Great way to learn about the history of Chesapeke Bay
931193
Its been years since I read Michener and I'd forgotten what a splendid author this man was.  His work will certainly continue to educate and enlighten those of us who wish to continue to learn about this earth.  We plan a trip to this area in the fall, and I found the book to really help my understanding of the people, the area, the Bay, and so many other things that I learned in this very pleasant manner.  I enjoyed the excerpt on Hawaii at the end of the book, and perhaps will revisit that book again.  His description of how Hawaii came to be was fascinating, and helps with other areas like Baja California and recent volcanic events.  Loved it.
536043
Enjoyable read with straight forward writing and good notes for references as to where the information came from.  This is a great overview of the "War on the Waters", with many quotes from the people who were there, for a real taste of the Civil War Navies. Now I want to find some drawings of the construction of the ships and the engines and the guns, so I can build some models!
2302150
I was born and raised in BC and am currently raising my own family, it was nice to read some of the history of how the town became what it is today. I knew some of the history but certainly learned a little more. Of course I recognize or  know many of the names mentioned, after the tragedies of Sandy it was nice to think of the beginning and to know we will rebuild bigger and better! Can't wait to share the book with my Mom.
98833
Whistle Up the Inlet truly lets you get the feel of the old time west coast of British Columbia. There were just no roads in the early days.  You took a boat to get from place to place.  It's a real treasure with its complete history of the many ships that plied from olace to place a century ago.  I only wish I had taken at least one trip up and down the coast with the Union Steamships. This book is a complete understanding of the early days.
389246
I have purchased and read just about every one of Colin Woodard's books, and this one is among my very favorites.
He has a way of combining present day Maine with historical Maine; Maine seen through his eyes, the eyes of those he interviews, and words written down centuries ago.  They all flow together seamlessly, creating a fluid history of this amazing state.
Perhaps it is because generations of my father's family have been born, lived and died in the Pine Tree state.
Maybe it is because I have fished and set lobster traps commercially in New England, and have seen the boom and collapse of the industry:the boom due to plentiful stocks of cod and other groundfish, and the collapse due to over fishing and poor fisheries management.
It might be in part because I know many of the places of which he speaks.
In the end, I think it is all of these, and maybe none of these.
Colin Woodard is simply the best writer of U.S. history I have read.
If you are looking for names and dates, you will find many here.  If you are recalling history as written in school textbooks, you are in for a very happy surprise.  His history books real like novels, but they are better.  Unlike James Michener's historical novels, however, all the information cited in Mr. Woodard's books is true.  The people and the events are real.  They happened, and many continue to happen to this day.
You will come away from reading this book with a hunger for more information.  Maybe, if you haven't visited coastal Maine, you will decide to do so.  And if you do visit Maine, or perhaps even live there, you will gain new insights into the forces, both natural and man made, that shaped this great state.
864656
My family owns one of the cottages in the area this author writes about, and I've been going to Nags Head since I was just a few months old. Rountree accurately captures the flavor and feeling of the area as I remember it, and as my grandparents remembered it (my grandfather first went to Nags Head in the 1930s.)
The book is filled with many black and white photos from as early as 1900, and has interviews with many of the locals whose families were among the earliest settlers along the beach. There are stories told of names like the Midgett family, Rev. Drane, the Nixons, Ras Wescott, the Buchanans, the Rascoes, Carolista Baum, and of course, the cottage builder S.J. Twine.
This book would be a pleasure to own for any who remember the "good old days", when families traipsed down the sand from one cottage to another for a cocktail party every night; when mothers would come to the beach with the kids for the whole summer and fathers joined them on weekends; when Harris's grocery store was the best (and only!) place to buy your freshly ground hamburger; dancing at the Casino; driving Jeeps on Jockey's Ridge; pig picks and clambakes on the beach; the days before Nags Head was quite so filled with tourists and more populated by summer people. It's a real trip down memory lane, and I recommend it highly.
3414060
Love a good read about early whaling, here are many real accounts of that time, some nice pics too, buy it, read it.
2124325
I enjoyed this book a lot.  It's a great photo-history collection covering the development of Long Island and its golf courses.

What I liked most was that it covered the well-known Long Island clubs as well as the lesser known public courses and the clubs that disappeared long ago.  I grew up near Lido Beach and didn't realize the Lido Club had such an interesting backstory.  I also have family near Timber Point and wasn't aware that public course used to be a very exclusive private club.  It also goes into detail about courses like Bethpage, Montauk Downs, Eisenhower Park, Shinnecock and others.  Some cool aerial photos too, like one showing Mitchel Field surrounded by golf courses.

I'd recommend it to anyone interested in golf history, whether from Long Island or not.  And if you play on Long Island, there's plenty in there about today's popular courses.
756405
I wish we had this book available when we took a rapid tour of the precolumbian areas of Mexico and Guatemala in 1998.

I think the author did an excellent job of summarizing the history of the area as well as describing the recent "rediscovery" of the areas.  Also, he delves into the geology of "jade" and the techniques of measuring various parameters, which I found interesting.

I had no idea what the green material, being shown in a local shop was at the time.  We purchased an interesting mask and (assuming my mask really is jade) this book adds another dimension to my understanding of it.

John Rich
2871817
A wonderful, easy to read history, going back as far as the geologic formation of Florida, explaining how it got its unusual shape. It's a good reminder that Florida's history is different from that of the largely English-settled northeastern US we usually think of as the sole source of early American history. The book makes a great gift for "snowbirders" who may just drive through or fly over and forget to delve into how the state became what it is. It's written in a way that a student can easily grasp and could be used by schools. I've enjoyed reading it bit by bit while sitting under the shade of a Florida palm!
2667005
My Short gave us an autographed copy of this book, as well as The cheechakos. Great read about early Alaska.
4496944
As a relative "newcomer" to the Lowcountry, I appreciate the value of this book in learning the colloquial pronunciations of local names.  I also like the bits of history written about each name.  I have purchased several copies of this book for friends, one of whom is a native of the area, and they have all enjoyed the book very much.
4921884
What an interesting book.  Thoroughly enjoyed looking thru the book especially reading short descriptions of each lighthouse including the year they where built. The photos are great using many different angles and at night,daylight,sunset,sunrise and more.  I especially enjoyed the short descriptions of each lighthouse  I like to pick up the book while I am watching TV to thumb thru and enjoy yet not have to get deeply into reading too much information.  Well worth the price.
1702230
Great book on the history of Daufuskie Island.  We where there in September and took a tour.  We loved the island very much and especially the history. We had to have the book.
4737024
I am really enjoying this litle book.  I have been going to Rehoboth Beach with family each summer for 30 years, and have taken different routes and taken different drives.  I have learned so much from the book.  It's just enough to be enjoyable, not a 'textbook' type read.  If there's something I want to know more about, I can do some research.  I was born in Wilmington (DE) and it's fun to learn more about the state.  I've always known there's a big difference between the northern end and the southern part - didn't realize the south has a rich history too.
3872163
What a great trip through history on the Chesapeake. As an Oyster Police/Oyster War historian, I highly recommend reading this.
1758897
Having spent many summers on the Cape and still a frequent visitor, I am interested in the history of the Cape's tourism. This book is an interesting, concise, easy-to-read history of the Cape's appeal and how tourism has evolved. If you are interested in the Cape's past, present and future, this is a book for you.