James Cox of Midwest Book Reviews wrote a review of David Finnern's book, California's Lost Tales and Sunken Mysteries.
California Lost Tales and Sunken Mysteries
David Finnern, FRGS
Independent Publishers
c/o Robert D. Reed Publishers
https://rdrpublishers.com
9798883161840, $16.95, PB, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/
Synopsis: With the publication of California Lost Tales and Sunken Mysteries, writer, explorer, and investigator David Finnern delves into the far corners of the Golden State to uncover the forgotten tales and sunken mysteries of the past.
The treasure-laden Brother Jonathan slams into a submerged rock and sinks in 1865 to become California's worst maritime disaster. The airship USS Macon was one of the largest flying objects ever built, only to crash into deep water off Monterey in 1935. The USS Bennington lay quietly at anchor until a mysterious explosion rocked San Diego Harbor in 1905. A harbor filled with enigmatic shipwrecks, including a notorious Chinese pirate ship, hidden off Los Angeles.
These are but a few of the tales told in the pages of California's Lost Tales and Sunken Mysteries.
Readers will explore the true accounts of lost aircraft, missing riverboats, and the very ship that Jack London used as a model for Ghost in his immortal tale, The Sea Wolf. They will learn of the search for such enduring legends as the Ghost Ship of the Desert – true accounts of not only history but the adventure of exploration and discovery as told by a seasoned storyteller and explorer, illustrated with over a hundred vintage and present-day photographs.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, compelling, illustrated with B/W photos, and of particular interest to fans of treasure hunting, real-life adventure, and California history, California Lost Tales and Sunken Mysteries is a fun read from start to finish, making it especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library California History collections. It should be noted that California Lost Tales and Sunken Mysteries is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: David Finnern has spent over 35 years searching for shipwrecks, sunken aircraft and lost relics. He has published hundreds of stories on underwater exploration and written on-assignment for such magazines as Skin Diver, Western and Eastern Treasures, Wreck Diver, Underwater USA, Western Diver and Immersed. Finnern is the author of several books, including the critically acclaimed Passage Through Deep Water and Lost Below, and has been a featured speaker throughout the United States and on international and national television. He is a member and former president of both California Wreck Divers, Inc. and The Adventurers' Club, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 2002.