The
lure of buried treasure is always a hard one to pass up. When
the treasure is 15th-century porcelain in a ship that sank in
the Dragon Sea off the coast of Vietnam, the lure is irresistible.
This is marine archaeologist Pope's true-life account of the excavation
of the trading junk Hoi An. Pope served as operations manager
of the salvage, finding himself trapped between the pull of archaeology
and big business and also between two men: Oxford underwater archaeologist
Mensun Bound and Malaysian-Chinese businessman Ong Soo Hin, both
overflowing with ego, dreams, and their separate expectations
for the porcelain treasure. Filled with the fascinating stories
of the large international crew of archaeologists, scholars, divers,
businessmen, and treasure hunters, Pope's tale defines the environments,
personalities, and dangers that now accompany underwater archaeology,
where the stakes are tremendously high. While the book has enough
excitement and danger for even Indiana Jones (Bound is known as
"the Indiana Jones of the Deep"), it also presents some of the
tough issues that today's underwater archaeologists must face
in a world where technological advances are allowing for the discovery
of truly amazing treasures. Highly recommended for public and
academic libraries.
Melissa Aho, Metropolitan State Univ., Saint Paul, MN
