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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 ContentsAcknowledgments
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 historical research and books have contributed to television episodes on
Beyond Oak Island on The History Channel, and on
Texas Country Reporter. He lives in Houston, Texas.
