s viewers. So, if you’ve ever been more entranced by the show’s long trips into history and theoretical island encounters across history, Sullivan’s book probably needs to be on your Christmas list.” —Starcasm
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  1. Print length
    491 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Atlantic Monthly Press
  5. Publication date
    December 11, 2018
  6. File size
    9132 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Curse of Oak Island

“Sullivan writes with open-minded balance, rendering the Oak Island story into a weirdly fascinating mystery.”―Booklist

“The Curse of Oak Island is a definitive read for fans of the History Channel television show. Sullivan delves deeper into the history, personalities, and theories presented only briefly on the show. His approach is mostly unbiased, though he does tell the reader his thoughts on some of the theories and the theorists that he thoroughly researches and debunks. The book is incredibly well researched and the presentation . . . is very readable. If you’ve watched The Curse of Oak Island and were frustrated that snippets and possibilities were left tantalizingly unexplored, this is the book for you.” ―Heather Cover, Homewood Library (Birmingham, Alabama)

“Sullivan isn’t writing about Oak Island the TV show; his subject is Oak Island the place, largely as seen and imagined by the show’s viewers. So, if you’ve ever been more entranced by the show’s long trips into history and theoretical island encounters across history, Sullivan’s book probably needs to be on your Christmas list.”―Starcasm

Praise for Randall Sullivan:

“Compelling . . . No single source presents so complete or damning a record as LAbyrinth.” ―Entertainment Weekly on LAbyrinth

“As a forceful author, Sullivan does a masterly job of juggling the dense thicket of facts and navigating the crowded chronology of the case.” ―Salon.com on LAbryinth

“Sullivan’s reportage is extraordinary, his narrative enthralling.” ―Rolling Stone on The Price of Experience

“Sullivan’s riveting tale is amazingly detailed and artfully presented. . . You can hardly turn the page fast enough . . . Contiporary history, brilliantly written.”―Playboy on The Price of Experience

“[An] engrossing, damning tale . . . Exhaustively researched, the book methodically weaves a disturbing story of corruption, intimidation, and murder.” ―Boston Globe on LAbyrinth

“Worthy of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sullivan captures the essence of the world in which Hunt and the BBC operated.”―Chicago Tribune on The Price of Experience

“A stunning mix of the personal and the historic, interviews and experiences, with Sullivan incredibly nimble at making the worlds overlap.” ―Booklist (starred review) on The Miracle Detective

““Well-told and expertly researched.”― Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Miracle Detective

About the Author

RANDALL SULLIVAN was a contributing editor to Rolling Stone for over twenty years. His writing has also appeared in Esquire, Wired, Outside, Men’s Journal, The Washington Post, and the Guardian. Sullivan is the author of The Price of Experience; LAbyrinth, which is the basis for the forthcoming feature film City of Lies; The Miracle Detective, the book that inspired the television show The Miracle Detectives, which Sullivan co-hosted and which premiered on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in January 2011; and Untouchable. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01N0SMHMR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atlantic Monthly Press (December 11, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 11, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 9132 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 491 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,009 ratings

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Randall Sullivan

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Top reviews from the United States

Hawkeye
5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding history of Treasure!?
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2019
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I am very familiar with this story after reading several of the books by various authors on this topic. Additionally, I have visited Oak Island in 2017, took the tour, and visited with the cast of “ The Curse of Oak Island” featured on the History Channel.

This well polished book is well written and an easy, long, exciting, read. Randall Sullivan in coordination with the History Channel has produced a very comprehensive work on a very interesting subject that has captured many. The book explains many of the stories that have surfaced from many sources which continue to puzzle the viewers of the seven seasons of the television show. For example, why do they think there is an underground labyrinth of tunnels under Oak Island. The book explains tunnels and underground works by pirates have been found in Tortuga and outside Kingston, Jamaica.

Halfway thru the book the entire story gets very complicated for by World War II over twenty-two shafts had been dug with some up to 200 feet deep. These were dug near “The Money Pit” which uncovered many tunnels and over time the entire subterranean had become an underground sea filled with human-folly debris.

The last one third of the book provides how “The Italians from Michigan,” Marty and Rick Lagina, who “back-doored” their way into the treasure hunt! Here we know how the very successful Kevin Burns convinced them to create a very successful television show for the History Channel, The Curse of Oak Island. The first episodes commenced in January of 2014 and are now in the seventh season.

Although this book has no index or reference section, I enjoyed reading it. Maps of the island and where it is in the world would be helpful. The 12 page time-line in the back of the book is very helpful. I highly recommend this book to the novice and the fanatic of the History Channel series for historical understanding and the fact it reads like a mystery novel! It is difficult to put this book down.
3 people found this helpful
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Kerry Nietz
5.0 out of 5 stars Through take on the legend.
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2019
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As a fan of "The Curse of Oak Island" show, I was a little skeptical of this book, for a couple reasons.

To start with, from the TV episodes that the author appeared in, it seemed like the Lagina's were a uneasy with his presence. Like "Here's mister hot shot journalist, sticking his nose in our business, while writing a book where he's going to make us all look like fools" was going through their minds.

And such skepticism is understandable. The press--including Rolling Stone--has had some serious missteps over the past couple years. Times when they've colored or betrayed the truth in search of fame and "the story."

The other reason I was skeptical was because I doubted it would provide any information about the history of Oak Island I didn't already know.

I'm happy to say I was wrong on both counts. This book gives an in-depth account of the history of the island--and the hunt--revealing details I hadn't heard before, and expanding on others that the show has touched upon. Mr. Sullivan touches on many of the disparate theories about the "why" of the island, and gives thoughtful insight into the character and situations surrounding it. I think he gave everyone, Lagina's included, a balanced and fair telling, without withholding anything.

I especially enjoyed the author's hunt for the deeper meaning in all this. The spiritual aspect that gets left out of the show, despite artifacts that appear to hint at it. I liked the ghost stories and strange happenings he included too. (None of which has been covered in the show, to my knowledge.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (as did my father, who knew nothing of the show or the island). I recommend it!
4 people found this helpful
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Stinky Greg
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read.
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2023
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I found this an interesting & good read. I was a bit put off by the author's ever present need to use obscure words when there were more common words that would have worked just as well.
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David Akridge
5.0 out of 5 stars Here I thought I was informed by watching all seasons of the show!
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
I was wrong! There is sooo much more to the story! The authors writing style, or in this case, narrative, is easy to read & follow.
Regardless, the mystery has not been solved & who & when the people who set this in motion 228 years ago remain unidentified.
Meanwhile, on the island, science is being used where it can & work still continues where it can proceed.
If you need to know the early facts of the mystery, this book is your own personal tour guide!!
Recommended
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stitchingkitten
5.0 out of 5 stars more detailed info
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2022
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There is more detailed information about the history of Oak Island than has been related on the tv series. Highly recommend getting this book if you want to read more about the searchers who dug on the island before Rick and Marty. Very few pictures, and the endpapers are a map of the coast of Nova Scotia with a circle around the location of the island (is that tiny pindot it?)
Looking forward to an update of this book in several years when the Laginas finally get to the bottom of that hole! And a catalogue of their finds, too!
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Sascha
5.0 out of 5 stars Tolles Buch...
Reviewed in Germany on August 4, 2023
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Für Fans der Serie einfach ein muss....
Gut geschrieben einfach Top
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Luca
4.0 out of 5 stars Un bel libro ma nulla che non sia già stato scritto
Reviewed in Italy on October 16, 2019
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L'ho comprato per semplice curiosità. In una puntata della serie l'autore parla del suo libro ed ho provato a comprarlo per leggere se in effetti vi fosse qualcosa di nuovo da sapere su quanto non sia già stato detto. Nulla di che a dire il vero. Bella comunque la copertina e la qualità di stampa del libro. Fa la sua figura nella mia libreria. Saluti
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Jims33
5.0 out of 5 stars Génial !!
Reviewed in France on March 12, 2019
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Je regarde le show depuis quelque mois maintenant, car les templiers et les recherches de trésors ont toujours était ma passion, et j'adore !! Ce livre est tout simplement génial, la quantité de détails est enrichissante et permet d'éclaircir quelque détails qui n'était pas forcément bien expliquer dans le show.
10 people found this helpful
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Placeholder
5.0 out of 5 stars A good book
Reviewed in India on March 1, 2019
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A must buy for Oak Island aficionados.
One person found this helpful
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Roy Loosley, UK
5.0 out of 5 stars The new best account of the mystery so far.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2019
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A great read for fans of the mystery, fans of the TV show or just anyone who picks it up. You get a very thorough but concise history not quite in a chronological order due to having jump about but definitely a logical order. It just tips D'arcy O'Connors book as it has a more modern edge and the authors relationship with the big players of the last 50 years. Love the sentiment towards Henskee as he always had a bit part in some books and even the TV show at times but in reality has been a masive part of the search. I loved the mystery before the COOI, the show although it has it's ups and downs in terms of success has me even more enthralled and i am definitely rooting for the Laginas and Co who all seem such genuine people. Therefore if you are doubting that something happened along time ago on Oak Island, read this and O'Connors books and you will be convinced. Last point, the author doesn't skim over all theories and then ram his down your throught like some books.
22 people found this helpful
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