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Princeton University Library Catalog
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Buck Whaley : Ireland's greatest adventurer / David Ryan.
Author
Ryan, David
[Browse]
Format
Book
Language
English
Published/Created
Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland : Merrion Press, 2019.
Description
246 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Availability
Copies in the Library
Location
Call Number
Status
Location Service
Notes
Firestone Library - Stacks
DA948.3.W42 R93 2019
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Details
Subject(s)
Adventure and adventurers
—
Ireland
—
Biography
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Gamblers
—
Ireland
—
Biography
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Whaley, Thomas
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Library of Congress genre(s)
Biographies
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Summary note
Thomas 'Buck' Whaley was one of the greatest adventurers in Irish history. In 1788 he undertook an extraordinary ten-month journey from Dublin to Jerusalem for a wager of £15,000, equivalent to several million today. Nearly shipwrecked in the Sea of Crete, he almost died of plague in Constantinople, narrowly avoided a pirate attack, was waylaid by bandits, and met the infamous Ottoman governor known as 'the Butcher'. On his return, he became an overnight celebrity before suffering catastrophic gambling losses that exiled him first to continental Europe, where he attempted to rescue Louis XVI from the guillotine, and then to the Isle of Man. When he died aged thirty-four in 1800, he had squandered an astronomical £400,000 (around €100 million) 'without ever purchasing or acquiring contentment or one hour's true happiness'. In his lifetime Ireland erupted in rebellion, France was in the throes of bloody revolution, and the Ottoman Empire was creaking at the seams. Reckless and impulsive, Whaley lit up this volatile world like a quick-burning candle, but he retained his ability to recognise the absurdity of his own actions and the world around him. Buck Whaley tells the full story of his incredible life and adventures for the first time. -- Back cover.
Bibliographic references
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
1785372297
9781785372292
LCCN
2019393003
OCLC
1076740307
Statement on language in description
Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage.
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