Treasure Hunter: Caches, Curses, and Deadly Confrontations
By W. C. Jameson
Published by Seven Oaks Publishing Company
Electronic book edition, 263 pages.
ASIN: B005NCV8YM
non-fiction
movies like pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasureand the Indiana Jones The franchise sparks a deep-seated idea: adventure will break the monotony of life, and you never know when you might find treasure beyond your wildest dreams. The quest for discovery compels young and old to travel the world in search of elusive treasure, or even dig in their parents’ backyard. For some, the search for adventure is insatiable.
Such is the case of WC Jameson, a self-styled adventurer and treasure hunter, whose treasure hunter recounts stories of wandering the Sierra Madre and various borders of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts in Mexico. This story of a shaggy dog amplifies the escapades he endures when his motley crew of fellow treasure hunters throw caution to the wind in search of obscure treasure.
It is perhaps too difficult to portray treasure hunting differently in the dozen or so stories that Jameson describes. After reading the first few adventures, the story line became disappointingly predictable: one of the members is an expert in Mexican lore and has discovered a map, or the allusion to the location of some treasure. A brief historical narrative follows to enhance the drama of the buried treasure and then, without fail, the crew rediscovers the treasure forgotten for years. Inevitably, calamity strikes, and the treasure usually remains unrecoverable.
Jameson’s hint is that it probably still exists right where his team left off, and while he’s too old to go back and retrieve the treasure in question, you, the reader, could probably uncover these treasures with the required research.
Although somewhat predictable in places, the book is powerfully written. The reader is drawn into the drama and can truly feel what it must have been like to crawl through impassable caverns or even navigate dangerous excursions with a lair of rattlesnakes. Given that Jameson has made the appropriate initial disclaimers that names and places have been changed to protect the identities of all involved, one has to wonder how much of the story has been embellished for dramatic effect.
The movie Three KingsPopularized by actors George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg in 1999, it provides a close parallel to the story that Jameson advances. Three Kings describes the story of four soldiers who originally set out to steal “stolen” Kuwaiti gold after the Persian Gulf War. Casting aside their original desire for evil behavior, they give up their lust for treasure when they discover people who desperately need their help. In contrast, Jameson says with speculative hubris: Treasure hunting should not be made illegal: “It’s important to understand that almost everything that treasure recovery professionals like myself do is illegal. Therefore, the bizarre and unreasonable laws related to with the recovery of treasures they have become honest”. , dedicated fortune hunters and outlaw workers.”
An African proverb states: “Until the lions have their historians, hunting stories will always glorify the hunter.” treasure hunter is a series of thought-provoking quests that will make you want to whip out your hiking boots and set out on a quest for wealth that’s been buried for hundreds of years. Who knows? Maybe you’ll usurp the odds and win a fortune beyond your wildest dreams.
Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd
