Sandler’s approach to the Whydah and other submerged ships as “sunken time capsules” is an interesting angle that is sure to resonate with aspiring archaeologists. A captivating read on pirates, with insights into contemporary underwater research techniques. Considering the popularity of the subject, this volume will likely not sit on shelves long.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Sandler offers an insightful look at how different the realities of pirate life were compared to how it has been mythologized in popular culture...A fascinating, vivid look at what one shipwreck reveals about the realities of the "Golden Age of Piracy."
—Kirkus Reviews

This book brings to life...The account of the challenges Clifford and his crew had to face to find the Whydah is very thorough.
—School Library Connection

Sandler’s broad research and his evident fascination with the subject result in a multifaceted story that many readers will find rewarding.
—Booklist

Sandler keeps the multiple threads of Whydah’s story running smoothly, even integrating legends about Bellamy and the haunted wreckage seamlessly into the factual information...Weighing in well under two hundred pages, this quick high interest read is an ideal recommendation for kids who “have to read a nonfiction book,” and pirate and archaeology enthusiasts will certainly be thrilled.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Sandler enlivens the historical narrative by fleshing out the biographical details of the cast of characters, sharing (and occasionally debunking) various myths and legends, providing an overview of the relevant social and economic factors of the day, and spotlighting the work of excavating the shipwreck site. Useful photographs, maps, and sidebars are interspersed throughout, while source notes, bibliography, and index are appended.
—The Horn Book

Fast-paced, thorough, and fascinating, this choice is certain to especially hold the interest of any pirate lover and treasure hunter.
—Reading Eagle (from Kendal Rautzhan's "Books to Borrow")

2016-12-26
Sandler tells the exciting true story of the only wrecked pirate ship ever found and the mysteries it revealed. Commissioned in 1715 in London and christened the Whydah after the West African slave-trading kingdom of Ouidah, the vessel was a galley ship configured as a heavily armed trading and transport ship for the Atlantic slave trade. In February 1717, the Whydah was attacked by pirates under the command of "Black Sam" Bellamy, who made the vessel his flagship. Bellamy and his newly captured ship menaced the coastlines of Colonial America until it was wrecked two months after capture in a nor'easter along the shoals of Cape Cod. The treasure-laden wreck was found in 1984 by marine archaeologists, and Sandler explains that 30 years of expeditions have "resulted in the discovery and retrieval of thousands of artifacts that increase our knowledge of the Whydah's history and dramatically alter our perception of pirates and their way of life." Sandler offers an insightful look at how different the realities of pirate life were compared to how it has been mythologized in popular culture. Instead of finding eye patches, wooden legs, rum bottles, and parrot remains, archaeologists discovered artifacts such as medical syringes, surprising for "an age when medical knowledge and practice were primitive at best." A fascinating, vivid look at what one shipwreck reveals about the realities of the "Golden Age of Piracy." (maps, photos, source notes, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)