Expedition Whydah: The Story of the World's First Excavation of a Pirate Treasure Ship and the Man Who Found Her

• Authors: Barry Clifford with Paul Perry
• Edition: Cliff Street Books / HarperCollins, 1999
• Subjects: Wreck, History
• Level: New collector, Collector

What it is

Barry Clifford's account of his search for the Whydah, the pirate ship of Black Sam Bellamy wrecked off Cape Cod in April 1717, and of the excavation that followed — told alongside Bellamy's own history.

Why it matters

The Whydah is the first pirate shipwreck to be found and verified. Pirates carried coin taken from the trade routes, so this book shows Spanish-colonial silver from a very different angle: plunder, not cargo.

Who it's for

Readers drawn to the pirate side of the treasure story, and collectors who want to see how a wreck's identity was proven.