Graveyard of the Atlantic

Book Review for today:

Graveyard of the Atlantic by David Stick

Inside the Cover:

This is a factual account, written with the pace of fiction, of hundreds of dramatic losses, heroic rescues, and violent adventures at the stormy meeting place of northern and southern winds and waters – the Graveyard of the Atlantic off the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Here are tales of ships, captains, crews, and passengers caught up in the terrifying crisis of shipwreck; valuable cargoes which were lost beyond recovery; the dog that rescued a crew; the horse that waded ashore; the willful wrecking of a ship in good weather; cannibalism at sea; Dunbar Davis, who worked day and night to rescue five crews; the great hurricane of 1899 which cast nine vessels on the North Carolina beach in two days; the deserted ship which followed her captain the full length of Diamond Shoals; the Civil War blockade; the loss of the famous Monitor; the one-third of a ship which was towed to port and later re-commissioned; and the only recorded case of childbirth in a lifeboat. From the early sailing ships that foundered on the shoals to the modern oil tankers torpedoed in the U-boat warfare of World War II, the loss of ships off the Outer Banks of North Carolina has spelled tragedy for many, profit for some, and heroism in others.

Shipwrecks are fast becoming memories of the past. For the first time since the earliest settlement of the Carolina Banks, a generation is growing up which has never seen a surfboat of survivors coming through the breakers, or watched a rescue in a breeches buoy, or heard an auctioneer at a vendue of salvaged cargo on the beach. The area which once depended for its livelihood upon ship-wrecks is now grown up with resort beaches, but along this coast, hulls half buried in the sand and sea-encrusted masts visible at low tide recall the drama of the past.

Mr. Stick, a resident of the Outer Banks, brings together a rich history of these maritime adventures from newspaper accounts, official records, and personal interviews with the old-timers who still remember the valiant stories of the past.

A Few Reviews:

“Keen and skilled writing coupled with superb illustrations by the author’s father…an extraordinarily interesting and readable volume…told in intimate detail yet avoiding the macabre.” – Rudder Magazine

“A thrilling record of storm and stress, of cruel seas and shifting sands, of broken ships, tragedy and gallantry is set down in this book…David Stick, who lives on the outer banks, captures the spirit of this treacherous coast. He has done a major research job.” – The New York Times

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. I learned so much more than mere facts reported in the usual history. This delved into the human aspect and brought me into the stories.