From longtime Rolling Stone contributing editor and journalist Randall Sullivan, [this book] explores the curious history of Oak Island and the generations of individuals who have tried and failed to unlock its secrets.Since 1795 there have been rumors of buried treasure on Oak Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada. Early excavators uncovered a clay-lined shaft containing layers of soil interspersed with wooden platforms; when they reached a depth of ninety feet, water poured into the shaft and made further digging impossible. Subsequent explorers discovered a flat stone inscribed in code; a flood tunnel draining from a man-made beach; a torn scrap of parchment; stone markers forming a huge cross. Excavation attempts have claimed two lives. Sullivan explores the history of the island and the treasure hunters who have found only financial ruin, psychotic breakdowns, and even death in pursuit of answers, as he follows Marty and Rick Lagina's attempt to solve the mystery--Adapted from jacket.