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Lighthouse Adventures: Heroes, Haunts and Havoc on the Great Lakes
by Wes OleszewskiWithin these pages will be found short stories, long stories, technical descriptions, shipwrecks, acts of courage, fascinating drawings, details on how things worked, maps of where things are and were, photos, and generally something for everyone. There will be quick reading for the days that you desire just a taste of lighthouses, and long, detailed adventures for the times when you want to be transported to another place and era. You will read the fascinating details on how some of these lighthouses were constructed in projects that are still considered as feats of ingenuity. Technical and cutaway drawings from the United States Lighthouse Board will be found within these pages, reproduced from the original reports of more than a century ago. Along this path of discovery you will become acquainted with people and places that were our neighbors and neighborhoods long forgotten. In short, this text contains a wide range of lighthouse adventures from construction to shipwrecks to ghosts and hauntings. As with all of my writings of the Great Lakes, each one of these stories is completely factual and the result of detailed research. There is absolutely no fiction here; the adventures that you will be reading actually happened, the people named actually existed and their trials and tribulations really took place.
Westminster
by Westminster Historical SocietyIt almost was not Westminster. The small town in central Massachusetts was born to another name, that of Narragansett 2, and it was not for another twenty years that the area became known as Westminster. One early settler, Abner Holden, described it as "a howling wilderness." Today's Westminster is a charming Colonial town, with the impressive peak of Mount Wachusett overlooking its rolling hills and its pristine lakes and ponds.In Westminster, the story unfolds from the first settlers gathering on Academy Hill to weather the bleak early years to the joyous return of the soldiers from the bloody battles of World War II. It portrays the early inventive entrepreneurs, along with the sturdy men and women who made the town's blueberries famous and its chickens delicious. Savor the memories of the Westminster Cracker Factory and the golden corn fritters of the well-known Old Mill Restaurant, recall the bustling chair factory of Artemus Merriam, and remember the wartime heroes and eager faces of Westminster's children. Capture in Westminster the spirit of the town's residents joining together in celebration and tragedy, from the first festive centennial parade to the pain of devastating fires.
Westport (Images of America)
by Westport Historical SocietyThe town of Westport has long been tied to the sea. Its abundant rivers provided waterpower for cotton and iron manufacturing, and its protected harbor served as a base for the whaling and fishing industry. Since it was first settled in the 1670s, generations of farmers have worked Westport's soil, and agriculture remains an important part of this coastal community. Water continues to define this community, there is still an active commercial fishing fleet, waterfront cottages fill with summer residents, and day-trippers flock to the long sandy crescent of Horseneck Beach. Westport's beauty is not simply in its past but exists today in the well-preserved 18th- and 19th-century homes, the pristine landscape, and the rich community life of its villages.
Museums and Heritage Tourism: Theory, Practice and People
by White ChrisThis book examines the symbiotic relationship between museums, heritage attractions and tourism, using a range of international case studies. Divided into three clear sections, the author first outlines a theoretical framework for understanding the role of museums in heritage tourism, before addressing practical challenges of interpretation, design and pandemic response. Finally, he traces the development of museum and heritage attraction design through the key figures of John Ruskin, James Gardner and Alex McCuaig. Each chapter incorporates a key case study, with an international scope including examples from Hong Kong, the UK, Taiwan, Qatar, Dubai and Kuwait. An essential introduction for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in museum studies, heritage studies, and tourism management.
Cathedral Caverns (Images of America)
by Whitney A. SnowIn 1952, Jacob “Jay” Gurley explored a Marshall County, Alabama, curiosity known as Bat Cave. Amazed by its stalagmites and sheer enormity, he purchased the site and began transforming it into Cathedral Caverns, a spectacular tourist attraction that eventually became a national natural landmark in 1973 and a state park in 2000. Had it not been for Gurley’s hard work and dedication, this cave, a geological treasure of international renown, might have remained a little-known hole in the ground. His efforts impacted local and state tourism, economics, and politics. This is the story of one man and his vision.
Torrents As Yet Unknown: Daring Whitewater Ventures into the World's Great River Gorges
by Wickliffe W. WalkerA dramatic narrative tour of 10 of the world&’s most incredible whitewater adventures—spanning 5 continents and 40 years—guided by a legendary whitewater trailblazerThis fascinating history of daring whitewater explorers stands alongside classic works on mountaineering, outdoor survival, and extreme sportsPerfect for fans of Jon Krakauer&’s Into Thin Air and Candice Millard&’s River of the GodsIn 10 thrilling real-life adventure stories, pioneering whitewater explorer Wick Walker examines what lured a generation of incredibly daring pioneers into some of Earth&’s most wondrous yet forbidding river canyons:below Victoria Falls on the Zambezi, the Great Bend of the Tsangpo in Tibet, Tiger Leaping Gorge on the Yangtze, the flanks of Mount Everest, and more Loaded with great moments and personal stories, Wick details what these adventurers found there, and within themselves. The extraordinary characters, driven by different motives and visions, but united by their compulsion to seek the unknown and the pulse of free-flowing water, are as remarkable as the daunting geography and conditions they confront.Whitewater sport today stands side-by-side with mountaineering in participation and public attention, yet it has lagged in generating its own literature. Torrents As Yet Unknown will help fill that gap for readers interested in human drama played out against great natural challenges.Mountaineering history is deep and its literature rich, but whitewater adventurers approach and experience the same forbidding terrain from a different vantage, between the steep walls of their canyons and atop powerful torrents of cascading water.
Disaster at the Pole: The Tragedy of the Airship Italia and the 1928 Nobile Expedition to the North Pole
by Wilbur CrossThe true story of the harrowing wreck of the airship Italia during a polar expedition and the heroic rescue attempts to save her and her crew. This is an intriguing and heart-stopping account of the tragic aviation disaster of Commander Umberto Nobile, an Italian aeronautic engineer and airship designer, as he led an expedition to cross the North Pole in the dirigible airship, Italia. Nobile and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had previously led the first successful trip across the North Pole from Europe to America in the airship Norge, beating the attempts by American explorer Admiral Richard Byrd, during history's exciting period known as the Golden Age of Aviation. During an artic storm, the Italia suddenly crashed on an ice pack and the crew was stranded, leading to one of the world's greatest international search and rescue efforts, involving countries such as Russia, Norway, Italy, France and Great Britain.The story is both of the tremendous efforts and heroism of the many search and rescue expeditions, including internationally famous artic explorer Roald Amundsen, who was never seen again, as well as the courage and determination of Nobile and the Italia crew as they battled the elements of the polar ice fields for survival. The event also stirred international politics as Nobile was a well-known opponent to Mussolini's fascist regime and Mussolini is said to have thwarted the successful rescue of Nobile and his crew.In researching this book, author Cross personally went to Italy and interviewed Umberto Nobile as well as nine other survivors from the crash. He also worked with and interviewed the officers at the Norwegian airbase from which the Italia flew on its fatal flight. Additional information came from the Dartmouth University Institute of Artic Studies, including interviews with renowned artic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansseon, who personally knew General Nobile.
Backpacking California
by Wilderness PressBackpacking California is a collection of more than 70 of the most intriguing backpacking adventures in Wilderness Press's home territory of California. With contributions from more than a dozen Wilderness Press authors, the book describes routes ranging from one night to one week. Backpacking novices as well as "old hand" California hikers will find expert-crafted trips in the Coast Ranges, the Sierra, the Cascades, and the Warner Mountains. Expanded coverage includes trips in Big Sur, Anza-Borrego, Death Valley, and the White Mountains. Several trips have been described in print nowhere else. Each trip includes a trail map and essential logistical information for trip planning.
Yorktown, Virginia: A Brief History (Brief History)
by Wilford KaleYorktown's history is often overshadowed by its pivotal role in the Revolutionary War. The site of the British surrender has held several victory commemorations over the past two hundred years. Yorktown also was a thriving colonial port and the site of one of the biggest Union blunders in the Civil War. During Reconstruction, former slaves created a vibrant community called Slabtown on the edge of the hamlet. In the 1930s, the National Park Service began preserving the battlefield; what was for decades a sleepy village is now dominated by tourism, and nearby modern military installations have helped to give it new life. Join author Wilford Kale as he reveals the many facets of Yorktown.
Maine to Greenland
by William Fitzhugh Wilfred E. RichardMaine to Greenland is a testament to one of the world's great geographic regions: the Maritime Far Northeast. For more than three decades, William W. Fitzhugh and Wilfred E. Richard have explored the Northeast's Atlantic corridor and its fascinating history, habitat, and culture. The authors' powerful personal essays and Richard's stunning photography transport readers to this vibrant region, joining Smithsonian archaeological expeditions and trekking in vast and amazing terrain. Following Fitzhugh and Richard's travels north--from Maine to the Canadian Maritimes, Newfoundland and northern Quebec, then to Labrador, Baffin and Ellesmere islands, and Greenland--we view incredible landscapes, uncover human history, and meet luminous personalities along the way. Fully illustrated with 350 full-color photographs, Maine to Greenland is the first in-depth treatment of the Northeast Atlantic corridor and essential for armchair travelers, locals, tourists, or anyone who has journeyed there. Today green technology, climate change, and the opening of the Arctic Ocean have transformed the Maritime Far Northeast from an icy frontier into a global resource zone and an increasingly integrated international crossroads. In our rapidly converging world, we have much to learn from the Maritime Far Northeast and how its variety of cultures have adapted to rather than changed their environments during the past ten thousand years. Maine to Greenland is not only a complete account of the region's unique culture and environment, but also a timely reminder that amidst the very real consequences of climate change, the inhabitants of the Maritime Far Northeast can show us grounded and sustainable ways of living.
The Man and His Bike: Musings on life and the art of cycling
by Wilfried de JongThe world as seen from a bike'Understated, comic and melancholic... It’ll inspire you to get back on your bike.' Martin Love, The Guardian‘One of the most entertaining sports books I have ever read’ Joe Short, The Daily ExpressIn this award-winning collection of cycling tales, Wilfried de Jong uncovers the true soul of cycling – why we do it, why we watch it, why we hate it, why we love it – stripped bare.With his distinctly comic and melancholic charm Wilfried ponders life, love and death on his trusted bike, chasing the essence of our existence against the backdrop of major cycling events or while roaming alone in nature. Whether he is describing being ejected from Paris-Roubaix, a terminal incident with a bird while out riding, or explaining why he is standing stark naked on Belgian cobbles with a tyre in his hand, Wilfried unlocks a sport that involves so much pain, punishment, and a high probability of failure, but that will always liberate and inspire us.
Crown Heights and Weeksville (Images of America)
by Wilhelmena Rhodes KellyThe communities of Crown Heights and Weeksville are historically significant Brooklyn neighborhoods with foundations that trace back to New York's early founding. Revolutionary War skirmishes took place there, and following the emancipation of slaves in 1827, Weeksville became the site of one of New York's earliest independent African American townships. The hills of Brooklyn's Green Mountains hindered early settlement, and as a result a plethora of community institutions instead abounded in this far-flung outpost, including a penitentiary, hospitals, almshouses, old-age homes, convents, and monasteries. Traces of some of these early structures still remain. Using vintage images, Crown Heights and Weeksville chronicles the dynamic evolution of this area from rural township to the desirable center of culture, urban convenience, and architectural beauty.
Rambles Beyond Railways; or, Notes in Cornwall taken A-foot
by Wilkie CollinsWilliam Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was an English novelist, playwright, and writer of short stories. He was hugely popular in his time, and wrote 27 novels, more than 50 short stories, at least 15 plays, and over 100 pieces of non-fiction work. His best-known works are The Woman in White (1860), The Moonstone (1868), Armadale (1866) and No Name (1862). His works were classified at the time as 'sensation novels', a genre seen nowadays as the precursor to detective fiction and suspense fiction. He also wrote penetratingly on the plight of women and on the social and domestic issues of his time. His novel, No Name combined social commentary - the absurdity of the law as it applied to children of unmarried parents - with a densely-plotted revenge thriller. Amongst his other works are: Basil (1852), Hide and Seek (1854), After the Dark (1856), The Frozen Deep (1857), The Queen of Hearts (1859), Man and Wife (1870), The New Magdalen (1873), The Law and the Lady (1875), The Two Destinies (1876) and A Rogue's Life (1879).
Wilkinsburg
by Wilkinsburg Historical SocietyWilkinsburg, named for Gen. John Wilkins Jr., was incorporated as a borough in 1887. The village was founded on a 266-acre parcel purchased in 1789 by Col. Dunning McNair, who also laid the central street plan. After McNair's death in 1825, the village was purchased by James Kelly. Caring deeply about the social life of the community, Kelly donated the land for most of the schools, churches, and residences for the elderly. When Wilkinsburg was annexed by Pittsburgh in the early 1870s, Kelly financed the legal battle to have the decision reversed. Through historic photographs from the Wilkinsburg Historical Society and private collections, Wilkinsburg illustrates the development of one of the most historic communities in the region.
Selling the Sights: The Invention of the Tourist in American Culture (Early American Places #16)
by Will B. MackintoshA fascinating journey through the origins of American tourismIn the early nineteenth century, thanks to a booming transportation industry, Americans began to journey away from home simply for the sake of traveling, giving rise to a new cultural phenomenon —the tourist.In Selling the Sights, Will B. Mackintosh describes the origins and cultural significance of this new type of traveler and the moment in time when the emerging American market economy began to reshape the availability of geographical knowledge, the material conditions of travel, and the variety of destinations that sought to profit from visitors with money to spend. Entrepreneurs began to transform the critical steps of travel—deciding where to go and how to get there—into commodities that could be produced in volume and sold to a marketplace of consumers. The identities of Americans prosperous enough to afford such commodities were fundamentally changed as they came to define themselves through the consumption of experiences.Mackintosh ultimately demonstrates that the cultural values and market forces surrounding tourism in the early nineteenth century continue to shape our experience of travel to this day.
The Black Leopard: My Quest to Photograph One of Africa's Most Elusive Big Cats
by Will Burrard-LucasThis inspiring book tells the story of a photographer's journey to find the mysterious black leopard.There are few creatures as gorgeous and elusive as the black leopard. In Africa, these magnificent cats are so rare as to be the stuff of legend. Will Burrard-Lucas's love for leopards began during his childhood in Tanzania and propelled him into a career as a wildlife photographer. In his quest to create intimate portraits of animals, he developed innovative technology, including a remotely controlled camera buggy and a high quality camera trap system for photographing nocturnal creatures. Then, one day in 2018, he heard about sightings of a young African black leopard in Kenya and with the help of people from the local community, he succeeded in capturing a series of high-quality photographs of the elusive cat. In this compelling and visually stunning book, Burrard-Lucas tells his story of creativity, entrepreneurship, and passion for wild animals, alongside awe-inspiring images of lions, elephants, and the black leopard itself.• STAR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER: Will Burrard-Lucas's passion for nature and expertise in camera technology have earned him coverage from National Geographic, The New York Times, and the BBC—and over 1 million fans enjoy his breathtaking work online.• NATURE'S HIDDEN WONDERS: Black leopards are individual animals in whom a gene mutation results in excess melanin and an elegant black coat. Most are found in Southeast Asia, where lush vegetation offers them camouflage. In the semiarid shrub lands of Africa, black leopards are extraordinarily rare. Burrard-Lucas's images—showing these beautiful creatures prowling their territory under cover of night—are vivid reminders of nature's hidden wonders.• INCREDIBLE STORY: This is an adventure story that takes place in remote and wild corners of Africa. It reveals Burrard-Lucas's devotion, vision, and innovation that led to him capturing photos that are not only incredibly rare, but also breathtakingly beautiful.Perfect for:• Aspiring and professional photographers• Photography buffs• Nature and animal lovers• Big cat enthusiasts• Conservationists• National Geographic readers• Fans of memoir and adventure stories• Travelers to Eastern and Southern Africa
Swimming with Crocodiles: The True Story of a Young Man in Search of Meaning and Adventure Who Finds Himself in an Epic Struggle for Survival
by Will ChaffeyIn the tradition of Into the Wild, here is the riveting story of a young man seeking his own truth and finding adventure in the awesome, unforgiving power of nature. Will Chaffey is eighteen when he boards a plane in New York bound for Australia. Taking time off to work and travel, Will meets an enigmatic wanderer and herpetologist. Together they cross the inland desert to the tropical northwest coast, home to the saltwater crocodile, a known man- eater and a predator who has been hunting since the age of the dinosaurs. They devise a plan to explore the remote Prince Regent River, a trek so dangerous it had never been attempted by outsiders. Passing through harsh, primeval country, shadowed by their own exhaustion, and physically worn down, they find themselves locked in a life-and-death struggle when their food runs out and, unable to leave, they are stalked by a hungry crocodile. Filled with scenes of great natural beauty, Swimming with Crocodiles is at once the affecting account of a journey into adulthood and a hair- raising epic of survival.
Everest, Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World
by Will CockrellFeaturing original interviews with Everest mountain guides and climbers, this is &“a fast-moving, nuanced account of the peak&’s transformation from the ultimate mountaineering challenge into a booming business opportunity&” (Joshua Hammer, New York Times bestselling author). Anyone who has read Jon Krakauer&’s Into Thin Air or has seen a recent photo of climbers standing in line to get to the top of Everest may think they have a sense of what the world&’s highest mountain is like. It&’s an extreme landscape where bad weather and incredible altitude can kill; an overcrowded, trashed-out recreation destination; and a place where the rich exploit local Sherpas while padding their egos—and social media feeds. There&’s some truth to these clichés, but they&’re a sliver of the story. Unlike any book to date, Everest, Inc. is the definitive account of how a few daring entrepreneurs paired raw courage and naked ambition to get paying clients safely up and down Everest. Until the late eighties, such a thing was considered impossible. Within a few years, Everest guiding was a burgeoning industry. Today, ninety percent of the people on the mountain are clients or employees of guided expeditions. Studded with quotes from original interviews with more than a hundred Western and Sherpa climbers, clients, writers, and filmmakers—including Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker—Everest, Inc. foregrounds the colorful voices of the people who have made the mountain what it is today. As professional climber and author Freddie Wilkinson says, &“Whether you are thinking about taking a crack at the world&’s highest peak or are simply an armchair mountaineer trying to make sense of the complex dynamics driving the modern Everest industry, Everest, Inc. should be required reading.&”
Root Around Britain
by Will DonaldsonConveniently arranged in alphabetical order, from Abstractions (you'll find them on the Continent, of course') to Weather, Root Around Britain tells the story of a quest. A quest for the essence of Englishness; a quest for a new television series which Mr Root can sell to the fat man in Birmingham; a quest for a peerage and the right way to pay for it ('old money' or 'new money'?); and, finally, a quest for the means to humiliate a nosy neighbour. What could be more English than that?
Beyond Belfast
by Will FergusonOffbeat, charming, and filled with humour and insight, Beyond Belfast is the story of one man’s misguided attempt at walking the Ulster Way, “the longest waymarked trail in the British Isles.” It’s a journey that takes Will Ferguson through the small towns and half-forgotten villages of Northern Ireland, along rugged coastlines and across barren moorland heights, past crumbling castles and patchwork farms. From IRA pubs to Protestant marches, from bandits and bad weather to banshees and blood sausage, he wades into the thick of things, providing an affectionate and heartfelt look at one of the most misunderstood corners of the world. As the grandson of a Belfast orphan, Will also peels back the myths and realities of his own family history—a mysterious photograph, rumours of a lost inheritance. The truth, when it comes, is both surprising and funny …
The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-mile Horseback Journey into the Old West
by Will Grant"Spellbinding" (Douglas Preston) and "completely fascinating" (Elizabeth Letts), cowboy and journalist Will Grant takes us on an epic and authentic horseback journey into the modern West on an adventure of a lifetime. The Last Ride of the Pony Express boldly illuminates both our mythic fascination with the Pony Express, and how its spirit continues to this day. The Pony Express was a fast-horse frontier mail service that spanned the American West— the high, dry, and undeniably lonesome part of North America. While in operation during the 1860s, it carried letter mail on a blistering ten-day schedule between Missouri and San Francisco, running through a vast and mostly uninhabited wilderness. It covered a massive distance—akin to running horses between Madrid and Moscow— and to this day, the Pony Express is irrefutably the greatest display of American horsemanship to ever color the pages of a history book. Though the Pony Express has enjoyed a lot of traction over the years, among the authors that have attempted to encapsulate it, none have ever ridden it themselves. While most scholars would look for answers inside a library, Will Grant looks for his between the ears of a horse. Inspired by the likes of Mark Twain, Sir Richard Burton, and Horace Greeley, all of whom traveled throughout the developing West, Will Grant returned to his roots: he would ride the trail himself with his two horses, Chicken Fry and Badger, from one end to the other. Will Grant captures the spirit of the west in a way that few writers have. Along with rich encounters with the ranchers, farmers, historians, and businessmen who populate the trail, his exploits on horseback offer an intimate portrait of how the West has evolved from the rough and tumble 19th century to the present, and it&’s written with such intimacy that you&’ll feel as though you&’re riding right alongside of him. Along the way, he fights off wild mustangs wanting to steal his horses in Utah, camps with Peruvian sheepherders in the mountains, and even spends three days riding under the Top Gun aviator school in Nevada, which are just a handful of extraordinary tales Will Grant unveils as he makes his way across the treacherous and, at times, thrilling landscape of the known and unknown American West. The Last Ride of the Pony Express is a uniquely tenacious tale of adventure by a native son of the West who defies most modern conveniences to compass some two thousand miles on horseback. The result is an unforgettable narrative that will forever change how you see the West, the Pony Express, and America as a whole.
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
by Will GuidaraThe must-read New York Times bestseller that's redefining hospitality and inspiring readers in every industry. - Featured in FX's The Bear and Showtime's Billions- JP Morgan NextList PickWill Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world. How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation? Radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room—and memorable, over-the-top, bespoke hospitality. Guidara&’s team surprised a family who had never seen snow with a magical sledding trip to Central Park after their dinner; they filled a private dining room with sand, complete with mai-tais and beach chairs, to console a couple with a cancelled vacation. And his hospitality extended beyond those dining at the restaurant to his own team, who learned to deliver praise and criticism with intention; why the answer to some of the most pernicious business dilemmas is to give more—not less; and the magic that can happen when a busser starts thinking like an owner. Today, every business can choose to be a hospitality business—and we can all transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. Featuring sparkling stories of his journey through restaurants, with the industry&’s most famous players like Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer, Guidara urges us all to find the magic in what we do—for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve.
Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet
by Will HuntWhen Will Hunt was sixteen years old, he discovered an abandoned tunnel that ran beneath his house in Providence, Rhode Island. His first tunnel trips inspired a lifelong fascination with exploring underground worlds, from the derelict subway stations and sewers of New York City to the sacred caves, catacombs, and tombs, from bunkers to ancient underground cities in more than twenty countries around the world. Underground is both a personal exploration of Hunt’s obsession and a panoramic study of how we are all connected to the underground, how caves and other dark hollows have frightened and enchanted, repelled and captivated, us through the ages. <p><p> In a narrative spanning continents and epochs, Hunt follows a cast of subterranea-philes who have dedicated themselves to investigating underground worlds. He tracks the origins of life with a team of NASA microbiologists a mile beneath the Black Hills, camps out for three days with urban explorers in the catacombs and sewers of Paris, descends with an Aboriginal family into a 35,000-year-old sacred mine in the Australian outback, follows a ghostlike graffiti artist writing stories in the subway tunnels of New York, and glimpses a sacred sculpture molded by Paleolithic artists in the depths of a cave in the Pyrenees. <p> Each adventure is woven with findings in mythology and anthropology, natural history and neuroscience, literature and philosophy. In elegant and graceful prose, Hunt cures us of our “surface chauvinism,” opening our eyes to the planet’s hidden dimension. He reveals how the subterranean landscape gave shape to our most basic beliefs, including how we think about ourselves as humans. At bottom, Underground is a meditation on the allure of darkness, the power of mystery, and our eternal desire to connect with what we cannot see.
The Making of St. Petersberg (American Chronicles)
by Will MichaelsA wide-ranging history of this city on Florida&’s Gulf Coast, one of America&’s oldest, with numerous photos and maps included.The Making of St. Petersburg captures the character of this bay city through its past, from the Spanish clash with indigenous peoples to the creation of the downtown waterfront parks and grand hotels. Take a journey with local historian, preservationist, and former museum executive Will Michaels as he chronicles St. Petersburg&’s storied history, including the world&’s first airline, the birth of Pinellas County, and the good old American pastime, Major League Baseball. From hurricanes to home run king Babe Ruth, the people and events covered in this work paint a rich portrait of a coastal Florida city and capture St. Petersburg&’s unique sense of place.
The Old Man and the Sand Eel
by Will Millard'A wonderfully fluent account of how the strange magic of water and the beings that inhabit it can enchant and intoxicate' Chris YatesGrowing up on the Cambridgeshire Fens, Will Millard never felt more at home than when he was out with his granddad on the riverbank, whiling away the day catching fish. As he grew older his competitive urge to catch more and bigger fish led him away from that natural connection between him, his grandfather and the rivers of his home. That is, until the fateful day he let a record-breaking sand eel slip through his fingers and he knew that he had lost the magic of those days down by the river, and that something had to change. The Old Man and the Sand Eel is at its heart the story of three generations of men trying to figure out what it is to be a man, a father and a fisherman. It plots Will's scaly stepping stones back to his childhood innocence, when anything was possible and the wild was everywhere.***'[Will Millard] is a master wordsmith and his first book is a joyful testament to that' Isabelle Broom, Heat'[Will Millard] writes with a genuine sense of humility (...) humour and reflection' Kevin Parr, Countryfile 'Delightful and informative (...) beautifully drawn (...)The Old Man and The Sand Eel will be enjoyed by anyone who loves the challenge and mystery of baiting a hook and plopping it into the water' Spectator'This is post-modern nature writing that embraces beauty where it finds it and marvels at nature's tenacity (...) But there's more here than just fish. This is also a book about growing up, about how to retain a connection with those who raised you while forging your own identity - what to keep and what to discard. And it's about men. The strong surges of emotion that both draw them together and keep them apart, and the shared pastimes which recognise that intimacy and meaning aren't always accompanied by words' Olivia Edward, Geographical