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  • The Curse of Oak Island

  • The Story of the World's Longest Treasure Hunt
  • Written by: Randall Sullivan
  • Narrated by: Braden Wright
  • Length: 16 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (93 ratings)

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The Curse of Oak Island

Written by: Randall Sullivan
Narrated by: Braden Wright
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Publisher's Summary

From longtime Rolling Stone contributing editor and journalist Randall Sullivan, The Curse of Oak Island explores the curious history of Oak Island and the generations of individuals who have tried and failed to unlock its secrets.

In 1795, a teenager discovered a mysterious circular depression in the ground on Oak Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada, and ignited rumors of buried treasure. Early excavators uncovered a clay-lined shaft containing layers of soil interspersed with wooden platforms, but when they reached a depth of ninety feet, water poured into the shaft and made further digging impossible. 

Since then the mystery of Oak Island’s “Money Pit” has enthralled generations of treasure hunters, including a Boston insurance salesman whose obsession ruined him; young Franklin Delano Roosevelt; and film star Errol Flynn. Perplexing discoveries have ignited explorers’ imaginations: a flat stone inscribed in code; a flood tunnel draining from a man-made beach; a torn scrap of parchment; stone markers forming a huge cross. Swaths of the island were bulldozed looking for answers; excavation attempts have claimed two lives. Theories abound as to what’s hidden on Oak Island - pirates’ treasure, Marie Antoinette’s lost jewels, the Holy Grail, proof that Sir Francis Bacon was the true author of Shakespeare’s plays - yet to this day, the Money Pit remains an enigma. 

The Curse of Oak Island is a fascinating account of the strange, rich history of the island and the intrepid treasure hunters who have driven themselves to financial ruin, psychotic breakdowns, and even death in pursuit of answers. And as Michigan brothers Marty and Rick Lagina become the latest to attempt to solve the mystery, as documented on the History Channel’s television show The Curse of Oak Island, Sullivan takes listeners along to follow their quest firsthand. 

©2018 Randall Sullivan (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

What listeners say about The Curse of Oak Island

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Long anticlimactic listen

Good overall effort. Story could have been told in 1/4 of the length. Would skip unless absolutely fascinated by the possibility of treasure.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant writing, in-depth research, fascinating

By far the best of the 20-odd nonfiction Audiobooks I have listened to over the past nine months. As a 30-year veteran journalist, I can appreciate the effort that goes into a work such as this. The only drawback: too much space is devoted to what the treasure might be and who might have left it. Unless a detailed ancient map can be turned up, it makes far more sense to just look for the treasure, and once it's found, it will be much easier to figure out who left it there. The "spookiness" of the island is fascinating. One worker said he was dowsing (holding dowsing sticks, a primitive form of searching for water) on the island when he was overtaken by an ominous force, then possessed by the spirit of a long-dead slave. The event was witnessed by others and resulted in a hospital stay. Treasure aside, this island is a perfect candidate for research into the paranormal. Start by inviting people to camp out on Oak Island overnight, and/or to use dowsing rods, then record what they hear and see.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Rich and insightful

In-depth look at the history of oak island, with wonderful narration. It was nice to have a chronological retelling of the events on Oak Island. Many avenues explored and theories challenged.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Read and Very Insightful

This was a great read and very insightful. Lots of history regarding the Curse of Oak Island. As well as different theories and rumours surrounding the Island and works, owners and investors. It was very sad regarding the one man who took his life after saving three or four men from the money pit. He was a volunteer firefighter - him and an American tourist pulled bodies of alive and dead men from the pit and the Canadian man was lost in the fog of the Island while the American was given awards/merits of Canada. I loved the book as they tried to debunk stories and myths throughout the ownership of the Island. I’m sure there will be another book as they continue the journey with Rick, Marty and the rest of the Oak Island gang.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Captivating

Enjoyed his well researched story, sticking to facts, and putting many other “flight of fancy versions”, (some of which I always though were based on factual events) to rest.
I couldn’t put it down !

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Comprehensive

Well read and very informative. I enjoyed the comprehensive story of the history of Oak Island.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Love this topic

Big fan of the show so the topic captivated me. Excellent narration. Especially loved the timeline at the end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Well worth a listen

This book was everything I expected and more. If you want to know more of the history of oak island this book Is for you. The author does a great job of seamlessly tying in the current efforts on oak island with the past. Narration was enjoyable

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Thorough

As an avid follower of the curse of oak island. I was prepared for a similar recap of the show. However, this is a much more in-depth fact finding book that follows the known timeline of oak island. The author doesn’t fill the pages with fanciful leaps of judgement. He only shares the facts. He leaves the reader with a want to know more. Even though there is not much more to share.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Everything You Want to Know About Oak Island...

I found this audio book to be a compelling listen. The presentation of facts and other information was performed in a way that went beyond a simple textbook read. I appreciated how the information was pulled together and transitioned smoothly across topics. Historical perspectives were provided from which I learned a lot. It is always interesting to me when learning can occur while not thinking it is. Anyway, I continue to be a fan of the Curse of Oak Island and this book just reinforced that position.

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