Randall SullivanBesprekingen

The book is aimed at fans of the TV show and so a lot of it is about the Lagina brothers and their part in the quest. The first half of the book starts with the story of the discovery and then moves through the different attempts to find the treasure. At lot of the book is devoted to various theories about the origins of the treasure - if there is one. The historic and documentary parts of the book are interesting and well-written but the author lost me when he inserted the chapter about supernatural events on and near the island. That was a line too far for me.
read 12/15/2023

The first half is a five star history of the discovery and early exploration of the Money Pit on Oak Island. Towards the end he gets into some ridiculous theories about the history of the pit, and that detracts from the book.

Wow. I had no freaking idea...

I had a baseline, non-informed level of knowledge of Oak Island...okay, I knew there was supposed to be buried treasure there, that proved to be notoriously hard to find. Full stop.

Sullivan does a great job at running down both all the players that have tried—and failed—to get to that fabled treasure...whatever it may be, while also providing some excellent, exhaustive background on all the various theories that have cropped up in the past almost three centuries (!) surrounding it.

And I was somewhat shocked at both the number and the variety of theories. I think there's pretty much everything in there with the exception of aliens.

A really interesting, often sad book. Good read.

I love Oak Island! If you know me, you know how much I love this show! I have not missed an episode in all the seasons it has been on the History channel.

Personally, I don't think we're going to find the Ark of the Covenant or Crown Jewels or Templar Treasure buried on the island; I'm leaning more toward pirate booty as it seems more historical. However, I would not mind being proved wrong.

I hope they find something, I really do.

So - the book! So excited to get it. I have read a few other older books on Oak Island (once I became a diehard Acorn). I knew some of the history that Randall Sullivan discusses in his book but I didn't mind reading it again and Randall also gave a lot more detail and more history than what I had previously read so I enjoyed the beginning of this book.

The ending was pretty good, too. I liked how he discussed the show and some of the excavations that I had watched. I would have liked more about the "modern era" of Oak Island but this was still okay.

Randall spent a lot of time on the theories that have been proposed by various visitors to the island and the show. We spent quite a bit of time on those theories; I would have rather read more historical Oak Island stuff but it's his book and I think people are really interested and intrigued by all these theories.

He seems to get personal about things in this book and that's when it gets weird. I got the impression from watching the show that the Laginas really didn't like him. Well, Marty anyway; Rick is so nice he appears to like everyone. His visit to Oak Island seemed a little weird, just reading about it was odd. He definitely did not distance himself away from the island at some point in the book and a portion of this book was - well, I said before - weird and odd with him being a little involved with the show.

All in all, though, loved the book. Couldn't put it down, carried it everywhere, stayed up late and was exhausted the next day trying to finish it. Recommended if you love the show!

Stale around pg 200 or so. Started well though.

I checked this book out on a whim, as a previous book I read had mentioned treasure hunts, so I was interested in the topic. I did not know about the History Channel show or the author's affiliation. The book was largely enjoyable, however there seemed to be a lot of material geared toward "true-believers" rather than historical facts. Entire chapters are dedicated to tangents on top of tangents of apocryphal speculation (e.g. Knights of Templar). If one is interested in going down the rabbit hole, the book may be your pace, but if you are just interested in the history of the site, I would recommend skimming/skipping chapters dedicated to off topics.

60% history, 30% speculation, 10% woo-woo, The Curse of Oak Island tells an interesting historical story that gets bogged down by History Channel features.½

The riddle wrapped in a mystery inside the enigma that is a small island just barely off the shore of Nova Scotia has tantalized and tortured people for over two centuries. The Curse of Oak Island by Randall Sullivan covers the history of the longest treasure hunt from the individuals involved in the hunt to the theories of what is or isn’t on the island including the History Channel reality series of the same name.

Building upon the Rolling Stone article he wrote 13 years before, Sullivan was invited back to the island by the producers of the reality show to write this book, appear on a few episodes of the show, and interview the Lagina brothers. Starting with the historical backdrop of the Oak Island area, Sullivan goes over the often-told discovery of the Money Pit but thorough research finds out that the named three discoverers is not agreed up as well as their biographies. Throughout his 220 year history, Sullivan goes into the numerous lead searchers as well numerous theories of who made the Money Pit and what they believed was buried in there from pirate/privateer treasure to French Royal Jewels to possessions of the Knights Templar to cultural treasures connected with Roger Bacon. The history of the last 60 years on the island which focuses on the now-deceased Fred Nolan and Dan Blankenship with their rivalry and how they joined the Laginas search as well as how the titular reality series came about is covered extensively compared to the earlier history as Sullivan had first-hand access to the participants.

Given the murky history of Oak Island, Sullivan did an excellent job and navigating everything connected with the long story of the Money Pit. However, the biggest grip I had was with the intertwining of the history and the various theories, I personally felt that it would have been better to break up the history of the search in two and have all the theories discusses in-between. Sullivan actually goes against the show’s narration of events several times in relating the history of the island and previous searchers, however he never discusses “the legend that seven must die” which is hinted at being the “curse” in the show’s open for the first four or five seasons.

The Curse of Oak Island is a fine look at the history surrounding the search of the Money Pit and the men who’ve dug on the Nova Scotia island. Randall Sullivan gave the reader an idea about the individuals who kept the search going and what they believed they were searching for while also showing the toll it took on them and the island itself. Overall it’s a fine book, but not laid out very well.½

The Curse of Oak Island by Randall Sullivan
We have been watching this on the history channel and it's interesting to us.
This book starts out with who was on the island and the times/years they were there and what they found.
Learned a lot of new things not in the show and it tells you how it all came about. Like all the research done and theories they investigate.
Each picture in the book is also described, good audiobook.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

It was nice and detailed. everything one could ask for in a book about this subject. Unfortunately the subject itself loses much of its attraction once it is exhaustively presented.

Skimmed through the book. When I came to the end I looked for bibliography and notes.....there were none. Where did this material come from? Sorry to say but I bailed at this point. 28 members have listed this book and not one reader bothered to write a review at this point? I believe that indicates something.

Dead Wrong: The Continuing Story of City of Lies, Corruption and Cover-Up in the Notorious B.I.G Murder Investigations
by Randall Sullivan
due 6-28-19
Grove/ Atlantic
4.5 / 5

Very few actual facts about the murder of Notorious BIG have been shared, with the public or with his family. We have a date, place and 7 bullet casing that are from rare bullets, only made in 2 places in the USA. There is enough evidence to at least question individuals, hold them accountable. Nothing has ever really been done with this evidence. Corruption runs deep. The truth is easily distorted or manipulated by the media, and by police, and this is a case in point of how easily it is done and the damaging effects corrupt ideals can have generations of a family, because of someones pride, lack of accountability and the intentions of disingenuous people. When more energy is spent attempting to lure the public away from the proof of police officers and others involvement, than is spent solving the crime, corruption lives on. We have no answers. This book is about that cover-up, that corruption and misuse of power. It is extensively researched and well written, very hard to put down for me. It brings up some very important facts.

Voletta Wallace, Biggieś mother, deserves a responsible, honest and direct answer to what happened to her son.She successfully sued the LAPD for wrongful death, but still was given no concrete answers. Voletta felt the evidence of her sons murder was only given AFTER evidence of police involvement was found, and she now wanted to see them commit to solving her sons murder. She is still waiting. She worries about how the trial will affect her grandchildren-now teenagers-and how much of a role manufactured public perception could play in their futures. Corruption runs deep and the cover up is more important than the crime they are suppose to be investigating. This needs to change.

I hope this book will shine new light and energy into this case. I hope it will help uncover the truths of this case, and help this family to finally have answers they deserve, and finally be able to start the healing process.

Many thanks to Grove/ Atlantic for this ARC for review.
#netgalley #DeadWrong

If you think your own family is messed up, this might be the book that changes your mind. This bio of Michael Jackson is well-researched but a bit tabloidy. I really had hoped for more discussion of his music, his youth, and especially the Thriller album; the bulk of this book is about the child molestation accusations, his 2005 trial, and his death. Not to mention all the shenanigans after his death; the book goes on for another 150 pages after May 2009! It's all interesting but just terribly sad. Jackson comes across as an extremely lonely and vulnerable man who was very badly served by almost everyone in his life.

This book was good- but not great. I really enjoyed learning about the LAPD and the corruption within. Hopefully, this idea is nothing new to any of us, but getting another look, a closer look, was very refreshing. I also enjoyed how the book centered around the murders of Tupac and Biggie, it made the book relevant and more interesting. However, if this interests you, you probably also know that those investigations dead ended. Even after reading the book, I still do not feel like the true story has ever been told. Reading this book after Suge Knight also allegedly killed another on the set of Straight Outta Compton, was even more jarring and impactful. It shows that corruption can come to anybody, in any form, in any capacity. I think the book did a good job of explaining that.

"They were fakes or they were hysterics or they were telling the truth"
By sally tarbox on 30 April 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
In this 2004 work, journalist Randall Sullivan begins by looking into an apparent apparition of the Virgin Mary in his native US before deciding to go and investigate the supernatural visions etc in Medjugorje (Bosnia).
As a non-religious person himself, Sullivan goes with an open mind. He meets the visionaries, who were aged between 10 and 17 when the apparition first began in 1981. He talks to those around them - Catholic priests both convinced and strongly opposed; doctors and scientists from all over the world, whose exhaustive tests indicate there is definitely something other-worldly going on. And he considers other manifestations - Lourdes, Fatima etc.
Set against the horrors of the war in Yugoslavia, Sullivan reports too on his own feelings - the doubts but also the times when he thinks he can feel something miraculous.
Not a book that can give you an easy answer; I don't think any reasonable individual could claim the Medjugorje seers were anything but honest and sincere, and that they definitely had visions. But when the messages were really in contravention to the Bible, one has to question their provenance. Mary takes the lead in all this, sometimes introducing her Son, as if it were she who were God's representative. Her messages for mankind are trite commands to pray and fast. Her 'secrets' which the seers have not been authorised to share yet, seem to be about the End of this System - intiguing but it's all in the Book of Revelastion if you look! And why secret? The Scriptures were written to be disseminated, not witheld. Although the young Bosnians seem a fine and devout crowd, I personally feel this is Satan transforming himself into an angel of light, in order to confuse. But hey, that's just my opinion!
VERY interesting read.

If you think your own family is messed up, this might be the book that changes your mind. This bio of Michael Jackson is well-researched but a bit tabloidy. I really had hoped for more discussion of his music, his youth, and especially the Thriller album; the bulk of this book is about the child molestation accusations, his 2005 trial, and his death. Not to mention all the shenanigans after his death; the book goes on for another 150 pages after May 2009! It's all interesting but just terribly sad. Jackson comes across as an extremely lonely and vulnerable man who was very badly served by almost everyone in his life.

I'm not really a fan of Michael Jackson per se (although I do think he was very talented), but I'm interested in him because his life story touches on so many American themes: race, poverty, wealth, family, religion, tabloid culture, and self-reinvention, to name just a few. This book, while fascinating, was too detailed for me to get through on a single library loan period, and I couldn't renew it because there is a waiting list. I look forward to finishing later.

In the war-torn country of Yugoslavia, late 1980's, a cluster of children (ages up through 16) began seeing the Virgin Mary and reporting her words. Medjugorje, if you've ever heard of the place, appeared protected from the war by the madonna.

The Miracle Detective describes Sullivan's trip into the world of miracles and the investigation of these miracles by the Catholic church. By the end of the book, even Sullivan has been deeply affected by his brush with the supernatural, and it is this personal journal by the author that makes the book most interesting.

Nearly all the experts that researched Medjugorje and interviewed (interrogated) the children came to the same conclusion: there was no attempt to deceive, and the children truly experienced the unexplainable. Others around them could not see Mary, yet the children's eyes moved in unison as they tracked her progress through the air; they reported the same message from heaven; and they showed no response to any pain or attention-grabbing administered by the "experts" while in their vision state. Many other visitors to this sacred site experienced supernatural healings. Surely, the madonna herself was to be found in this place!

But what did the Church think? It's still under investigation, 20-25 years later. As one priest explained to Sullivan, the Church does not merely test for the unexplainable; a true miracle from God must pass several tests, such as "theological correctness, usefulness to the Church, and a clear relationship between the messages the person reports and changes in the quality of their own lives." Unquestionably, the experiences rocked the lives of these children and many others who visited (and still visit) Medjugorje, but what is the Church to think when Mary, queen of heaven, arrives with the message that we should respect all religions, even (perhaps especially) Islam?

I found the book interesting, one I'm glad I read, though it was a bit long. But, sorry, I've no opinion yet on the authenticity of the visions. :)

As a fan of both Tupac and Biggie, I was very interested in learning more about what really went down. Former Officer Poole seems to think he has the answers so I was eager to learn what he knows so I could draw my own conclusions. Mosltly, I was very disappointed - especially by the author's extreme bias. For example, on page 14 of the hardcover version, Sullivan notes that "[In the early 1960s], as now, black males committed a hugely disproportionate amount of crime in Los Angeles and across the country." WHAT? I can't even believe that went to print. Question: do black males commit a disproportionate amount of crime in this country or are they accused and convicted disproportionately? At the very least, if you're gonna make such outrageous comments, back it up. With no statistical data, I consider Sullivan's comment to be hearsay. Then, just a few pages later, on page 18, Sullivan gets a little diatribe going about how the LAPD hiring process has become less stringent over time, noting that "liberals had successfully argued that [baring applicants with juvenile records] limited the number of blacks and Hispanics who could join the LAPD." I'm not even 20 pages into the book, and my reading of the author is that he really doesn't like minorities or "liberals," whatever the latter term means to him because he sure doesn't define anything. Yet I decided to take these and similar comments with a grain of salt and press forward with the book.

I do think that Sullivan's style is extremely readable and engaging. I also like the way he attempted to provide background on the LAPD history, the history of the Crips and the Bloods, etc. If you're not likely to be critical going into this book, it's not bad for escapism. Unless you were living in a plastic bubble when these events took place, I doubt that you'll be blown away by the overall picture Sullivan paints.

If one-tenth of what's written in these pages is true, Biggie and Tupac were just as despicible as Suge Knight, the LAPD, the affiliated gangs, the attorneys and just about everyone else who graced the pages of the book. And that made me really sad because it's hard for me to listen to the music the same way. Tupac and Biggie were not innocent; they were just greedy [...] who courted violence successfully. Truthfully, none of the stuff about the LAPD or any of the other authority figures surprised me. Money and testosterone--bad combination. Lest you think I'm a man-hater, the women in this book are appalling, too. I hate to say it but Tupac and Biggie got what they deserved.½

Do you remember the Billionaire Boy's Club in the 1980's? I remembered just enough but certainly not all the details. Randall Sullivan did an indepth book on the rise and fall of Joseph Gamsky (who later changed his name to Joseph Hunt or Joe Hunt) and his Billionaire Boy's Club.

Joe was admitted into a prestigious Los Angeles prep school, the Harvard Club, on a scholarship. Joe, 12, didn't fit in very well with the children of actors, moviemakers, and corporate businessmen because of his family's lack of money and he was socially stunted. He was a genius with near photographic mind. Around graduation time (when they would move on to college) Joe managed to impress some of the other young men at school especially Dean Karny and Ben Dosti, who had attended the Harvard School as well. He began to hang around with them and their circle of wealthy sons. These boys had every advantage coming from monied families and having the best education and the best money could buy. But instead of being grateful and using their advantages for good, they managed to be spoiled, arrogant, feeling entitled as though they deserved everything they wanted by the mere existence of being who they were. They wanted money and all that comes with being super rich but they didn't want to have to work for it or have any responsibilities. There was no "Noblesse Oblige" in their vocabulary. It was all about them. They were so proud and cocky and know-it-all that they were obnoxious and the only way they could have relationships was to appeal to someone's greed, drug needs, etc. To me, it seemed no one could stand to be in the same room with them unless they were drugged, drunk or needed money. They partied all the time and had groups around them but that was so other parasites could get something off of them. Money, drugs, alcohol, contacts, financial advice, to look good and be known...all this led to very shallow, casual relationships and these young men didn't know any other kind of relationships. Joe didn't either, but like some deranged guru, he realized their need and their vulnerabilities and gave them what they thought they wanted.

Joe Hunt

These boys weren't looking for Jesus, or Hari Krishna, or some other religion. (Although they desperately need Jesus Chirst!) They wouldn't have looked "ridiculous" for anything! But Joe immediately became their guru. Joe appealed to the one thing they all had in common...greed! They all wanted money and wanted BIG money! And quick! Like last week, please! They didn't want to have to work for it, be accountable for it, ask their parents for it, etc. Just money falling from the sky would suit. And Joe was the worst one, but he had the "fatal attraction" that allowed him to con all these boys into following him. He began to talk about starting an investment club with members from well-to-do families who could make a good impression and help the club to succeed. He described some of his ideas for trading commodities at low risk, and the other boys were impressed.

Ben Dosti

He also told them he wanted to create a corporation with a Utopian atmosphere based on the works of Ayn Rand, where each person would do what he was best qualified to do. He called it the Paradox Philosophy. Basically it was situational ethics. I.e. do whatever you have to do to bring you happiness. It's all about you. Keep yourself happy, safe, out of jail, rolling in money and don't worry about who you have to rob, lie to, cheat, murder, steal, rape, etc. You don't worry aboutanyone else, you only worry about yourself and do whatever it takes because you are number one. Once he had those boys hooked (and they are just as stupid and vulnerable as Jim Jones followers or the Hale-Bopp Comet followers, they just didn't drink Koolaid or pack a bag), he led them to do all those things. Situational Ethics has no boundaries. There is no end to it.

Tom May

These boys went on to prestigious colleges but a lot of them didn't follow through, including Joe. He felt like he was wasting his time. The others were just partying their way through. Most graduated and a couple went on to law school. But Joe got in touch with Dean Karny and Ben Dosti and the others (Dave and Tom Mays, Evan Dickers, Steve Taglienetti, etc) and told them a bunch of nonsense (which they didn't have the good sense to check on) about how well he had done and he had dropped out of college because he was doing so well in the stock market. So they began to tell others and their parents and Joe started raking in cash to "invest". It soon became a typical Ponzi scheme. But, as the screws began to tighten, Joe and his buddies decided to kill Ron Levin.

Ron was also a con man and he had conned the cons! He had bilked the BBC and Joe out of at least $300,000. Joe decided to kidnap Ron and try to make him turn over anything of value, then kill him. By now, Joe had acquired a more experienced "friend" in Jim Pittman (calling himself Jim Graham). A young black man in very good physical condition but who had no more morals than Joe did. They made a good match. Joe began hanging around more with Jim than with his other buddies while he learned what Jim could teach him about firearms, burglaries, electronic spying devices, etc. Jim would do anything for the money that Joe siphoned from his investor's accounts.

Jim Graham

But Jim wasn't too smart. He ended up killing Ron Levine before they could get anything from him. The way the book described it, it was as though Jim couldn't control himself, he just wanted to kill. This bungle caused them even more trouble and they still desperately need money.

Reza Eslamania

One of the new men that had joined their club was the spoiled and evil Reza Hedayat whose father had been a fabulously wealthy man in Iraq before he was supposedly ruined when Iraq fell to the Ayatollah Khomeini. He made it out of the country and came to America and said he had no money.

Hedayat Eslamania

Reza did not believe his father and was always arguing with him for money. So Reza and Joe, Jim, Ben Dosti and Dean Karny decided to try to kidnap Hedayat Eslamania and force him to give them everything before killing him. They planned to chloroform him and throw him into a trunk and cart him somewhere to torture him and get his money. But the man died in the trunk enroute either of fear of suffocation. Another bungle that left them with nothing. This time, Dean Karney, turned them in and they were caught. Joe went to prison for life for the murder of Joe Levin. He represented himself in the trial for the murder of Hedayat Eslamania and there was a hung jury.

You can read a quicker synopsis at
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/young/joe_hunt/1.html

Randall Sullivan had a very complicated story to tell and he did it well. But it was a long book and very convoluted. Sullivan makes it easy enough to follow but it's just long. It's completely disgusting that these men would work so hard to steal, kill, cheat and lie. It would have taken a lot less work to have made a living the old fashioned way...earning it! And they wouldn't have spent the rest of their lives in jail. So much talent, brains, education, health, experience and good beginnings (you know, the silver spoon type of beginnings) to waste. God blessed them with so much and yet they never used it to do anything good. Rotten to the core! The Billionaire Boy's Club would be better named the Bye-Bye Club because they can kiss the rest of their lives goodbye!

But, as long as we are still breathing, there is still a chance that God can get through to us and we can turn our lives around. If there is life, then there is still time for God to use us for good. I hope and pray that God will be able to get to their hearts and save them from their sins and that they can know what it's like to be forgiven, loved and know their eternity will be spent in heaven instead of hell.

Gave up. Poorly written. will watch the TV series instead.