This was a read that is pretty out of my comfort zone, so it was hard to get into. The book however is well written and thoroughly researched, and I learned a lot!

Wonderful! Passionately written and just felt like someone laid their heart on the page. Wonderful! Passionately written and just felt like someone laid their heart on the page. Wonderful! Passionately written and just felt like someone laid their heart on the page.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of True Raiders by Brad Ricca in exchange for an honest review. It published September 21, 2021.
This was such a fun book! Much like Ricca's previous book, the narrative history was so fascinating, that I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't a great work of fiction. I loved the religious and regional history in this book. And the overlying mystery aspect, as well!

Nope. Not for me. I know it's based on Noah's ark and it's legendary resting place, but I've heard and read the story dozens of times.I had hoped from some new information, This disappointed me. Didn't care for the writing. However, for someone new to the adventure of the ark, this may just be the read that entices then to pursue other books!

After taking so long to read this as a dARC, I checked out the physical copy from the library to see if that could help me finish it rather than DNF.

It took me a long time to get through this, but the story was overall engaging and interesting. The history was researched and presented well, and the tone in which the topic is discussed was a bit better than in some history books I have read over the years. I wanted it to be a bit more of an adventure history than it was, and sometimes it felt like it slipped into historical fiction.
Overall, I can see this being an interesting read for a variety of readers interested in such topics as history, archeology, and even adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and the author for the original dARC I started with last year in exchange for my honest review.

A rip-roaring adventure of the stranger than fiction variety that true stories sometime take on. It's definitely as exciting as any fictional adventure and is told in a vivid, cinematic language. Enjoyable and fun. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

These days, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is what springs first to mind when people think about the Ark of the Covenant. But the story of the Ark of the Covenant begins long before 1981. It goes back into ancient history, recorded in the Pentateuch, specifically Exodus. The Ark disappears from the record during the time of kings of Judah and no one knows where it is located now. Many folks have searched for the Ark, True Raiders is the tale of one of those searches.

While True Raiders focuses on the 1909-1911 Parker Expedition to Jerusalem, Brad Ricca includes bits of the the Charles Warren exploration conducted in 1867 and Jacob Vester's discovery in 1880. In 1908, a Syndicate of British and Swedish businessmen was formed for the purpose of finding the Ark of the Covenant based on a cipher constructed by Valter Juvelius, a Finnish scholar and surveyor. Monty Parker, a hero in the Second Boer War, was appointed the head of the expedition. He recruited among others, Cyril Foley, a famous cricketer and a member of the Jameson Raid during the First Boer War. The Expedition sailed to Palestine in a private yacht, obtained the required permits from the Turkish authorities and commenced digging in the tunnels. They spent the summer of 1909, the summer and winter of 1910 digging before they were required to leave in 1911 due to rumors that they had infiltrated the Dome of the Rock and dug there. They managed to clear out the tunnels that connect the Pool of Siloam, but they did not find the Ark. What they might have found is still a question that was not really answered even when Monty Parkers's private papers were located.

Brad Ricca has written an old-fashioned history for the general public. True Raiders provides plenty of adventure, intrigue, and twists for the reader to enjoy. But the multitude of of viewpoints and time shifts can be off-putting to the reader while the first-person narrative seems more suitable for fiction than a history. Thankfully, Ricca does provide sources for the reader to explore. If the reader is looking for a quick moving archeological adventure, picking up and perusing True Raiders would be rewarding.

This sounded exactly like something I'd love to read and I was excited to check it out. Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!
I think I had set my expectations a bit too high. Overall, it does seem to be well researched, and I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to any friends with an interest in the subject matter. At the end of the day, there were too many parts that were just a bit lacking for me.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw this book and read the blurb about it I was ENAMORED! I just HAD to read it! I was very excited when I received a digital copy and got right to reading. Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me because of one pretty major flaw (at least a major flaw for me).

Let me start by saying that I love history. I have read tons of non-fiction history books and given them 5 stars. Alternatively, I have also read many historical fiction books and also given them 5 stars. This book however will only be receiving 3 stars, and that's me being generous....here's why:

The story itself did happen, there was an expedition for the Ark, the characters in this book are real people from the past, the locations are accurate, and everything seems to be on point. *BUT* there are also these randomly entered into the book dialogue sections of the characters talking to each other, or inner monologues of the characters that, to me, just didn't make any sense. Like....is this book non-fiction history, or is it historical fiction?

I understand that this expedition eventually lead to the story that became Indiana Jones, and because of that I feel like the author tried to make this historical book into a sort of BIG SCREEN MOVIE type thing, but it was not doing it for me. In fact, the parts that were "added" by the author to make the story move forward in a linear way, while also humanizing the characters, actually did the opposite for me...I was rather turned off.

If you are looking for a book about an expedition attempt for the Ark, this may not be what you want to read. It seems almost fake because of the fabricated dialogues, and to be frank, you'd be better off just watching Indiana Jones.

Full disclosure: I am not a big enough fan of Indiana Jones to have been aware that the story had a basis in reality. I began this story having no idea what the story was really about. Having finished the book, I have a lot of mixed feelings on the book. The first 70 percent of the book covers this archaeological dig organized by Mr. Parker in the early 1900’s. A dig inspired to look for the mythical Ark of the Covenant, a biblical era relic said to hold a wealth of religious significance . With the exception of a few notable historical references, I struggled to get into the first section of the book. It dragged for me. I really enjoyed the last 20 or 30 percent of the book that covers the ongoing tale of the characters in the book, and their lives after this dig, which became a notoriety the world over in the years following the expedition. I love historical tales, but I largely couldn’t get into this one. Review posted to Goodreads, Facebook, Amazon, Litsy

Are you ready for an adventure that you will not soon forget!? Then, you need to sign up for "True Raiders." This journey will leave you wanting more - and seeing new breath being brought back to the men who set out for one unforgettable excursion.

Brad Ricca goes through impeccable research to bring the story of the Expedition to find the Ark of the Covenant, at a time when there was a fever pitch for artifacts - although the process at the time didn't really preserve history - rather it would destroy and hope for treasure at the end.

The adventure that this expedition undertook was one for the search for the Ark of the Covenant - something that had been lost since the Israelites were taken into captivity by the Assyrians.

I found this book easy to follow, and very interesting. You are going to be captivated from the first chapter. If you decide to listen to this via audiobook (I listened to parts of this on audio - while I was working) the chapters are short, which makes it easy to set a timer and not get lost or forget your location in the book.

I cannot wait to get my hands on a hard copy of this book, as this is one that I would like to add to my collection. If you love history, then this is one that you are going to want to read, and jump into a journey that you are not going to soon forget.

I love nonfiction adventure and travel books and was so excited when I read that this book was coming out immediately requested it on NetGalley. So I was beyond thrilled when NetGalley notified me that I had been approved to read the ARC. Thus, I eagerly started reading it on 8/18/2021 in order to finish it before the publication date. And then reality set in.

The cover is beautiful and the subject has much promise. However, the writing was deplorable; it was choppy, went off in tangents, backtracked over itself, and left me wondering what the heck was going on. The most coherent chapters were at the end of the book when the author outlines what happened to most of the involved individuals after the "dig" was abandoned. I finally finished the book almost three months after starting it and did so only because I had received it from NetGalley.
#NetGalley #TrueRaiders

This book was wild! The description of "real-life version of Raiders of the Lost Ark" is absolutely not too far of a stretch. Add in some "DaVinci Code," "History's Mysteries," and a beautiful love interest (Ava Astor, a woman recently divorced from America's first multi-millionaire businessman) and you can see that Hollywood movie play out in your head as you read each chapter. I was in such disbelief that this was a true story because it read like a suspense novel, full of anticipation and intrigue. I definitely suggest this to anyone looking for nonfiction book recommendations.

For those of us who loved “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, it may come as a surprise that it is loosely based on the true story of a 1909 expedition lead by British nobleman Monty Parker to find the Ark of the Covenant. Though some of the “clues” provided by interpretation of the bible by a Finn named Valter Juvelius are a bit hard to follow, the author speeds us along to the next dig. Quite a fascinating read.

For those armchair archaelogists, True Raiders would make a great Christmas gift! This book tells the story of Monty Parker's unsuccessful search for the Ark of the Covenant. Great descriptions, but ultimately not that engaging for me.

A compilation of history and hope. A book that leaves you wanting more in the best way possible. Only a few chapters in I was doing my own research . Being a fan of Indiana Jones and historical accuracy, this book is right up my alley. Every source is cited and every liberty (few) taken is explained. The amount of work that was put into this book, so entertaining and so informative, is admirable. Exciting enough to make you rush through to see what happens and so chalk full of information you will want to reread and double check.

The fact that real-life Raiders of the Lost Ark was not as exciting as the movie was to be expected. But the fact that it wasn’t really exciting at all was deeply disappointing.

I love explorer nonfiction, particularly gentlemen explorers, so I had high hopes for True Raiders. Unfortunately, the book is being sold as far more exciting and engaging than it is.

Part of the problem is that, given that what our explorers are seeking here is the Ark of the Covenant, we know they aren’t going to find it. There are nonfiction writers who have managed to put together a great narrative about treasure that won’t be found, but it’s a tough task and often makes for a letdown of a book, as is the case here.

But the real issue is that this is an adventure novel that just doesn’t feel all that adventurous. The bones of a great story were there, but the book doesn’t get there. It doesn’t help that the gentlemen seeking the Ark have based the expected location of it on a supposed ancient cipher, which is an eye-roll for the modern reader because THESE THINGS ARE NEVER REAL! How many ancient ciphers have actually led to treasure for you fellows? None? Sigh. But I’m sure this will be the one.

This might have made an intriguing long-form article and I enjoyed some of the background on Monty, Ava, and a handful of other figures present in the story, but on the whole this book doesn’t hold up to others in the genre.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me this opportunity to read the advanced copy. I am always fascinated and looking for stories discussing archaeology. This was truly a fun read and I appreciate how the content was not over my head and easy to follow-along. I look forward to adding this finished copy to my bookshelf and re-reading to look at the photographs and maps.

A story that is true — about searching for the Ark of the Covenant. Monty Parker was dared by Ava Astor to find it. In 1908, Monty is approached by a Finnish scholar that claims he has found a secret code in the Bible that tells where the Ark is. Monty gathers a group of blue blood adventurers, a psychic and the Finnish scholar. They go and begin an excavation just outside the walls of Jerusalem. What happened?

This true story is a hidden gem of history. Recently records from the expedition have been found and translated. It is the first retelling of the group’s adventure involving faith and science. It was a fascinating and adventurous story of an excavation that held my attention.

True Raiders tells the story of Monty Parker's search for the Ark of the Covenant. Spoiler alert: since no one currently is in possession of the Ark we know it was not a successful expedition. This had more religious overtones then I was expecting almost if I had read the Bible I might find this book more interesting. It never sits well with me when it's a British man leading an expedition in Jerusalem and Palestine. I know there's rumors of stolen antiquities from the Mosque of Omar which wouldn't surprise me if were true. The detailed archaeology digs were the most interesting part of this book.