Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Missing Crew

Perhaps the Mystery is Solved

With the ship found sailing adrift on the open ocean with the passengers and crew missing without a trace the Mary Celeste mystery has haunted nautical history for more than a century. The story is well written, and the solution to the mystery the author posits actually makes the most sense of anything ever offered although the real truth will never be known.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Is the mystery of the Mary Celeste solved? Perhaps

As nautical mysteries go, the Mary Celeste is usually listed as one of the Top 10 of all time - a ghost ship whose crew of 10, including the captain's wife and 2-year-old daughter, had completely vanished, leaving a basically seaworthy ship behind. And questions, lots and lots of questions.

All of which Hicks attempts to answer, sometimes in exhaustive detail. Readers are treated to a thorough rundown of Capt. Benjamin Briggs' lineage, nautical heritage and ability; the convoluted and sometimes dark history of the Mary Celeste itself; the sometimes bizarre antics that ensued after the deserted brigantine's discovery and subsequent salvage; and the ship's ultimate sad (but almost predictable) fate.

This is Hick's second effort, and first solo book, after co-writing Raising the Hunley. While Hicks does prove that he has a flair for ferreting out obscure records and bringing long-dead personalities back to life, he also shows a tendency to leave too much in. As in everything. By the end of the book readers are left to sift through a mountain of facts, tidbits and nuggets of information to reach their own conclusions about what really happened aboard the Mary Celeste.

Hicks does offer his own solution, and it follows Occam's Razor, in that the simplest solution is usually the correct one. His solution does seem to fit all the available facts with the least amount of mental gymnastics, but then, none of us will never know what really happened.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wonderfully enlightening.

I admit to being ignorant of the whole story until I picked up this book. It was very well written with an intriguing touch from the author. He gives you an unbiased third person view into the mystery of the ship. This is definately a great read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Hicks scores again

'Ghost Ship' is a must-read for any fan of nautical lore, but general-interest readers will find it equally accessible. Not only does author Brian Hicks tell the story of the mysterious Mary Celeste with deft style and clarity, he also advances the study of this celebrated enigma by proposing a reasoned, believable explanation for the strange events surrounding the case. Readable as a modern recasting of a maritime yarn or as a piece of historical detective work, 'Ghost Ship' is a compelling story. This is the first solo cruise for Hicks, who previously co-authored two nautically themed books on unrelated subjects (one on the Around Alone race, the other on the Civil War submarine H.L. Hunley). Judging by 'Ghost Ship,' Hicks is now a significant new writer working with full command of his craft.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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