Publisher's Synopsis
Could this most famous of fictional pirates be actually based on the life of a real man? And could that man be one Jonathan Swift of Alexandria, Virginia, an enigmatic merchant whose legendary silver mines have enticed and eluded treasure hunters for over two centuries? From ancient maps, documents and charts, to personal diaries and secret Masonic archives, author Robert Prather boldly delves into both the mystery and legend of Swift, as well as the probable connections with Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure, Treasure Island. Filled with intrigue, deception, murder, cryptic codes and buried treasure, this provocative look into a fascinating segment of literary and American history will ready even the casual reader to set sail for plunder and riches. "A fascinating, thought-provoking look at the legendary lost Swift mine and its possible parallel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic, Treasure Island. Put aside everything you've come to believe and allow Prather to expand your thinking. A thoroughly enticing read for inquisitive treasure hunters everywhere!"-Carla Short, Managing Editor, Lost Treasure magazine "An intriguing narrative, fully researched and illustrated, setting in motion a provocative tale of lost treasure and encoded clues contained in Robert Louis Stevenson's epic tale. Robert Prather has shed new light on Treasure Island and will be the topic of much debate." -Keith Decker, Chairman The Robert Louis Stevenson Club "This intimately researched work results in a fascinating and spellbinding trip beginning before the birth of America and drops the reader in the present day thirsting for the future. I was convinced and find myself looking to buy a metal detector to roam the hills of Kentucky in search of Long John Silver's trove." -William DeVries, MD Pioneer Artificial Heart Surgeon "Historian Robert Prather carefully compares the legend of Jonathan Swift's lost silver mine to the saga of Long John Silver in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. His research uncovers clues woven into Stevenson's masterpiece that will likely keep treasure hunters such as me energized for decades to come. Prather extracts just enough facts from the folklore to make me believe that there just might be a vast trove cached away in the caves of Kentucky. The depth of Prather's research is impressive, as he has tapped into such guarded documents as the minutes of the early Alexandria-Washington Masonic Lodge. Stevenson's Treasure Island was the stimulus for my lifelong desire to pursue treasure with metal detectors. Mow, the enticing details in The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver have added more fuel to that fire." - Charles Garrett, President Garrett Metal Detectors
