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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 ss100 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 recognize 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.
Includes bibliographical references and index.