Paper Diver - How the World's Greatest Underwater Treasure Hunter Never Got Wet

Harry E. Rieseberg's autobiographical writings include stories like being attacked by a giant octopus while recovering sunken treasure, defending himself from an attack by a 15-foot shark with only a diving knife, and surviving a hurricane and a severely broken leg while at sea--all captivating tales for audiences in the 1940s and 1950s, and all invented by a very successful charlatan.
This is a biography of Harry E. Rieseberg, a shameless self-promoter who passed himself off as the world's greatest treasure salvor but who never got wet. His entire public persona was based on stories he retold in dozens of books and thousands of articles in which he made claims of feats that were fantasy but sold as fact. Despite the often-obvious facts of his fabrication, his books influenced a generation of legitimate divers and underwater archaeologists like Sir Robert Marx and Robert Stenuit. Thoroughly researched, this book uses sources including his personal records and letters to his agents to provide deep insight into the nature of his life and the way he created a false persona for popular consumption.

List of contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

Chapter ¿1.¿May 17, 1935

Chapter ¿2.¿The Harry Before

Chapter ¿3.¿The Treasure Game

Chapter ¿4.¿The Great Fall

Chapter ¿5.¿The Bottom

Chapter ¿6.¿The Harry After

Chapter ¿7.¿The Big Time

Chapter ¿8.¿Target for the Fire of Rivals

Chapter ¿9.¿The Business of Being Harry

Chapter 10.¿Movie Time

Chapter 11.¿Paradise

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the author

Gary L. Pinkerton's previous books have contributed to television episodes on Beyond Oak Island on The History Channel, and on Texas Country Reporter. He lives in Houston, Texas.

Product details

• Authors: Gary L. Pinkerton, Pinkerton Gary L.
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: from age 18
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 04.08.2024
• EAN: 9781476694023
• ISBN: 978-1-4766-9402-3
• No. of pages: 120
• Dimensions: 178 mm x 254 mm x 6 mm
• Illustrations: Raster,schwarz-weiss
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Non-fiction book > History > Pre and early history, antiquity; Biography: general, 20th Century, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Adventurers & Explorers, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Archaeology, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / 20th Century, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Underwater Archaeology, Biography: adventurers and explorers, SPORTS & RECREATION / Water Sports / Scuba & Snorkeling, Underwater (sub-aqua) swimming, Sub-Aqua Swimming