The Tsar's Treasure

Book excerpt: The Tsar's Treasure captures the story of the lost luxury White Star Liner known as the Millionaires' Ship and Capt. Martin's Bayerle 30-year quest to find her fabled treasure. When the RMS Republic sank in 1909, she was the largest ship to sink in history (only to be surpassed by her sibling ship, RMS Titanic, a mere three years later). When Republic sank, she took with her not only all her cargo and passenger effects, but also some politically-sensitive secrets. Rumors of a vast treasure, of "riches beyond most men's wildest dreams," were published the day after her sinking and have persisted for more than 100 years. The Tsar's Treasure documents Capt. Bayerle's personal journey to uncover her secrets along with extensive research in an effort to substantiate or deny the rumors. The result is a deep-sea adventure riddled with subtle clues and impressive historical photos and documents. The reader is invited to examine the evidence and arrive at his or her own conclusions surrounding the century-old mystery of what may become the greatest treasure recovery of all-time.