READERS GUIDE

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. Share your impressions of Roger Dooley? Do you see him as an archaeologist? A treasure hunter? Something else altogether? How do you feel the other players in the book, including the author, treat him?

2. Dooley’s life has had its boons and pitfalls. How did the politics of the day—in the United States and in Cuba—shape the trajectory of his life and career? How influential was his brother, Michael?

3. Why do you think shipwrecks like the San José continue to captivate people centuries after they’ve sunk?Do you see treasure hunting as a product of romance, greed, or something else entirely? What factors go into making a lifelong obsession? Why do you think the wreck of the San José became Dooley’s?

4. Talk about the battle that ultimately doomed the San José. What missteps and calculations ultimately led to her fate?

5. What does the book say about the Spanish Empire, colonization, and the slave trade? How has that period of history shaped our world? In what ways does this legacy inform how we view “treasure” today?

6. There are many who have tried to lay claim to the San José wreckage: Colombia, where the wreck was found; Spain, who originally owned the galleon; Bolivia’s Qhara Qhara nation, from whose ancestral lands the treasure had been mined; Sea Search Armada, who first boasted of the ship’s discovery; and Maritime Archaeology Consultants and Anthony Clake whose expedition found it, among others. To whom do you think it belongs?

7. What are the pros and cons of shipwreck discovery? Do you believe discovery and recovery efforts should be made or do you think a shipwreck’s whereabouts should remain unknown?

8. What do you think will happen with the San José going forward? What do you think is next for Roger Dooley?

9. Do you think Roger Dooley has gotten his proper due for discovering the location of the San José? Why or why not? Do you think he is able to appreciate his efforts?

10. “As every sailor knows, the horizon never gets any closer.” What do you think the author means by that? What does it mean for Roger Dooley?

11. What broader lessons about history, greed, and cultural heritage does Neptune’s Fortune offer? Did it make you think differently about how we value—and fight over—the past?

12. If the book were turned into a movie, who would you cast as Roger Dooley?