The Flying Dutchman (Dutch: De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship that can never make port and is doomed to sail the oceans forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century golden age of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The oldest extant version has been dated to the late 18th century. Sightings in the 19th and 20th centuries reported the ship to be glowing with ghostly light. If hailed by another ship, the crew of the Flying Dutchman will try to send messages to land, or to people long dead. In ocean lore, the sight of this phantom ship is a portent of doom.
The authors mix historical details and an authentic story into an immersive adventure. The fascinating legend of the Flying Dutchman really comes to life in the album. At the same time, an impressive picture is sketched of the Golden Age with the powerful VOC as a world company with branches all over the world. You witness the unimaginable story of Willem Vanderdecken, the sympathetic sailor from Terneuzen, who became the most feared captain of all time. Breathlessly you follow the unveiling of the mystery surrounding the curse of The Flying Dutchman. Why did De Vliegende Hollander want to go sailing on Easter morning and what is in the letters that he has been offering to passing ships for centuries? Discover the mystery in this impressive epic about love, pirates, naval battles and deception in the past and present, brought to life by Marc Verhaegen's drawing talent.
