Select Subject Pages Using Blue Buttons on Left Side of Page Below

Monthly Special Sales! 

10% - 50% off on select items or pages.

Select Subject Pages   Below:

This Month's Catalogue Page.  

Items Just Received

Books by Tom Tag

SS Portland

Portland Gale

Pendleton Fort Mercer 1952 Chatham

Lighthouse Blog

Climate Change

Fall Sale Hundreds of Arcadia Publishing Titles!

Sale! 

All of our Arcadia Publishing Company Lighthouse, Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard titles in stock, dated 2015 or earlier are 50% off suggested retail price.  No other discounts may apply. 

All pre-2016 Arcadia titles in the listings below and on Page 2 are included in the above sale. Or you may email for a list. 

3101. Hartman, Capt Jeffrey D. USCG (Retired). U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Arcadia. 2020. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. The predecessor of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Revenue Marine (later Revenue Cutter Service)  was formed to enforce the U.S. customs laws. The officers for the service were drawn from the merchant marine, and occasionally the U.S. Navy. To ensure consistent training as the services evolved, the original Revenue Cutter School Of Instruction became the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, moving to its present location in New London, Connecticut, in 1932. Prior to that, instruction had been afloat on four different vessels, known as cutters, and ashore in New Bedford, Massachusetts; Curtis Bay, Maryland; and Fort Trumbull in New London. The training has grown from a two-year program, providing primarily practical seamanship, to one of the highest ranked small engineering undergraduate schools in the nation, offering nine majors and graduating male and female officers with a liking for the sea and its lore. The author Capt. Jeffrey D. Hartman, USCG (retired) is a helicopter pilot with 30 years of service. He graduated from the academy in 1963. He twice served on the US Coast Guard Academy Alumni Board of Directors, commanded an air station in Puerto Rico and had four tours in Alaska, including management of the emergency response program for the state waters. This compact volume features numerous early photographs, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. Filled with rare and early views. (M). $21.99.

3103. Hudson River Maritime Museum. Hudson River Lighthouses. Arcadia. 2019. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. The Hudson River, as beautiful as it is, has its dangers. To help river traffic navigate safely, there were once dozens of lighthouses up and down the length of the river. Set against the backdrop of purple mountains, lush hillsides, and tidal wetlands, the lighthouses of the Hudson River were built between 1826 and 1921 to improve navigational safety on a river teeming with freight and passenger traffic. But unlike the towering beacons of the seacoasts, these river lighthouses were architecturally diverse, ranging from short conical towers to elaborate Victorian houses. Operated by men and women who at times risked and lost their lives in service of safe navigation, these beacons have overseen more than a century of extraordinary technological and social change. Of the dozens of historic lighthouses and beacons that once dotted the Hudson River, just eight remain, including the iconic Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor's great monument to freedom and immigration, which served as an official lighthouse between 1886 and 1902. These facts and more fill Images of America: Hudson River Lighthouses, one of the latest in the beautiful series of local lore. This compact volume features numerous early photographs, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. Filled with rare and early views. (M). $21.99.

3102. Gendell, David. Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse: A Chesapeake Bay Icon. History Press. 2020. 206p. Soft wraps. Well illustrated with vintage photographs. For centuries, the hard-packed shoal at Thomas Point menaced Chesapeake Bay mariners. Even after two separate stone towers were built on the shoreline, sailors continued to request a light at the end of the mile-long shoal. When a new lighthouse was finally approved in 1873, experts deemed its novel design too fragile for the location—but it was built anyway. Long overdue and of an inappropriate design, the iconic Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse was lit in November 1875 and continues to serve mariners. Thomas Point is the last Chesapeake Bay screwpile-style lighthouse in its original location and one of only twelve American lighthouses designated as a National Historic Landmark. Join Annapolis sailor David Gendell as he explores Thomas Point. This compact volume features numerous early photographs, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. (M). $21.99.

3026. Charlet, James D. Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: Dramatic Rescues and Fantastic Wrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. 2020. Rowman & Littlefield. 264p. Stiff wraps. More than 6,000 ships have met their doom in the waters along the North Carolina coast, weaving a rich history of tragedy, drama and heroics along these picturesque beaches. Men have lost their lives and fortunes, and heroes have been made where the combination of mixing currents, treacherous coastline and shifting underwater sandbars spells disaster for even the most seasoned sailor. These are the stories of daring rescues, tragic failures, enduring mysteries, buried treasure, and fascinating legend. Unlike conventional shipwreck books which are simply arranged chronologically, this is a themed-collection: The Well-Known, The Lesser-Known, The Hardly Known, some Dramatic Failures and the Mysterious. Some specific wrecks – the Tiger, the USS Huron, the SS Central America – so impacted our history as to forever alter our fate. All are true stories more about the rescues than the wrecks; the real-life human drama of shipwreck victims and their heroic lifesavers. In their time, the men of the United States Life-Saving Service responded to over 178,000 lives in peril from the sea; of which they saved over 177,000. Yet America all but forgot these peaceful heroes. These eye-opening accounts once again bring their stories to light. (M). Published at $26.95. Our price $24.95.

3061. Henry, Ellen J. The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse: An Illustrated History. 2019. Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association. 317p. DJ. THE PONCE INLET LIGHTHOUSE: An Illustrated History tells the story of the Ponce (originally Mosquito) Inlet Light Station and the local Florida region from prehistoric times through the present day. Published by the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association, this extraordinary hardcover coffee table book is the definitive history of the Ponce Inlet Light Station and represents more than 15 years of research conducted by author and museum curator Ms. Ellen Henry. The book features more than 400 images to bring it all to life and is filled with fascinating stories of human perseverance, lighthouse innovation, Native American uprisings, civil war battles, desperate shipwrecks, lighthouse builders defying the elements, heroic sea rescues, and the lives of the light station's historic keepers and their families. Well done. (M). $49.95

3087. Scee, Trudy Irene. Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. History Press. 2020. Soft wraps. 158p. Illustrated with 144 photos and images. Pemaquid Point Lighthouse was first constructed in 1827 and still sends its beam out seventy-nine feet above sea level. Light keepers kept the lanterns burning from the 1820s through the 1930s, but they could not prevent every tragedy. Ships have crashed on the rocky shoals, taking sailors to their watery graves, while many others have been swept off the rocks by the powerful surf. Despite advances in technology and automation, the shore around the light remains a dangerous place. Author and historian Trudy Irene Scee uncovers the fascinating story of this iconic Maine lighthouse, its keepers and their families, from the construction of the first light through the present day. (M). $21.99.  (x)

3030. Clifford, Mary L. and J. Candace Clifford. When the Southern Lights Went Dark - The Lighthouse Establishment During the Civil War. Globe Pequot. 2020. 192p. Soft wraps. The Confederacy extinguished the lights in all the lighthouses it controlled long before any shots were fired at Fort Sumter. When the Southern Lights Went Dark: The Lighthouse Establishment During the Civil War tells the story of the men who assumed the daunting task of finding the lenses and lamps, repairing deliberate destruction to the towers and lightships, and relighting them as soon as the Navy could afford them protection. From Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke Light, Jupiter Inlet to Tybee Island, St. Simons to Cockspur Island and others, these are the stories from a unique era in United States lighthouse history. Unlike in peace time, when military officers filled the posts of engineer and inspector in each lighthouse district, civilians had to be found who were not only talented enough to build and maintain lighthouses, but also could supervise a party of workmen and make decisions on their own. Those men in the field had to find keepers, see that they were paid, and ensure they had food, water, and essential supplies. The Lighthouse Board was far away in Washington and could do little more than give advice, order needed equipment, record the dispatches from the field, and pay the bills it received. From Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke Light, Jupiter Inlet to Tybee Island, St. Simons to Cockspur Island and others, these are the stories from a unique era in United States lighthouse history. Well done. (M). $19.95. (available 2021) 

20404. Hamilton, Harlan.., LIGHTS AND LEGENDS – A HISTORICAL GUIDE TO LIGHTHOUSES  OF LONG ISLAND SOUND, FISHERS ISLAND SOUND AND BLOCK ISLAND SOUND. Stamford , Ct. 1987. 286pp. Soft wraps. Impressive reference work covers the 39 light stations that existed in the area. Includes all manor if information from construction information, major alterations and characteristics of the lights that existed there, to information about the keepers work there. Well illustrated with over 50 vintage photographs. Also includes chapters on lighthouse technology, lens apparatus, types of lights and characteristics, and more. A most excellent reference for this area. (M). $17.95.

3018. Schwain, Kristin and Josephine Stealey. Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America. Schiffer. 2017. DJ. 208p. Lavishly illustrated with over 250 superb color photographs. This book unfolds a history of American basketry, from its origins in Native American, immigrant, and slave communities to its contemporary presence in the fine art world. Ten contributing authors from different areas of expertise insightfully show how baskets convey meaning through the artists' selection of materials; the techniques they use; and the colors, designs, patterns, and textures they employ. Accompanying a museum exhibition of the same name, the book illustrates how the processes of industrialization changed the audiences, materials, and uses for basketry. It also surveys the visual landscape of basketry today; while some contemporary artists seek to maintain and revive traditions practiced for centuries, others combine age-old techniques with nontraditional materials to generate cultural commentary. This comprehensive treasury will be of vital interest to artists, collectors, curators, and historians of American basketry, textiles, and sculpture. (M). $29.95.

3029. Hendrickson, Dyke. New England Coast Guard Stories: Remarkable Mariners. 2020. The History Press. 144p. Soft wraps. In 1790, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton asked President George Washington to fund a fleet of "revenue cutters" that could halt smuggling and collect taxes in U.S. waters. Today, from northern Maine to southern Connecticut, the Coast Guard provides the might and the oversight to ensure that the coastlines are safe and navigable. From icebreaking and harrowing rescues to the global war on terror, the service plays a unique role in the region. Author Dyke Hendrickson profiles the varied careers and contributions of the brave men and women throughout New England who ensure the service remains Semper Paratus-Always Ready. Great reading. (M). $21.99.

3024. Conway, J. North. Wreck of the Portland: A Doomed Ship, A Violent Storm, and New England's Worst Maritime Disaster. Rowman & Littlefield. 2019. 201p. Stiff wraps. The SS Portland was a solid and luxurious ship, and its loss in 1898 in a violent storm with some 200 people aboard was later remembered as "New England's Titanic." The Portland was one of New England's largest and most luxurious paddle steamers, and after nine years' solid performance, she had earned a reputation as a safe and dependable vessel. In November 1898, a “perfect storm” formed off the New England coast. Conditions would produce a blizzard with 100 mile per hour winds and 60-foot waves that pummeled the coast. At the time there was no radio communication between ships and shore, no sonar to navigate by, and no vastly sophisticated weather forecasting capacity. The luxurious SS Portland, a sidewheel steamer furnished with chandeliers, red velvet carpets and fine china, was carrying more than 200 passengers from Boston to Portland, Maine, over Thanksgiving weekend when it ran headlong into a monstrous, violent gale off Cade Cod. It was never seen again. All passengers and crew were lost at sea. More than half the crew on board were African Americans from Portland. Their deaths decimated the Maine African American community. Before the storm abated it became one of the worst ever recorded in New England waters. The storm, now known as "The Portland Gale," killed 400 people along the coast and sent more than 200 ships to the bottom, including the doomed Portland. To this day it is not known exactly how many passengers were aboard or even who many of them were. The only passenger list was aboard the vessel. As a result of this tragedy, ships would thereafter leave a passenger manifest ashore. Author J. North Conway has painstakingly recreated the events, using first-hand sources and testimonies to weave a dramatic, can't-put-it down narrative in the tradition of Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm and Walter Lord's enduring classic, A Night to Remember. He brings the tragedy to life with contemporaneous accounts the Life-Saving Service, from Boston newspapers such as the Globe, Herald, and Journal, and from The New York Times and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. (M). $26.95.

(image not included)

1910. Galluzzo, John. By Resolution and Perseverance: The History of the Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2017. CreateSpace. 143p. Soft wraps. The Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the oldest lifesavig organization in the United States, preceding even the parent agencies of the United States Coast Guard. Formed in 1785, inspired by the notion that the "apparently drowned" could be revived, the Humane Society took lifesaving of mariners in distress at sea to the next level with the construction of the first American shore-based lifeboat in 1807. Volunteers living under the motto "I'd like to think that if I was out there, someone would come for me" bent over the oars for the next century and rowed into the teeth of the biggest storms the Massachusetts coast has ever seen, as sailing ships headed for shore. Join veteran lifesaving history author John Galluzzo for the history of the 18th century founders, the 19th century heroes and the 20th and 21st century champions of the Humane Society cause of preserving life along the Massachusetts coast. One of the few references on this important organization. (M). $29.95. 

3025. Larson, Erik. The Splendid and the Vile - A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz. 2020. 586p. Crown Pub. DJ. The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and The Devil in the White City delivers a startlingly fresh portrait of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz. On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons (30,000 of them Londoners) and destroying two million homes. It was up to Churchill to hold the country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally–that she was willing to fight to the end. In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinksmanship but also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country house, Chequers, and his wartime residence, Ditchley, where Churchill and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest. Drawing on a wealth of untapped sources, including recently declassified files, intelligence reports, and personal diaries only now available, Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their daughters, Sarah, Diana, and the youngest, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; her illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the cadre of close advisors who comprised Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” including his dangerously observant private secretary, John Colville; newspaper baron Lord Beaverbrook; and the Rasputin-like Federick Lindemann. The Splendid and the Vile takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when–in the face of unrelenting horror–Churchill’s eloquence, strategic brilliance, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together. (M). Published at $32. Our price $29.95.

1961.Hutchinson, John. Bertie’s Adventure to Monomoy Point. Hummingbird 2019. 195p Still wraps. Illustrated by the author. This 3rd Book in the Bertie Series is Published & Ready for the Holiday Season! This long-awaited addition to the Bertie series continues the enjoyable escapades of Bertie the field mouse and his cousin Benjie. This time, the daring duo undertake an expedition driving an old, wooden-bodied station wagon in a beach adventure. Along the way, the fearless mice outsmart deadly enemies, survive a powerful storm and rescue a damsel in distress while finding time to catch fish and camp in the dunes. The book is beautifully illustrated by the author, who lovingly brings to life the days when you could venture onto Monomoy Beach in Chatham on Cape Cod with your beach wagon, and drive nine plus miles to the lighthouse at the very tip in search of adventure and monstrous striped bass. It’s a grand adventure, told with insight and passion that will captivate the hearts of readers, young and old. Priced at just $25. (no discounts apply) (M)

1914. Estrada, Eduardo J. Tribulations Of A Lighthouse Service: A Story Of The Lighthouses Of Ecuador. Self. 2016. 285p. Soft wraps. Peaceful, lonely and stoic is how one imagines the life of lighthouse keepers, who were the visible side of the Service. Intrigue, jealousy, death, hate, weakness, bureaucracy, money; as well as love, purpose, dedication, generosity, and passion were in the invisible side of those who decided where to install, build and then administer the Lighthouse Services around the world. But while living the whole range of human emotions and experiences, they served the rest of humanity with unrelenting work and self-sacrifice. This book will take us to a far-away land and back to the 19th Century, where things were as different to those at home as we could imagine. Knowing the story of a foreign lighthouse service and revisiting their trials and tribulations, will help us to better understand and appreciate how and why things happen in our own land. While some situations are similar no matter where you look, we can find striking differences. "The Tribulations of a Lighthouse Service," is a small sample of the trials and tribulations that most, if not all, lighthouse services of the world had to endure at the time of their golden age, when Fresnel lens illuminated the world's coasts. (M). $28.

1841. Reiche, Ford S. Halfway Rock Light Station – A Granite Ledge 9.5 NM East of Portland, Maine. Presumpscot Foundation. 2018. 192p. Soft wraps. Illustrated with 240 historic and contemporary photos. Written by Ford S. Reiche, the man who purchased and restored the lonely and once doomed Halfway Rock lighthouse that sits on a rocky outcropping off the rugged coast of Maine. Perched midway across the mouth of Casco Bay on a barren ledge of two acres, Halfway Rock Light Station is a remote, wave-swept beacon, nearly inaccessible and totally exposed to the ravages of Mother Nature. Built in 1871 to guide mariners approaching Portland Harbor, the lighthouse was finally automated in 1976 and thereafter, maintenance was limited to the bare essentials required to keep the light and fog horn functioning. Declared surplus government property in 2014, Halfway Rock Light Station was offered at auction and purchased by Ford Reiche in 2015. In this book, Reiche surveys the historical background of early light stations and chronicles the lives and duties of lighthouse keepers. He then describes the adventure of restoring the property, with compelling “before and after” photos. Thoroughly illustrated and well described, this detailed work makes wonderful reading. Well done! Shipped directly from the author. (M). $30.00 plus $5.00 shipping. (x)

1977. Taylor, Charlotte. Rhode Island Shipwrecks. Arcadia. 2017. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. Rhode Island, the Ocean State, has more shipwrecks per square mile than any other state. The south coast and Block Island are the resting places of many shipwrecks, with many more located in Narragansett Bay. The record of shipwrecks in Rhode Island begins immediately after the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century with the grounding of a Dutch trading vessel, and thousands more vessels came to grief in its waters in the following centuries, through bad weather, human error, equipment failure, and military action. Some of these shipwrecks were epic disasters, with many fatalities and the total loss of the vessel; others were relatively minor misfortunes in which the ships were salvageable. Many shipwrecks from the 19th century on into the 20th were captured in the dramatic images gathered here. These pictures show the variety of vessels that travelled Rhode Island's waters back when the ocean was the primary transportation corridor and the many ways in which they met misfortune. This compact volume features numerous early photographs, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99.

1978. Hartman, Capt. Jeffrey D. USCG (Retired). Icebreaking Alaska. Arcadia. 2014. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. The Arctic is a place of great challenges and great rewards. A century ago, it was whale oil; today, it is motor oil. The increasing open water in the warmer months is attracting cruise ships to tour the Arctic. Significant offshore oil and natural gas deposits are of great interest to an oil-dependent economy. But the history of the Arctic is full of surprises for the unwary and the unprepared, despite native peoples having managed to live there for thousands of years. Oil spills or maritime emergencies can—and do—arise a long way off from assistance. Legendary Arctic storms are, if anything, becoming more intense and dangerous. All this is in an area inaccessible by roads or by sea except for icebreakers the majority of the year. It is of extreme interest to the US Coast Guard, charged with protecting seafarers, enforcing laws, and facilitating commerce. This compact volume features numerous early photographs, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99.

1819. Brigham, Chester. Ten Pound Island: Where the Coast Guard Earned Its Wings. 2018. Whale’s Jaw Pub. 142p. Soft wraps. It was the 1920s, and flapper-age fervor was in high gear in Gloucester, Massachusetts, fueled by illegal booze flowing into every cove and beach from rum row vessels off-shore. Here are tales of the police chief who dressed as a flapper to infiltrate bootleg circles, and of the convicted bootleggers who, after their stay in a federal penitentiary, were welcomed back to town with a reception at the train station, complete with brass band. With local law enforcement outmatched, the Coast Guard set up a cutter station to combat the rum runners. In charge was young Lieutenant Commander C.C. Von Paulsen. This experienced ship's officer did his best with the pursuit boats under his command, but was frustrated that so many fast rum boats still got by. He knew a better way. Not only a seasoned mariner, Von Paulsen was an aviator - one of the first Coast Guard pilots. With encouragement from higher ups but no funding, he scrambled together a makeshift seaplane base in Gloucester harbor, sharing a tiny island with a lighthouse, the lighthouse keeper's family, and a government fish hatchery. He borrowed a bi-wing seaplane from the Navy and, along with Ensign Leonard Melka, they flew a relentless schedule of patrols that year, scanning thousands of miles of coastal waters to spot rum ships and radio his patrol boats to take up the chase. The results convinced hardened sea officers and Washington politicians alike that there was a role for the Coast Guard in the air. Von Paulsen was granted funding and more planes to expand his shoestring operation on Ten Pound Island into the Coast Guard's first permanent air station. Although bootleg whiskey still found its way into Gloucester, the sea lanes were largely cleared of mob-financed hooch delivery ships. The aircraft on the island were then free to concentrate on search and rescue, and on supporting early efforts, daring and sometimes tragic, to fly across the Atlantic. (M). $22.95.

1826. Grant, R. G. Sentinels of the Sea: A Miscellany of Lighthouses Past. Thames & Hudson Ltd., 2018. 160p. Stiff wraps. Lighthouses have always unsettled and attracted in equal measure, highlighting the triumphs and failures in humanitys battle with the forces of nature. Taking as its heroes the lighthouses themselves, Sentinels of the Sea describes the engineering genius that allowed their construction on even the smallest of rock outcrops and the innovations that made the lights so powerful and reliable. Intricate, elegant architectural plans and elevations, and evocative period drawings and photographs showcase the innovative designs and technologies behind fifty historic lighthouses built around the world from the 17th to the 20th century. R.G. Grants engaging and authoritative text chronicles the incredible feats of engineering and endurance that brought these iconic, isolated towers into being, the advances in lens technology that made the lights so effective, and the everyday routines of the lighthouse keepers and the heroic rescues that some performed. Packed with extraordinary stories of human endeavour, desperate shipwrecks, builders defying the elements and heroic sea rescues, the book also reveals the isolation and vulnerability of the dedicated lighthouse keepers. Over 400 wonderful color illustrations. Most interesting – well worth the price. (M). $48. (x)

1816. Holden, William C III. Mark Island – Songs of a Dreamer – Lighthouse Diaries. Self published. 2016. 288p. Soft wraps. Roaring Bull, a ledge awash in only 3 feet of water at mean low tide, lies in eastern Frenchman Bay. When it’s blowing hard from the northwest and a heavy sea is running from the south, the waves strike the shoals, sending the white foam up and billowing back like a bridal train. That particular display of the North Atlantic’s might is just one of the many dramas and memorable moments William C. Holden III experienced while living for much of each year for a decade on Mark Island off the western shore of Winter Harbor on the Schoodic Peninsula. The largely treeless isle also is home to the Winter Harbor Light, which was deactivated in 1933. During his years on the island, Holden poured his energy (and money) into restoring the lighthouse, lighthouse keeper’s house, workshop, oil house, henhouse, outhouse, boathouse, ways and pier. He also read, cooked, painted and even lazed around a bit. All was recorded in a daily diary kept most days. Twelve years after selling the island in 2004, Holden has produced this  book chronicling his decade-long adventure. Filled with the author’s photos, drawings and more as well as numerous excerpts from his detailed logbook. (M). $38. (x)

1854. Heglin, Suzan K., Paula The Lighthouse Years. 2005. 338p. Soft wraps. Paula The Lighthouse Years based on a true story. If you were a woman in the 1930's living in a developing, war torn country, your family and friends, your history and culture, limited what you could be. But only your own level of personal courage limited who you were or how far you could go. Paula, the Lighthouse Years, is the true story of Paula, the Estonian mail order bride of an Alaskan Lighthouse keeper. Despite his abuse and near madness, they keep lights along the rugged Alaskan coast in the 1930's, encountering families, foreigners, fools and phantoms. It's the story of one woman's life, but it is also history, adventure, technology, and culture. Paula does not dare hope for love, but love finds Paula in this touching, thrilling, true journey through one woman's life. The lights that she and her husband were stationed at include Point Retreat, Guard Island, and Tree Point. (M). $29. (x)

17177. Adams, Bradley K. Cockspur Island : A Novel of the Coast Guard. 2012. Self published. 444p. Soft wraps. Bradley Adams is twenty-five year veteran of the United States Coast Guard. He has served at numerous Coast Guard units in Georgia, Michigan, Illinois and California, spending eleven years as an Officer in Charge of Coast Guard Small Boat Stations. Set in Savannah, Georgia, "Cockspur Island: A Novel of the Coast Guard" is an original work of fiction from Bradley K. Adams, the first book in the Hank Morgan Series and the first in a series of books that focuses exclusively on the Coast Guard. In the wake of a hurricane, Hank Morgan and his crew discover the remnants of a failed, fatal, drug deal. As the story unfolds, Hank, his crew and their families are pursued by ruthless drug runners who are convinced that the "Coasties" have taken their money. The action, adventure and intrigue ramp up as you, the reader, share in the peril and are left guessing as to Hank's fate and the true holder of the stolen riches. "Cockspur Island: A Novel of the Coast Guard" is a page turning, edge of the seat thriller sure to leave the reader eager for the next chapter in Hank Morgan's career. (M). $27.

1829. Collin, David R. Life and Death on Little Ross: The Story of an Island, a Lighthouse and its Keepers. Whittles Publishing. 2017. 240p. Soft wraps. Scotland’s Little Ross is an attractive and unspoiled island and its lighthouse, beautifully designed by the famous Stevenson family, is officially a 'lesser' light, far away from busy sea lanes, at the summit of this remote island.The island was unknown to most people until 1960 when a murder in the lighthouse buildings brought it widespread notoriety, to the grief and consternation of all who were involved. The author was at the island on the day of the murder, and was a witness in the High Court trial that followed. Over the subsequent 57 years, he has repeatedly been asked to tell his story but the 117 years of diligent tending of the light by numerous lighthouse keepers and their families has been largely forgotten. In Life and Death on Little Ross, the author has redressed the balance by telling the story of the island, its lighthouse and its people who lived and worked there including extracts from a detailed diary that has survived from WWI. Also featured are the island's earliest inhabitants, the ships and their crews that came to grief, the case made by concerned local people for a lighthouse to be erected, the political wrangling that frustrated its approval for many years, the lighthouse design, and the eventual construction of the buildings.The story did not end with the murder. The process of automation began immediately after the event and the work of conversion, repair and maintenance, including first-hand accounts by some of the tradesmen is provided. The story of the restoration and conversion of the lighthouse keepers' derelict cottages is one of courage, patience, stamina, skill and resourcefulness which should inspire all of the many people that love wild, beautiful and unspoiled places like Little Ross Island and care about the future of buildings of distinction. Illustrated with period photos. (M). $39. (x)

1810. Baldwin, Debra & Lighthouse Digest Magazine. Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. Arcadia. 2018. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. Built in 1880, Oregon's Tillamook Rock Lighthouse has had the most notorious reputation of any lighthouse on the Pacific Coast of the United States. Fierce storms regularly catapulted huge boulders through the lantern, with waves that broke over its 136-foot height earning it the modern nickname "Terrible Tilly." It has been described as a pint-sized Alcatraz, and many keepers could not stand its confinement. However, there were some who actually enjoyed it and even came to love it. A rare glimpse of the more pleasant side of daily life on "the Rock" is shown in newly rediscovered historic photographs taken by the keepers who faithfully served there. This important visual legacy serves to temper the horrific view of Terrible Tilly and provides a new perspective: that perhaps an assignment to Tillamook Rock Lighthouse was not so wholly terrible after all. This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1880’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. Filled with early views. Thoroughly researched, well done! (M). $23.99.

1859. Ketenheim, Bob. Coast Guard Cutter Taney. Arcadia. 2018. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. The Taney was one of seven Secretary-class cutters built for the US Coast Guard during the Great Depression. Commissioned in 1936, she served continuously for 50 years, including service in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The Taney was in Honolulu during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, and participated in the defense of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. During World War II, she saw service in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. The Taney spent several years on ocean weather station duty in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Later, she patrolled the East Coast of the United States, performing drug interdiction duties. The Taney is the only surviving ship that was present during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. She was decommissioned in 1986 and has since been a museum ship in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, where she hosts an annual Pearl Harbor commemoration on December 7. This compact volume features numerous early photographs, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99.

1857. Panayotoff, Theodore J. and Michael R. Pittavino. Lighthouses and Life Saving at Oswego. Arcadia. 2018. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. The oldest freshwater port in the United States is nestled firmly into the southeastern shore of Lake Ontario at Oswego, New York. Since 1822, four lighthouses have guided the mariner's safe passage to shore, and just as those lighthouses stood watch, so did the men and women who manned them. Members of the US Life-Saving Service, Revenue Cutter Service, and Coast Guard followed and remained vigilant in the face of danger, always ready to assist those in distress on the inland sea. Lighthouses and Life Saving at Oswego allows readers to step back in time and explore the iconic landmarks and exemplary individuals that afforded Oswego its commercial prominence for nearly two centuries. This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1880’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99.

1855. D’Entremont, Jeremy. Wave-Swept Lighthouses of New England. Arcadia. 2018. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. The lighthouse is a pervasive icon in our culture, often used to symbolize positive qualities like faith, guidance, strength, and steadfastness. No structures embody these qualities more than wave-swept lighthouses, which were built to withstand the most extreme forces of wind and ocean waves, often in isolated, rocky locations far offshore. In the United States, the earliest attempts to build wave-swept lighthouses in the 1830s led to several masterpieces of engineering, a few of which are in the New England region. This book primarily focuses on six such structures: Whaleback (Maine), Saddleback Ledge (Maine), Minot’s Ledge (Massachusetts), Halfway Rock (Maine), Graves Ledge (Massachusetts), and Ram Island Ledge (Maine). All of these wave-swept lighthouses stand in rugged testimony to the people who designed and built them, and they also serve to remind us of the struggles and sacrifices of the lighthouse keepers who “kept a good light” for so many years before automation. This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1880’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99.

1856. Cesari, Cornelia J., Baker Island. Arcadia. 2018. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. Baker Island is a quintessential Maine island, frozen in time. It was settled in 1806 by one family, and the island’s population peaked at about two dozen people in five households at mid-century. The US government made use of the island’s strategic location at the entrance to Frenchman’s Bay with a lighthouse and military facilities. Wealthy, artistic, and academic summer visitors to the region—so-called rusticators—discovered its charm as a day trip destination. However, by 1930, only the lightkeeper’s family remained. Now mostly part of Acadia National Park, these 123 acres are precious to a disproportionate number of people. Every season, visitors flock to the area, scenic tour airplanes fly overhead, and narrated boat tours skirt the shoreline. Park rangers lead interpretive tours almost daily, leaving from Bar Harbor for half-day visits. Each summer, thousands moor their private boats and row ashore—honeymooning, celebrating, and even scattering ashes. Five generations of rusticators have held picnics on the tempestuous south shore’s expansive pink granite surface known as the “Dance Floor.”This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1880’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99.

17144a. Badgley, John. Frigate Men - Life on Coast Guard Frigate U.S.S. Bisbee, PF-46 During World War II. Published by John Badgley, 2007. 224p. Soft wraps. A true account of the life of United States Coast Guard sailors on board a fighting frigate during World War II; the humor, pathos, heroism and significance of one small ship in the United States naval armada of 1944. John Badgley (1922 – 2014) was a California architect. He was also a life-long sailor, marine enthusiast, historian and ecologist. After officer training at the US Coast Guard Academy, where he raced Star boats and served before the mast on the square rigged ship DANMARK, he joined the crew of USS BISBEE (PF-46) serving in 45 campaigns in the south and north Pacific during WWII. USS Bisbee was awarded 5 battle stars in 3 major theaters of operation. At wars end he was assigned to Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander Eastern Sea Frontier, in charge of Air Sea Rescue Operations coordinating Atlantic traffic during the return of US forces from Europe. With declassification of the ship's log, now the true story is being told." Illustrated with 38 graphite sketches & watercolors by the author, as well as 20 wartime photographs. A brisk and entertaining read. (M). $29.95. (x)

17156. Boonisar, Richard M. Gurnet Point: A Small Remote Summer Community with a Fascinating History. West Barnstable Press. 2017. 112p. Soft wraps. Gurnet Point is on a point of land at the tip of Duxbury Beach, that extends out from Duxbury and protects Plymouth from the fierce gales. Its first lighthouse was built there in 1768, and in 1806 two Huts of Refuge were erected along the beach by the Massachusetts Humane Society. The first life-saving station was erected at the Gurnet in 1874 following the wreck of Brig “Regulator”. The author has spent summers on the Gurnet since 1939 and brings to this work a wealth of knowledge about the area gleaned from years of research, as well as over 160 early photos from his private collection, nearly all never before published. Includes two wonderfully detailed chapters covering the history of the lighthouses and life-saving stations there. Wonderful reading, well done. (M). $28. 

1778. (reprint) U.S. Light-House Establishment. Specifications for the Lantern of a First-Order Light House. June 1871. Wash GPO 1871 (2017 Ohio River Trading) . 13p. Soft wraps. Nicely done reprint. Includes specifications and details of lantern. Without figures or plates. A good beginning reference. (M). $9.95.

1772. (reprint) U.S. Light-House Establishment. Specifications for a Double Dwelling for the Keepers of First Order Lights. Wash GPO 1862 (2017 Ohio River Trading) . 11p. Soft wraps. Nicely done reprint. Includes specifications and details of double dwelling. Without figures or plates. A good beginning reference. (M). $9.95.

1773. (reprint) U.S. Light-House Establishment. Specifications for A Light-Keeper’s Dwelling. (Frame) June 1877. Wash GPO 1877 (2017 Ohio River Trading) . 8p. Soft wraps. Nicely done reprint. Includes specifications and details of frame dwelling, by Peter C. Hains, Eng’r Sec. Without figures or plates. A good beginning reference. (M). $9.95.

1774. (reprint) U.S. Light-House Establishment. Specifications for a First-Order Light House (Brick Tower). October 1861. Wash GPO 1861 (2017 Ohio River Trading) . 11p. Soft wraps. Nicely done reprint. Nicely done reprint. Includes specifications and details of brick light tower. Without figures or plates. A good beginning reference. (M). $9.95.

1775. (reprint) U.S. Life-Saving Service. Instructions to Mariners in Case of Shipwreck With Information Concerning the Life-Saving Stations Upon the Coasts of the United States. Wash GPO 1881 (2017 Ohio River Trading) . 32p. Soft wraps. Nicely done reprint. Contains information and instructions for use by mariners so that proper co-ordination between life-savers and sailors in distress will be achieved. Includes information on the use of breeches buoy apparatus, signaling, rescue by surfboat, and much more. Also includes complete listing of all Life-Saving Districts and stations in the United States at that time. Includes some illustrations. A good beginning reference. (M). $9.95.

1777. (reprint) [Excerpts – Services of Crews] Annual Reports of the Operations of the Life-Saving Service. Sixth District. 1881-1910. Wash GPO 1881-1910 (2017 Ohio River Trading) . 34p. Soft wraps. Nicely done reprint. Excerpts from Services of Crews (rescues) in the Sixth District (North Carolina) as printed in Annual Reports from 1881-1910. Interesting reading. A good beginning reference. (M). $9.95.

1747. Mattson, Jan. CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS – A Look at Lighthouse Life Through the Eyes of the People Who Lived It. Goat Rock. 2016. 144p. Stiff wraps. 8 ½” x 10 ½”. Filled with photos, many never before published, of lighthouse keepers and family members. In the late 1940’s the author’s relative, a talented painter and professional photographer, began photographing the keepers tending their apparatus at nearby light stations and soon had compiled a photographic history of the life at stations up and down the coast of California from San Diego to Cape Mendocino. These wonderful black and white images present a rare view into the light keeper’s life when their work was still a necessity. No matter what part of the country you are from, these views of the men and women tending their equipment and their stories will surely be of interest. (M). Published at $29.95. Our price $28. 

We have purchased the publisher’s last remaining stock of this title. There will be no more after these have sold.

6275s. Ralph Shanks, Wick York, Lisa Woo Shanks, editor. THE U. S. LIFE-SAVING SERVICE - HEROES, RESCUES AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE EARLY COAST GUARD. 1996. Petaluma , CA. 262p. Winner of the first Foundation for Coast Guard History Award for Best Book on Coast Guard History, this long heralded work by Ralph Shanks and Wick York is once again available. Filling a longtime void in the chronicles of the Life-Saving Service, this book is the result of two decades of research by these highly respected maritime historians. In 272 large format pages, the authors present unforgettable stories of the surfmen and their unsurpassed bravery. Unique to this work is the authors coverage of the architecture of each of the stations across the country. Using over 400 rare photos from the Library of Congress and other historic sources, the authors provide a station by station look at the architectural features that make them such a unique and unforgettable piece of our history. Considered the best reference on the U.S. Life Saving Service on the market. (M).   Lightly used softcover $34.95 while they last. 

20386. Barnett, J. P., THE LIFESAVING GUNS OF DAVID LYLE. South Bend . 1976. 3rd. 108p. Soft wraps. 3rd. updated edition. This is the definitive reference on this well known backbone of the Life-Saving Service and early Coast Guard – the Lyle Gun. Using early records and searching out makers and specimens, the author presents a most complete account of the manufacture and history of these important tools. Includes Manby mortar, Hunt gun, and numerous civilian guns including Hall’s, Coston, Cunningham’s rockets, Galbraith, General Ordnance, Naval Co., Steward, American Ordinance, Sculler, HTP, and many more. Also includes firing mechanisms, faking equipment, projectiles, octants, powder, performance tests, and more. Filled with vintage photos and diagrams, this is an extremely valuable reference on the subject. (M). $21.50. 

1786. Hargrove, James L. and Carol A. Talley. Cape St. George Lighthouse and Apalachicola Bay. Arcadia. 2017. 96p. Soft wraps. With over 122 vintage photographs. The beacon of the historic Cape St. George Lighthouse still guides mariners into Apalachicola Bay. Sheltered from the Gulf of Mexico by a string of barrier islands, the port flourished as the only site in Florida on a river that is navigable for over 300 miles to the fall line at Columbus, Georgia, Apalachicola’s sister city. Generations of lighthouse keepers were bound to St. George Island and its great bay by an intense sense of duty to sustain seagoing commerce and a love for a place where they could raise their families in freedom. When the lighthouse foundation washed away in 2005 after a very active hurricane season and a final surge from Hurricane Wilma, residents took action to salvage and rebuild the historic lighthouse. Visitors may still climb the lighthouse tower, surrounded by the bricks that were first laid in 1852. This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1880’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. (M). $21.99.

1763. Bleyer, Bill. The Fire Island Lighthouse: Long Island’s Welcoming Beacon. 2017. History Press. 160p. Soft wraps. This is the first complete history of the important national landmark at Fire Island. The author begins with the site, from the shipwrecks offshore dating from colonial times that prompted construction of the first lighthouse on Fire Island in 1826; the inadequacies of that lighthouse that led to construction of a new taller tower in 1858; the development of improved lighthouse illumination apparatus including the Fresnel lens; the Fire Island lightships that were anchored offshore to augment the new lighthouse; how the lighthouse was shut down by the Coast Guard at the end of 1973 and replaced by a light on the water tower at Robert Moses State Park; how the structures on the closed site deteriorated and the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed in 1982 to restore the property and re-lit the tower in 1986; how the original Fresnel lens was brought back from Philadelphia and displayed in a new building in 2011; and the society’s future plans for bringing back additional artifacts for display. The book is filled with dozens of historical photographs, some never published before, and a 16-page insert of new color photographs by retired Newsday photographer Audrey C. Tiernan showing the restored lighthouse, keeper’s quarters and first-order Fresnel lens in all their glory. Well done. (M). $21.99. Available May 10. (x)

1753. Seguin, Marc. For Want of a Lighthouse: Building the Lighthouses of Eastern Lake Ontario 1828–1914. Trafford Publishing. 2015. 566p. Soft wraps. No safe harbours for steamboats or sailing vessels could be found along an isolated 70-mile stretch of eastern Lake Ontario, dominated by the irregular-shaped Prince Edward County peninsula. Frequent storms, rocky reefs and sandy shoals were among the many dangers facing 19th century mariners. So many shipwrecks mark one narrow and shallow underwater ridge in the region that it became known as the graveyard of Lake Ontario. It was on these shores, from Presqu ile Bay to Kingston harbour and along the Bay of Quinte, that a network of more than forty lighthouses and light towers was built between 1828 and 1914. For Want Of A Lighthouse presents a sweeping look at the social and technological changes which marked the era, and brings to life the people, politics and the hardships involved in the construction of these essential aids to navigation. Through the use of extensive archival material and more than 100 maps and photographs, Marc Seguin documents the vital role these lighthouses played in the building of a nation. There is now a race against time to save the few original towers that are still standing. All of the author’s profits from the sale of this book will go towards the preservation of these remaining lighthouses. (M). $26.44. (x)

1734. Riddle, Mary Ellen. Outer Banks Shipwrecks: Graveyard of the Atlantic. Arcadia. 2017. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 185 vintage photographs. Ever since ships began navigating the coast of North Carolina, the area has maintained a reputation for being dangerous. Today, the region that stretches from the Currituck Outer Banks south to Bogue Banks is referred to as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” From the 1585 grounding of the English ship Tiger off the Outer Banks to the 2012 loss of the Bounty, more than 2,000 shipwrecks have occurred in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Weather, geography, war, piracy, and human error have all contributed to this dense shipwreck zone. The stories behind the shipwrecks illustrate the best and worst of mankind, showing courage and compassion as well as the atrocities of war. This history informs readers about commerce, technology, war, environment, maritime life, and the complexity of the human element. This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1880’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. (M). $21.99.

1758. Krueger, Steve. Lighthouses of Lake Winnebago. Arcadia. 2017. 96p. Soft wraps. With over 122 vintage photographs. Winnebago has a rich history as a major settlement area in the Midwest, and a significant part of its times gone by involved water transportation for both commerce and passengers. Throughout its history, the 137,700-acre lake has been home to six current lighthouses, two navigation lanterns that have long disappeared from the landscape, and one that was scheduled to be built but never came to fruition. History has forgotten a few, but Lighthouses of Lake Winnebago will take you on a trip around the largest lake within Wisconsin’s borders and show you the familiar, while introducing you to the forgotten. This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1880’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published. (M). $21.99. (x)

1735. Hendrickson, Dyke. Nautical Newburyport: A History of Captains, Clipper Ships and the Coast Guard. 2017. The History Press. 144p. Soft wraps. With 56 Black And White images. Newburyport was once the most dangerous harbor on the East Coast and one of its most prosperous. Local captains and sailors led the nation to battle during the American Revolution and founded the U.S. Coast Guard. They sent vessels to Bombay, the gold rush and the farthest reaches of the world. Author Dyke Hendrickson explores the perfection of the clipper ship, the city’s famous Federalist mansions and the bold adventures from the Age of Sail. Follow the men and women of Newburyport into battle, into gales and into fortune—or ruin. Great reading. (M). $21.99.

1728. Milmore, Art. And The Sea Shall Have Them All. Self published. 2016. 234p. Soft wraps. Over 20 miles out in Massachusetts Bay, lies the wreck of the palatial side-wheel steamer SS Portland, tragically lost in the horrific gale of November 26 and 27th., 1898. The ship sank with all hands, was witnessed by no-one and disappeared without trace. The Portland Steamship Company started as the Portland Steam Packet Company in 1844, and was later consolidated into the Eastern Steamship Company. One of their vessels, the side-wheel steamship Portland, was one of the largest and most palatial vessels afloat in New England during the 1890s. Built in 1889, the steamer ran between Portland, Maine and Boston until its loss in 1898. The Portland's loss was New England's greatest steamship disaster prior to the year 1900. The 1898 gale would become known as The Portland Gale. The author began his research with the late author and historian Edward Rowe Snow. “The trail ran dry in the 1970s”, the author explained, “and Ed asked me if I ever found the rest of the material we needed on the Portland, would I publish it…. This was to be Snow's 98th book, but time ran out.” Edward Rowe Snow died in 1982 and now, capping 32 years of research, the author presents what he believes is the definitive story of the SS Portland’s history and the events of that fateful day in 1898. Extremely interesting, filled with the results of years of interviews, accounts of the day and much more. Quite different from other books on this subject and worth the read. (M). $29.95. (x)

7340f. Field, Van. WRECKS AND RESCUES ON LONG ISLAND - THE STORY OF THE U. S. LIFE SAVING SERVICE. 1997. 179p. Soft wraps. Over 188 vintage photographs. I have once again found a copy of this long out of print work by Mr. Field. Filling a longtime void in the chronicles of the Life-Saving Service on Long Island, this book is the result of decades of research. In 179 large format pages, the author presents unforgettable stories of the surfmen and their unsurpassed bravery. Unique to this work are the 180 wonderful vintage photographs of the stations and the men who served along this stormy coast. In this interesting chronicle, the author provide a station by station look at the buildings, the crews and the rescues they performed that make them such a unique and unforgettable piece of our history. Filled with wonderful vintage photos. Clean, tight, only lightly used. Extremely difficult to find. (M). $59.95. (x)

16236. Lehrer, Henry R. Flying the Beam - Navigating the Early US Airmail Airways 1917-1941. Purdue University Press. 2014. 226 pages. Soft wraps. With air travel a regular part of daily life in North America, we tend to take the infrastructure that makes it possible for granted. However, the systems, regulations, and technologies of civil aviation are in fact the product of decades of experimentation and political negotiation, much of it connected to the development of the airmail as the first commercially sustainable use of airplanes. From the lighted airways of the 1920s through the radio navigation system in place by the time of World War II, this book explores the conceptualization and ultimate construction of the initial US airways systems. The daring exploits of the earliest airmail pilots are well documented, but the underlying story of just how brick-and-mortar construction, radio research and improvement, chart and map preparation, and other less glamorous aspects of aviation contributed to the system we have today has been understudied. Flying the Beam traces the development of aeronautical navigation of the US airmail airways from 1917 to 1941. Chronologically organized, the book draws on period documents, pilot memoirs, and firsthand investigation of surviving material remains in the landscape to trace the development of the system. The author shows how visual cross-country navigation, only possible in good weather, was developed into all-weather "blind flying." The daytime techniques of "following railroads and rivers" were supplemented by a series of lighted beacons (later replaced by radio towers) crisscrossing the country to allow nighttime transit of long-distance routes, such as the one between New York and San Francisco. While navigational electronics have changed greatly over the years, actually "flying the beam" has changed very little. (M). $38.95. (w)

1701. Grayson, Matthew S. Lighthouses, Cutters and Lifeboat Stations: Life and Times of Rodger D. Dewey, BMCM 28 years in the United States Coast Guard. 2016. 38p. Soft wraps. Follow the twenty-eight years of service and memories of Rodger D. Dewey, who would retire as a master chief boatswain’s mate E-9. As a young man from Denver, Colorado, seventeen-year-old Dewey joined the United States Coast Guard in 1948 and made the Coast Guard his life. Follow the training, lessons learned, funny stories, and a true love of being a shallow-water sailor. His duty stations included Humboldt Bay LBS, St. George Reef LH, San Luis Obispo LH, Marshall Islands, Pt. Reyes LBS. Cutter assignments included CGC Gresham, Taney, Escanaba, Cahoone, Active, Point Chico, Point Sal. Rather short but interesting account. (M). $21.99. 

16233. Thurlow, Sandra and Timothy Dring. U.S. Life-Saving Service: Florida's East Coast. Arcadia. 2016. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. Ten houses of refuge, unique to Florida s east coast, were constructed by the US Life-Saving Service between 1876 and 1886. When ships traveling along the almost uninhabited coast were grounded or wrecked on reefs, survivors often made it to land but had no way to reach civilization. House of refuge keepers and their families provided food and shelter to victims of shipwrecks. The keepers lives were monotonous but punctuated with the excitement of an occasional shipwreck. The US Life-Saving Service provided the framework on which the east coast of Florida developed. With the establishment of the US Coast Guard in 1915, the Life-Saving Service houses of refuge became Coast Guard stations." This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1880’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published, and traces the history of the Life-Saving Service in Florida through photos and text. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99.

16220. Morrison, James. Alcohol, Boat Chases, and Shootouts!: How the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs Fought Rum Smugglers and Pirates. Part I 1919-1924. Royal Exchange Publications. 2008. 329p. Soft wraps. A true story of rum smugglers, gangsters, pirates, and the Coast Guard's effort to stop them, with a bit of the boat chases, corrupt politicians, conspiracies, violence, and drunken sailors that prevailed during the time. In the 1920s, when transporting and selling alcohol was mostly illegal, brave men went to sea in an effort to stop rum smugglers and pirates. The effort proved far more challenging than anyone could imagine. The author spent two years sifting through microfilm and government documents to piece together this epic story, buried by the sands of time. Amazingly, these true stories of sea battles and chases are not from 200 years ago--they are from the 20th Century! Alcohol, Boat Chases, and Shootouts tells the real stories of how the Coast Guard, Customs, Prohibition agents, and police attempted to enforce Prohibition on the water. Good information too about the Coast Guard equipment, stations and operations of the day. (M). Published at $29. Our price $22.95. (w)

16222. Demeter, Andrew. Chelsea Clocks: A Technical Manual. Demeter Publications, Ltd., November, 2016. 203p. Soft wraps. Cover Photo: Leonard Taube, retired master watchmaker for Chelsea Clock Company. Reference includes photos and parts lists for sixteen of the most popular Marine & Ships Bell movements made by Chelsea Clock Co. and several with schematics. Includes Models E (Chelsea’s earliest marine movement), 12E, 12EI, 13E, 14E, 16E, 17E, F, K, 17K, L, 4L, M, 4M, V1 and V2. Eight pages listing Interchangeable Parts alphabetically and separately by part number for Models E, 12E, 17E, F, K (Boston) 17K and 18K.Includes a brief history of Chelsea escapements and an Escapement Comparison Table that identifies the type of escapement used in each clock with numerous blueprints of individual escapement parts.  Identifies the parts by their Chelsea factory number as well as the Waltham factory number. Parts diagrams for regulators that are found missing on clocks as well as the USN Mark I Deck clock (chrome) hinge and back plates. Chelsea Collectors and Waltham watchmakers who are seeking or selling Chelsea clock parts will now be able to cite the part by name and factory number for the most common Chelsea models on the market. Limited quantity available. (M). $89.95. (w)

16202. Johnson, Leland R. Ph.D. Heroes at the Falls: Louisville's Lifesavers. Edited by Charles E. Parrish. Butler Books. 2014. 128 pages. Large 8 ½” x 11”. Life-Saving Station #10, docked at the wharf in Louisville, Kentucky, is a unique installation in American history. As the only such federal installation on the inland waterways, this rare floating life-saving station guarded against navigational disasters from 1882 until 1972. The only other similar life-saving station in the country was the City Point Station in Boston Harbor. This station in Louisville was lobbied for and manned by locally-grown heroes who maintained a constant vigil to protect vessels and their passengers, cargoes and crews from destruction on the jagged rocks of the Falls of the Ohio River in the days prior to modern lock and dam systems. This Falls area was considered the most dangerous point along the 981 miles of the Ohio River. From the time it was authorized by Congress in 1881 until 1915, thousands of people were rescued from the treacherous falls area and more than $5 million worth of boats, possessions and cargo were saved. The Coast Guard would continue this fine record at the station until 1972, when the completion of the newer McAlpine Locks and Dam  submerged most of the Falls and now required that all boat traffic pass through the canal and locks instead of passing over the Falls. The third floating station remains today, with its white double-decker building and watchtower aboard - the last of three river rescue stations at the site. Dr. Johnson tells, for the first time, the compelling story of the U.S. Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard stations at this site, and the remarkable crews who saved thousands of lives, countless numbers of boats, and millions of dollars of cargoes at the Falls of the Ohio. (M). Published at $20. Our price $18.50. (x)

Just in! Wonderful early photos and history:

16122. Snowman, Sally R. and James G. Thompson. Boston Light. Arcadia. 2016. 128p. Hard cover. With over 200 vintage photographs. On September 14, 1716, Boston Light became the first lighthouse established in Colonial America. With many ships foundering in the treacherous waters of the Massachusetts harbor, there was a great need for navigational aid. At night and during storms, it was difficult to discern the entrance to the main shipping channel of Nantasket Roads, situated between the Brewster islands and the town of Hull. The ledges had become a graveyard for ships, resulting in great loss to human life and cargoa deterrent to European colonization efforts. Ship captains and merchants petitioned the colonial government for a lighthouse to be erected on Little Brewster Island as a way of safe passage to the inner harbor. Three hundred years later, Boston Light continues to serve its purpose. Today, the lighthouse is protected by an ever-present Coast Guard civilian keeper and a cadre of specially trained Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteer assistant keepers. Sally Snowman is the 70th Keeper of Boston Light. With her husband, Jay Thomson, they have done extensive historical research on this distinctive piece of Americana. Highly recommended for readers interested in history, New England, lighthouses, sea stories. This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1870’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published, and traces the history of this light station through photos and text. Filled with early views. (M). $24.99. Our price $22.

16171. Baltrusis, Sam. Haunted Boston Harbor. 2016. The History Press. 144p. Soft wraps. With 56 b/w images. Ghosts lurk in the waters near Boston’s historic seaport, haunting the secluded islands scattered throughout the harbor. Boston Harbor brims with the restless spirits of pirates, prisoners and victims of disease and injustice. Uncover the truth behind the Lady in Black on Georges Island. Learn about the former asylums on Long Island that inspired the movie Shutter Island, and dig up the skeletal secrets left behind by the Woman in Scarlet Robes. From items flying off the shelves at a North End cigar shop to the postmortem cries of tragedy at the centuries-old Boston Light on Little Brewster, author Sam Baltrusis breathes new life into the horrors that occurred in the historic waters surrounding Boston. Great reading. (M). $19.99. (x)

1697. Willoughby, Malcom F. The U.S. Coast Guard In World War II. Naval Institute Press. 2016. 348p. Soft wraps. This intimate view of the U.S. Coast Guard's dramatic World War II record has long been considered a classic. First published in 1957 and out of print for years, the book is now available in paperback. Handsomely illustrated with more than two hundred photographs, the book serves as a unique memento of one of the most illustrious periods in the Coast Guard's two hundred year history. The author offers a story replete with incidents of devotion far beyond the call of duty--daring rescues, adventurous high-sea missions, heroic combat action--to clearly demonstrate the vital role the service played in the Allied war effort. A seasoned World War I veteran who joined the Coast Guard Temporary Reserve in 1942, Malcolm Willoughby has covered every aspect of the Coast Guard's involvement in the war at sea, in the air, and at home. From the invasion of Normandy, where Coast Guardsmen landed thousands of Americans and rescued some 1,500 stranded in the surf, to Guadalcanal, where they rescued three companies of Marines trapped on the beach, this chronicle vividly recounts these well-documented operations and little-known stories of individual triumphs and tragedies as well. (M). $48.95. (x)

1288. Roberts, Cheryl Shelton and Bruce. NORTH CAROLINA LIGHTHOUSES – Stories of History and Hope. 2011. 152p. Soft wraps. Limited Edition signed and numbered #895 of 1500 copies by the authors. This limited coffee table genre but with lots of information will be sure to please lovers of the lighthouses on the North Carolina coastline. A stunning, full-color celebration of some of the world’s most famous lighthouses, the shoreline they stand on, and the people who have worked to protect them, with the lore and history of North Carolina’s seafaring past coming to life in the text by Cheryl Shelton-Roberts and photographs by noted photographer Bruce Roberts. From Cape Hatteras to Bodie Island Light, North Carolina is home to some of the most famous lighthouses in the world, and with this book, beautiful photography and engaging text come together to bring alive, as never before, the lore and history of North Carolina’s seafaring past. But this is not just a tribute to the sentinels that dot the North Carolina shoreline today, North Carolina Lighthouses also offers a glimpse into the Golden Age of the Lighthouse System and makes a compelling case for preserving these buildings and their stories for posterity. WELL DONE ! Very very interesting, beautiful mix of old and recent photos, great info. Very interesting reading. (M). $29.95. 

24374. Snow, Edward Rowe. WOMEN OF THE SEA. Beverly . 2004. DJ. New Centennial Edition published in recognition of the centennial of Mr. Snow’s birth in August 1902. Updated by Jeremy D’Entremont and with a new forward by Dorothy Snow Bicknell. First published in 1962, this important work and now has been meticulously updated as more and more readers discover Mr. Snow’s wealth of titles on the subject once again. Told in Mr. Snow’s usual readable style, here the author recounts the stories of many of the women of the sea including Hannah Burgess, who navigated her husband’s clipper ship safely to port after his death and the widowed Hsi Kai Ching who took command of her husband’s pirate fleet. Certainly one of the most readable books on the subject ever written. by this well known story teller. (M). Published at $19.95.    Special Sale Price $8.95. (x)

See the video book trailer for Brilliant Beacons on YouTube- https://youtu.be/QUgQVFOjX2s. 

1601. Dolin, Eric Jay. Brilliant Beacons - A History of the American Lighthouse. 2016. 448p. Stiff wraps. An extraordinary work of historical detection and originality, Brilliant Beacons vividly reframes America’s history through the development of its lighthouses. In a work rich in maritime lore and brimming with original historical detail, Eric Jay Dolin, the best-selling author of Leviathan, presents the most comprehensive history of American lighthouses ever written, telling the story of America through the prism of its beloved coastal sentinels. Set against the backdrop of an expanding nation, Brilliant Beacons traces the evolution of America’s lighthouse system, highlighting the political, military, and technological battles fought to illuminate the nation’s hardscrabble coastlines. In rollicking detail, Dolin treats readers to a memorable cast of characters including the penny-pinching Treasury official Stephen Pleasonton, who hamstrung the country’s efforts to adopt the revolutionary “Fresnel Lens,” and presents tales both humorous and harrowing of soldiers, saboteurs, ruthless egg collectors, and most importantly, the light-keepers themselves. Richly supplemented with over 100 photographs and illustrations throughout, Brilliant Beacons is the most original history of American lighthouses in many decades. 112 illustrations; 8 pages of color. (M). Published at $29.95. 

Sale Price $21.95 plus $4.50 media mail. (x)

  Image Copyright Walt Disney Studio Pictures

1686. (DVD) The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue. DVD. Run time 114 min. PG-13. Based on the extraordinary true story of the greatest smallboat rescue in Coast Guard history, THE FINEST HOURS is a tale of courage, loyalty and honor in the face of overwhelming odds. When a massive storm strikes off the coast of Cape Cod, it rips a T-2 oil tanker in half, trapping more than 30 sailors on its rapidly sinking stern. As BM1 Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) and his crew set out in the station 36-foot motor lifeboat to save them, Chief Engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) struggles to buy his men more time. Packed with heroic larger-than-life action and driven by the men's faith in their mission, themselves and one another, THE FINEST HOURS is a triumph. The Finest Hours has incredible and astonishing true-to-life heroism and action-packed rescue scenes. This marvelous and terrifying yarn ( Los Angeles Times ) deserves a place as a classic of survival at sea ( The Boston Globe). In the days following the ordeal, twenty-one Coast Guardsmen involved in multiple rescue missions would be decorated. Movie is based upon the original 1985 account by Coxswain BM1 Bernard Webber. $29.95. (x)

16111. Quidley, Dallas Edward. The Lighthouse Keeper's Son. LifeRich. 2013. 151p. Soft wraps. The Lighthouse Keeper's Son shares a chronological collection of several short stories recalling author Dallas E. Quidley Jr's life as the son of a lighthouse keeper. Light Stations tended by family members included Drum Point, Neuse River, Cape Hatteras and Bodie Island as well as lightships and various Coast Guard assignments. With modern marine safety technology, the lighthouse way of life has slipped away, even though many lighthouses still stand and are open to the public. Recalling his personal experiences, Quidley reveals various aspects of life as a lighthouse keeper and Coast Guardsman. The US Lighthouse Service and the US Coast Guard have historically been foremost in safe marine navigation. The keepers were highly qualified and dedicated mariners-people who were truly the salt of the earth. In Quidley's family, three generations plus one son tried to live up to that reputation. This collection of personal narratives offers stories of Quidley's life before and after his time in the lighthouses with his family. Through these stories of events and people, a portrait of a strong, hardworking, Christian and family man emerges. The Lighthouse Keeper's Son chronicles a life well lived and the cherished memories of a man who has experienced his life to the fullest. (M). $24.95. (x)

1699. Dunn, Bill. Sea Girt Lighthouse. Arcadia 2016. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. In the New Jersey shore community of Sea Girt, where Commodore Robert Stockton’s oceanfront mansion had a porch as long as a ship’s deck from which he surveyed the waters, a lighthouse was built in 1896. Sea Girt Lighthouse illuminated a dark space, providing a crucial guiding light to passing ships. The station would become a lighthouse of distinction and innovation. In 1920, it was the first land-based lighthouse with a radio beacon transmitter, enabling ships to navigate through fog. During World War II, the Coast Guard extinguished the light, stood watch in the tower, and patrolled the beaches. No matter the mission, the lighthouse met every challenge. In 1956, the town acquired the decommissioned lighthouse, making it the library and recreation center. By 1981, however, the building needed extensive repairs and was at risk of being sold. Concerned residents formed the Sea Girt Lighthouse Citizens Committee to “save our lighthouse.” And they did, restoring it, preserving its history, and keeping it busy with community events. This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1870’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published, and traces the history of this light station through photos and text. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99. (x)

16115. Zoss, Neel R., Whalebacks – Wrecked, Scrapped, Lost & Forgotten. Avery. 2016. 262p. Soft wraps. last years of the 19th century, the Duluth Harbor, situated between the sister cities of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, was the birthplace of a bold and innovative and decidedly odd-looking class of Great Lakes barges and steamships known as whalebacks. Capt. Alexander McDougall and his American Steel Barge Company built the curved-decked, snout-nosed whalebacks on the shores of the harbor, first at Duluth’s Rice’s Point and later in Howard’s Pocket at Superior. The vessels were a radical departure, in design, form, and construction, from the standard shipbuilding concepts of the era but proved themselves more than capable as a number of the boats sailed the Great Lakes and the seaboards of America until the 1960s. All the whalebacks are gone now—either scrapped or sunk—with one exception. After sailing the lakes for more than 70 years, the last whaleback, the SS Meteor, returned home to Superior in 1972 and is now continuing its service as a magnificent maritime museum on Barker’s Island. (M). $17.95. (x)

11372. HABS Co-Author Alan Giagnocavo. Lighthouses - A Close-Up Look : An Intimate Tour Through Historic Photos and Architectural Drawings. Fox Chapel Publishing (2011). 176p. Soft wraps. The Historic American Building Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) collections are dedicated to preserving America’s architectural history by gathering a diverse range of historic photographs and architectural designs of buildings throughout the country. Along with over 90 vintage and recent photos of lighthouses across the country from the HABS/HAER website, this book includes over 50 detailed architectural plans that feature the internal and external structure of the lighthouses. In this book, readers will find unique lighthouse structures, such as the Port Mahon Lighthouse, which hovers over the water on pilings and the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, which contains architectural details similar to those found on the White House. Not to worry, though, the towering buildings typically associated with the word lighthouse can also be found on these pages. Color photos, plans, GPS coordinates and a brief history of many of the locations are also included. Well worth reading. (M). Published at $19.95. Reduced $6.95.

26249. Clark, Admont. LIGHTHOUSES OF CAPE COD, MARTHA’S VINEYARD, NANTUCKET – Their History and Lore. Beverly . 2006. DJ. 244p. With a chapter devoted to each light station, this is surely the most interesting and comprehensive book on the subject. Profusely illustrated with fine early photographs and engravings. The author traces the history of each lighthouse from the beginning, the story of the construction and changes over the years, and of the men and women who lived and worked at the stations. The author’s emphasis on stories of the people who lived and worked in the lighthouses makes this book most enjoyable - readers are infused with a sense of daily life at each lighthouse, while also reading the extraordinary events that make their histories. Wonderful reading and most well done. (F). Published at $36.95. Sale Price $12.95.

10374. Witt, Sonny. Drawn to the Light – The History of Cape Canaveral and its People. 241p. Soft wraps. The history of Cape Canaveral from 500 - 1945 is very sketchy or non existent. The Ais Indians controlled Cape Canaveral until their disappearance in about 1715. From that time the Cape lay uninhabited until about 1847 when the Lighthouse Establishment arrived to search for a location to build a lighthouse. About eighty years after the Ais Indians disappeared from Cape Canaveral , a hand full of settlers arrived. Their objective was to raise families, settle homesteads and operate the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. Interestingly enough, the second lighthouse keeper left Cape Canaveral because of fears of raids by Indians and the third keeper came to the cape because Indians caused his family to leave their homestead near Fort Pierce. Mills O. Burnham and his wife Mary should be credited for, but not completely, populating Cape Canaveral with the Burnham family members and the operation the Cape Canaveral Lighthouses between 1853 and 1939 when the Coast Guard took ownership. Burnham or a member of his family saw the beautiful state-of-the-art Iron Lighthouse first assembled. He watched, as it got its beautiful black and white day marks. His son-in-law became the first postmaster of Cape Canaveral. A cousin watched the Iron Lighthouse be disassembled and moved to its current location. Thoroughly illustrated with hundreds of photographs. A detailed account of this little known but important light station and the life there. (M). Published at $26.95. Sale Price $17.95.

1500. Follansbee, Joe. The Fyddeye Guide to America's Lighthouses - 750+ Lighthouses, Lightships, and Life-Saving Stations You Can Visit Today! Fyddeye. United States. 2012. 224p. Soft wraps. Foreword by Jeremy D'Entermont. The Fyddeye Guide to America’s Lighthouses makes your travel planning easier by showing you hundreds of fascinating lighthouses, life-saving stations and lightships that you can visit today on the east coast, Great Lakes, Gulf coast, and the west coast, including Alaska and Hawaii. From remote islands in Maine to the metropolises of southern California, you’ll discover the historic structures that have inspired travelers for millennia. You can get close to virtually all of America’s lighthouses, and many allow you to climb to the top and stay as long as a month in historic buildings. More than 750 lighthouses, life-saving stations and lightships are conveniently organized by coastal region and state. Included are brief histories and complete contact information, including website, email address, and phone. Includes too three maps with suggested itineraries for discovering lighthouses in New England, Michigan, and California, notes on whether you can stay overnight on the lighthouse grounds, possibly in the keepers’ historic quarters, and more. Chapters also on lightships and historic life-saving stations, including availability of overnight accommodations. More than 40 images of many from coast to coast. (M). $19.95. Sale Price $9.95.

29185-mv. Tougias, Michael and Casey Sherman. The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue. 2015. Simon & Schuster. 311+p. Soft wraps. The true story behind the major motion picture from Disney starring Chris Pine, Eric Bana, and Casey Affleck written by a recognized master of the genre a blockbuster account of tragedy at sea (The Providence Journal ). It s the winter of 1952 and a ferocious Nor'easter is pounding New England with howling winds and seventy-foot seas. Two oil tankers get caught in the violent storm off Cape Cod, its fury splitting the massive ships in two. Back on shore, four young Coast Guardsmen (BM1 Bernard Webber, Andrew Fitzgerald, Richard Livesey and Irving Maske) are issued a near impossible mission: save the lives of the stranded seamen. Sailing a tiny lifeboat into the teeth of the killer storm, the rescue crew soon loses all navigation. With no idea where the stranded seaman are nor how to get back home, the crew continues, soon coming upon the SS Pendleton in the darkness. Thirty three hopeful men appear at the wounded ship’s railings. Can the tiny lifeboat save them all? Dripping with suspense and high-stakes human drama, The Finest Hours has incredible and astonishing true-to-life heroism and action-packed rescue scenes. This marvelous and terrifying yarn ( Los Angeles Times ) deserves a place as a classic of survival at sea ( The Boston Globe). In the days following the ordeal, twenty-one Coast Guardsmen involved in multiple rescue missions would be decorated. Based upon the original 1985 account by Coxswain BM1 Bernard Webber. (M). $9.99. (x)

Just in time for the movie release The Finest Hours: 

1602. Webber, Bernie. Into a Raging Sea : My Life and the Pendleton Rescue. 2016. On Cape Publications. 172p. Soft wraps. Into A Raging Sea features the riveting, firsthand account of what is widely regarded as the greatest small-boat rescue in Coast Guard history, told by BM1 Bernie Webber. Webber and his crew were awarded the prestigious Gold Lifesaving medal for the miraculous rescue of thirty-two men off the stern of the SS Pendleton with a thirty-six-foot motor lifeboat, in nighttime blizzard conditions, with seas surpassing sixty feet. Made more famous in the recently released book and movie The Finest Hours, the rescue of 32 sailors from the sinking ship caught in a ferocious winter storm is a dramatic tale, but what made this mission so special is that the boat Webber skippered that terrible night was a mere 36 feet in length and the waves were almost twice that size! In Into A Raging Sea, Bernie tells that story, but the book is so much more than that. In these pages you'll read about rescue attempts that did not turn out well, stories of fishermen from a time long past, rescues done with the by-gone technique of the "breeches buoy," humorous anecdotes, and what Cape Cod and its people meant to Bernie. Into a Raging Sea is a story of sacrifice, bravery, disappointment, and challenges. And in the background of Bernie's journey is one constant, the sea. Forward by Michael J. Tougias. (M). $15.95. 

1613. Webber, Bernie. Lightships, Lighthouses, and Lifeboat Stations: A Memoir and History. 2015. Universal Publishers. 192p. Soft wraps. Lightships, Lighthouses and Lifeboat Stations is part history book, part memoir, written by Bernie Webber, recipient of the Coast Guard's highest award, the Gold Life-saving Medal, and one of the heros of the Disney movie The Finest Hours (released January 29, 2016). The manuscript for this book was written by Webber but not published before he passed away. Now his daughter with the help of writer Michael Tougias have published this his second book. While the public will recognize Webber's name from the movie and the bestselling book by the same name, few people know that during his lengthy Coast Guard career he served on lightships in addition to lifeboat stations (small boat rescue stations) and lighthouses. Webber poses the following question: "How did the lightship men cope with the isolation, constant loneliness, boredom, fear, or just sheer terror? All were part of life on board a lightship. Rough seas tossed the ship about, rearing up and down on the anchor chain. This was a world of isolation, noise from operating machinery, and blasts from the powerful foghorn that went on for hours, sometimes days, at a time." Webber answers that question in this book, drawing on a combination of personal experience and meticulous historical research. Discussions of men going mad, lightships being run down by larger ships, anchor chains breaking, and lightships cast upon shoals are offset by humorous stories and the author's reflections on his best days at sea. Webber also explains some of the heroic actions of a few lightship men over the years, and points out that they received no recognition at the time. The isolation these men faced was intense, but they learned to make do with what they had. Fourteen historic photos are included, as well as a Foreword by Michael Tougias. A most interesting and deserved further look into Bernie Webber’s life and career. (M). $25.95.

Note: I particularly enjoyed Webber’s accounts of life as a young Coast Guardsman, working with the Keepers from the old Lighthouse Service at Highland and Gay Head lights, and at Nauset and Gay Head Lifeboat Stations. 

20212. na. RESCUE CG36500. Orleans. 1985. Soft wraps. 48p. Illustrated with over 40 photographs. A collection of stories, photographs and illustrations detailing the career of CG36500 and the famous rescue of thirty-two men from a broken tanker on the night of February 8, 1952 off Chatham, Massachusetts. The information is gleaned from official Coast Guard reports, local news stories and the men who braved the seas that night themselves. Thirty years after the rescue, the boat was saved from oblivion and completely restored by volunteers of the Orleans Historical Society and still proudly plies Cape Cod waters as a museum dedicated to the memory of life-savers of the United States Coast Guard. (M). $19.95.

1647. Clarke, Liam. Light in the Darkness: A History of Lightships and the People Who Served on Them. Amberley Publishing. 2016. 224p. Soft wraps. Light in the Darkness examines the origins of the British lightship service, the obstacles and prejudices that faced originators of the idea and the subsequent development of the vessels and working practices over the years. Throughout the centuries, this dangerous occupation has claimed the lives of a number of lightship crews and those who tried to save them. The lives and working conditions of the brave men, who for over 260 years put their lives at risk guiding ships safely to their destinations, has been almost forgotten. Who were these brave men? Why did they do this vital work? Where did they live and what was the effect upon local communities when these tragedies occurred? Dr Liam Clarke answers these questions with a discussion of local lightship disasters including interviews with some of those who once served. The author, born into a family with a long history of lightship service, has a deep understanding of the dangerous working conditions and the pressures that this lifestyle had on the men and their families. He uses this to portray a lonely and hazardous life which few now remember, and which has rarely been written about. (M). $24.95.

15228. Richmond, Arthur P. Lighthouses and Lightships of Rhode Island. Schiffer. 2015. 144p. DJ. This pictorial guide provides a photographic tour of the last 400 years of Rhode Island lighthouse history. More than thirty lighthouse stations are described, from Watch Hill, near the Connecticut border in the south, to the inner harbor of Providence. The lighthouse station locations are identified using navigational charts and their characteristics, including date established, tower structure, optics, and fog signals. Also included are the dozen or so lighthouses that no longer exist. Probably not as well known, images and characteristics of these aids are similarly discussed. Over 300 images, some more than 130 years old, show the original towers and stations, accompanied by present-day photographs that compare the development and evolution of these lighthouses. Many of the images found on these pages have been collected from historical resources and are being published for the first time. This book is a must-have for the lighthouse enthusiast, maritime buff, and anyone who is interested in Rhode Island history. (M). $34.99. Our Price $31.50

15218. Richmond, Arthur P. Massachusetts Lighthouses and Lightships. Schiffer. 2013. 256p. DJ. A must-have book for the lighthouse enthusiast, maritime buff, and anyone who is interested in Massachusetts history. Massachusetts Lighthouses and Lightships includes more than 850 images, many never before published. Also include historic plans that describe the details of these aids to navigation, and archival and contemporary photos that trace through their history. The book covers all the lighthouses and lightships that marked the shores (exclusive of Cape Cod and the Islands) and guided mariners through the challenging waters surrounding Massachusetts. This volume also explores the interiors of towers, shows the lantern rooms of rarely-visited lighthouses and gives fascinating facts about these beacons over their 200-year history. More than 876 images in color and b/w, some more than 130 years old, show the original towers and stations. (M). $44.99. Our price $41.95.

13189. Richmond, Arthur P. Massachusetts Lighthouses: Past & Present. Schiffer. 2013. 160p. DJ. A must-have book for the lighthouse enthusiast, maritime buff, and anyone who is interested in Massachusetts history, Massachusetts Lighthouses Past and Present describes the more than sixty lighthouse stations that have been found along the coast from Fall River in the south to Salisbury in the north, near the New Hampshire border. The lighthouse station locations are identified using navigational charts and their characteristics, including date established, tower structure, optics, fog signals, and many more significant topics are presented in a straightforward table format. A dozen or so lighthouses that no longer exist, and probably are not as well known, are also discussed. More than four hundred images, some more than 130 years old, show the original towers and stations and are accompanied by present-day photographs of these beacons. Numerous images show the insides of towers and lantern rooms not only in those open to the public for tours, but also in restricted or rarely visited lighthouses. (M). Published at $34.99. Our Price $31.50. 

10426. Richmond, Arthur P. Cape Cod Lighthouses and Lightships. Schiffer. 2010. 256p. Hard cover. DJ. This is an indispensable reference for the lighthouse enthusiast, required reading for those interested in maritime history, and a necessity for anyone who loves Cape Cod. Step back in time and observe the lighthouses and lightships that marked the shores and guided mariners through dangerous waters surrounding Cape Cod. Experience these maritime marvels and trace through the history of these lighthouses and lightships. Archived plans describe the details of these aids to navigation with more than 500 images, including some that have never before been published. Complete your journey with a visit to these historic spots, using the books comprehensive visitors’ guide. “Cape Cod Lighthouses and Lightships” is so thoroughly researched, so packed with individual narratives and visuals, that it is one of the most comprehensive books on Cape lighthouses to date. (M) $45. Our price $41.95.

  (Photo not included)

20363-pd. Flint , Willard. LIGHTSHIPS OF THE U. S. GOVERNMENT – Reference Notes. GPO. 1989. Reprint 2016. 540p. Blue stiff binding. The most complete work ever published on U. S. lightships and lightship stations. Lists virtually every detail available on each vessel, when and where built, cost, sister ships, design, length, propulsion, when and where it served, construction notes and modifications through the years, station assignments, masters and mates, illuminating apparatus, fog signals, final disposition and much more. Listed by vessel and by station assignment. The original is most difficult to find and sells in the $225 range when found. The ultimate reference on the subject. (M). $85.

15269. Smith, Bonnie Hurd and Nelson Dionne. U. S. Coast Guard Air Station Salem, Massachusetts: 1935-1970: A Pictorial and Chronological History. Createspace. 2015 118p  Soft wraps. On February 15, 1935, Coast Guard Air Station Salem opened on Winter Island to respond to emergency calls off the Atlantic Coast from as far south as Connecticut and as far north as Halifax. Two years later, the Salem Evening News reported that the air station in 1937 had established one of the most progressive records for flying and participating in mercy errands of any Coast Guard air station in the country. A few years later, during World War II, the men patrolled the coast in search of German U-boats. Until the Air Station closed in 1970 during a Coast Guard consolidation, Air Station Salem played a vital role in Salem and far beyond for thirty-five years. The men bravely saved dozens of lives at sea, and risked their own. Drawing upon the archive of Salem collector Nelson Dionne, this book presents a brief chronological history of Coast Guard Air Station Salem and photographs of its story. Although the station is no longer active, it will always be remembered. So must the men of Coast Guard Air Station Salem who lost their lives in the line of duty. Today the few remaining buildings and the area at Air Station Salem are being improved and restored. (M). $26.

15218. Richmond, Arthur P. Massachusetts Lighthouses and Lightships. Schiffer. 2015. 256p. DJ. A must-have book for the lighthouse enthusiast, maritime buff, and anyone who is interested in Massachusetts history. Massachusetts Lighthouses and Lightships includes more than 850 images, many never before published. Also include historic plans that describe the details of these aids to navigation, and archival and contemporary photos that trace through their history. The book covers all the lighthouses and lightships that marked the shores (exclusive of Cape Cod and the Islands) and guided mariners through the challenging waters surrounding Massachusetts. This volume also explores the interiors of towers, shows the lantern rooms of rarely-visited lighthouses and gives fascinating facts about these beacons over their 200-year history. More than 876 images in color and b/w, some more than 130 years old, show the original towers and stations. (M). $44.99. (x)

15228. Richmond, Arthur P. Lighthouses and Lightships of Rhode Island. Schiffer. 2015. 144p. DJ. This pictorial guide provides a photographic tour of the last 400 years of Rhode Island lighthouse history. More than thirty lighthouse stations are described, from Watch Hill, near the Connecticut border in the south, to the inner harbor of Providence. The lighthouse station locations are identified using navigational charts and their characteristics, including date established, tower structure, optics, and fog signals. Also included are the dozen or so lighthouses that no longer exist. Probably not as well known, images and characteristics of these aids are similarly discussed. Over 300 images, some more than 130 years old, show the original towers and stations, accompanied by present-day photographs that compare the development and evolution of these lighthouses. Many of the images found on these pages have been collected from historical resources and are being published for the first time. This book is a must-have for the lighthouse enthusiast, maritime buff, and anyone who is interested in Rhode Island history. (M). $34.99. (x)

1589. Jesson, Jim. Recollections of a World War II Coast Guardsman. 2013. 33p. Soft wraps. A series of short stories recollected by Jim Jesson who served in the US Coast Guard in World War II. These are actual events in Coast Guard history with the dates, places, and statistics recalled to the best of Jim's memory. War II raged across the world, few Americans were aware just how close to our shores the mighty German Navy operated. Later a Boston Detective, Jim Jesson take you back to that time, sharing his insights and experiences in a way that only a WW II veteran can. As German U-boats approached the Atlantic shore of the U.S., they set their sights on civilian and naval vessels alike. As a young man like so many others, Jim Jesson set out to do his part for America. From his first confrontation with a German U-boat as a teenage civilian working on a Boston-based tugboat to a later military service encounter with Germans on Nantucket Island, Jesson carries the reader back to a fearful time in history. Readers will be amazed at the little known heroics of a team of specially trained Police Officers who came face to face with a squad of German SS troops protecting a German communications outpost. Jesson further brings to words the experience of a mere teenager aboard a Mystery Q-ship out in the fierce North Atlantic. The Q-ship was heavily armed with concealed weaponry, acting as a decoy to the merciless enemy. These and other short stories in the book add new insights to the War in New England. (M). $24.

15253. Towers, Guy. St. George Reef Lighthouse. Arcadia 2015. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. Situated at the end of a reef six miles offshore of Crescent City, California, stands St. George Reef Lighthouse. Constructed after the wreck of the coastal steamer Brother Jonathan in 1865, the beacon warned mariners of the dreaded “Dragon Rocks” of St. George Reef for nearly a century. This book chronicles the loss of the Jonathan, decades of efforts to make the light a reality, the 10-year construction period, manning of the station by keepers of the US Lighthouse Service and Coast Guard, and the struggles and accomplishments of dedicated volunteers to restore what many lighthouse historians refer to as “America’s greatest lighthouse.” This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1870’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published, and traces the history of this light station through photos and text. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99.

15223. Barbo, Theresa Mitchell. Hidden History of Cape Cod. The History Press. 2015. 144p. Soft wraps. The proverbial salty waves and sandy beaches of Cape Cod disguise its fascinating and nearly forgotten history. There’s history that is hidden beneath our feet, over our heads and sometimes right before our eyes. Learn why one of the most famous rescues in Coast Guard history spent nearly fifty years in the shadows without public notice. Discover which wild creature went from the 19th century soup pot to enjoying conservation protection under state law. Historian Theresa Mitchell Barbo explores these mysteries and more, from the lost diary of a nineteenth century schoolteacher to the reason Cape Codders call their lunch “the noontime dinner.” Join Barbo as she lifts the lid on the quirky and remarkable character of Cape Cod and its forgotten and neglected happenings of yesteryear. Illustrated with 39 Black And White photos. Interesting reading. (M). $21.99. 

Available once again:

  20209. Webber, Bernard C., CHATHAM “The Lifeboatmen”. Orleans , Mass. 1985. 1st. 128p. Illustrated with numerous photographs. Late in February 1952, a northeaster swept New England with bitter cold, snow and gale force winds. East of Chatham 70-knot winds and 60-foot seas battered merchant vessels as the tankers SS Fort Mercer and SS Pendleton met the full force of the storm. They both broke in two on the morning of February 19th with 84 half-frozen men marooned on the battered hulks. The story of how these men were rescued is retold even today. In the days following the ordeal, twenty-one Coast Guardsmen would be decorated. The men who ventured into 60-foot seas in the little 36-foot CG36500 motor lifeboat to rescue the tanker crews showed what heroism really is. How this all came about, and the story of life at Cape Cod small boat stations in the 1950’s, is a tale well worth reading and a tribute to Coast Guardsmen everywhere.  Wonderful reading. (M).  $44.95.

Special numbered edition with actual wood piece from MLB CG-36500.  $59.95. 

15208. Lawrence, Matthew, John Galluzzo and Deborah Marx. Shipwrecks of Stellwagen Bank: Disaster in New England's National Marine Sanctuary. 2015. History Press. 144p. Soft wraps. Beneath the churning surface of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary rest the bones of shipwrecks and sailors alike. Massachusetts’ ports connected its citizens to the world, and the number of merchant and fishing vessels grew alongside the nation’s development. Hundreds of ships sank on the trade routes and fishing grounds between Cape Cod and Cape Ann. Their stories are waiting to be uncovered—from the ill-fated steamship Portland to collided schooners Frank A. Palmer and Louise B. Crary and the burned dragger Joffre. Join historian John Galluzzo and maritime archaeologists Matthew Lawrence and Deborah Marx as they dive in to investigate the sunken vessels and captivating history of New England’s only national marine sanctuary. Illustrated with over 50 b/w photos. (M). $21.99. (x)

2nd Edition Just Out:

23290e. Demeter, Andrew and David. CHELSEA CLOCK COMPANY: The First Hundred Years. 2nd edition. 2014. For over a hundred years the Chelsea Clock Company has manufactured a distinguished line of high quality clocks. Regarded as one of America ’s highest quality products, Chelsea Clocks have been presented to heads of state throughout the world. Photographs taken in the White House throughout this century show Chelsea Clocks in settings of distinction. Collectors have long prized them for their quality, beauty, unique design and historic significance. Now in this updated and lengthened second edition, the history of the Chelsea Clock Company has been written and it reads like a contemporary enterprise including mysteries, disasters, near failure and a fascinating collection of characters. Historical photographs, vintage advertisements, as well as illustrations and photographs from old catalogues are included. This updated and expanded second edition also includes: Ten more vintage models added to the Identification Guide to help collectors in identifying seldom seen designs, with color photographs from the finest collections in America, an Alphabetical Index on every movement model developed by the company by date and designated purpose, individual indices that list every clock made for the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment & Service, U.S. Life-Saving Service, and U.S. Revenue Cutter Service by serial number, type, and date of issuance, a new Boston Clock Co. Index of this subsidiary’s manufacture of clocks from 1909 to 1931. With eighty-five more pages of material to assist the collector in identifying factory issued models and their origins, this work will surely be a “must have” for collectors and professionals alike. Andrew and David Demeter have created a remarkable volume complete with lists of serial numbers to aid you in authenticating your piece, and photographs of Chelsea Clock Company’s current staff. In Chelsea Clock Company: The First Hundred Years, the Demeters have once again provided a valuable and sought after resource for collectors and those who appreciate American craftsmanship at its finest. Only 1000 of this second edition have been printed and they will be in great demand! (M). $145. (no discounts apply)

15181. Coyle, Gretchen F. and Deborah C. Whitcraft. Tucker's Island. Arcadia 2015. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 160 vintage photographs. Once located between Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor, along the New Jersey coast, in 1932 Tucker’s Island disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean. Sand dunes and native foliage once covered its eight miles. For generations, the Rider family kept the lighthouse illuminated, and the US Life-Saving Service provided aid to ships in distress. Two hotels were constructed by island men with building materials salvaged from local shipwrecks. Visitors arrived by sail or steam, and the popularity of Tucker’s Island inspired real estate agents to sell worthless lots to unsuspecting buyers eager for their own piece of the shore. Over the years storms battered the vulnerable island and by 1927 the lighthouse toppled onto the sand. Soon the life-saving station washed away, and in 1932, the island was removed from tax records. This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1870’s through the 1920’s, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published, and traces the history of these services and the island through photos and text. Filled with early Life-Saving and Coast Guard views. (M). $21.99.

1578. Ewen, William H. Jr. and Tom Dunlop. Steamboats to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Arcadia. 2015. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 226 vintage photographs. The islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, off the Cape Cod coast of Massachusetts, were first inhabited by members of the Wampanoag tribe. English settlements were established in the mid-1600s. As the populations and commerce grew, so did the need for reliable transportation. The islands were first served by privately owned sailing vessels, but things began to change with the introduction of marine steam power. In 1818, the little steamer Eagle was the first to cross Nantucket Sound. Although she only remained in these waters for three months, she began what was to become a tradition of steamboat travel to the islands that lasted for 170 years. The images in this volume include well-known steamers with familiar names like Nobska, Naushon, Gay Head, and Uncatena, as well as many others. This compact volume features 226 early photographs dating from the 1800’s through today, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published, and traces the history of these services through photos and text. (M). $21.99. (x)

10427. Coffin, Edward Wayman. TUCKERNUCK ISLAND – A Pictorial Review of the Island. [self published] 2008. 200p. Soft wraps. Lying west of Nantucket , just eight miles from Martha’s Vineyard , Tuckernuck is a low bleak island, ringed with sandy shoals and often entrapped by foul weather. The island has an area of about 900 acres (1.4 square miles). Often ice bound in winter with high tides, Tuckernuck, like its neighbor Muskeget, was the scene of many shipwrecks through the years. Its population consisted occasional fishermen with only seasonal increases by the local Island Club gunners taking advantage of the prolific fowl population. This unusual book is written from the point of view of an islander (the author’s father served on the neighboring island as a Life Saving Service surfman). The book relates many interesting tales formerly untold with interesting comments on the life and recreation of the seasonal population. Also included are hundreds of rare photographs from private collections. Privately published in a very limited quantity (only 500 printed), quite difficult to find now. (M). $42.

1530. D’Entremont, Jeremy. Lovers' Light: The History of Minot's Ledge Lighthouse. 2015.  Coastlore Media. 121p. Soft wraps. Minot's Ledge Lighthouse, off Boston's South Shore near the towns of Cohasset and Scituate, has a fascinating history replete with heroism, tragedy, and triumph. Widely known as the "I Love You Light" after its famous 1-4-3 flash characteristic, it has sparked the imaginations of lighthouse lovers around the world. The present (1860) tower is one of the classic examples of a granite wave-swept lighthouse and has withstood the battering of countless storms. It stands today as a testament to its designers and builders and as a monument to the brave keepers who stood watch for nearly a century. This new book brings together a variety of source documents, including correspondence, government documents, log entries, interviews with keepers, and much more to help paint an historic portrait of one of the world's most dramatic lighthouses. Well illustrated with photos, engravings and illustrations. (M). $12.95.

1531. D’Entremont, Jeremy. History of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. 2013. Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. 66p. Soft wraps. The large, well-protected harbor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the Piscataqua River, was an important port in colonial America. It still remains New Hampshire's only deep water port. It was here that a lighthouse, the first one in the American colonies north of Boston, was established in 1771. In nearly two and one-half centuries since that time, the light station has been home to a succession of fascinating personalities and the scene of much human drama. This book brings together a variety of source documents, log entries, interviews with keepers, and much more to help paint an historic portrait of this interesting light station. Well illustrated with photos, engravings and illustrations. (M). $8.95.

14325. Mason, Paul J. Great Lakes Lighthouse Tenders: A History of the Boats and Crews That Served in the U.S. Lighthouse Service on the Great Lakes. M&B Global Solutions. 2014. 66p. The ships and crews of the U.S. Lighthouse Tender Service were the unsung heroes of Great Lakes transportation for more than a century. Yet despite the critical role they played in maritime operations, little information is available about these hard-working men and the ships they called home.Author Paul J. Mason provides an illustrated history of lighthouse tenders that served on "The Lakes," complete with rare photos and fascinating back stories. Great Lakes history buffs will enjoy learning about these forgotten ships and crews, and their place in maritime's golden age. Author Mason’s interest in the U.S. Lighthouse Service and its Great Lakes tenders stems from his grandfather, Richard H. Burdeno, was chief engineer on the USLHT Clover. Paul joined the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and currently serves as a volunteer crew member on a Coast Guard 25-foot patrol boat at U.S. Coast Guard (AUXOP) Station Green Bay (Wisconsin). (M). $19.

1486. Lonergan, Tom. Martha Coston and The Box of Light. iUniverse. 2013. 196p. Soft wraps. Widowed at the age of twenty-one, left penniless with four children to raise, Martha Coston overcame nineteenth century bias to carry on her deceased husband's work, patenting and manufacturing history's first night time signal device. Traveling the world, she then successfully marketed the Coston Night Signal to the navies, coast guardians and railroads of every industrialized nation, founding a company that flourished for more than a century. In her lifetime, Martha Coston became close friends with Admiral David Farragut, was introduced to British society in Queen Victoria's own drawing room, banqueted with Napoleon III at the Palaise de Tuilleries, danced with the King of Sweden at his summer retreat at Rosendal, was feted by the Admiral of the Russian fleet at Kronstadt Island in St. Petersburg, struggled across winter ice floes in Scandinavia and fought fang and claw with the United States Congress for her invention to be recognized. Detailed, interesting account written in the first person. (M). 21.95.

14230. Williams, Gary. Guardian of Guadalcanal: The World War II Story of Douglas A. Munro, United States Coast Guard. Lakota Press, 2014 . 280p. DJ. Guardian of Guadalcanal is the World War II biographical account of Petty Officer Douglas A. Munro, United States Coast Guard, the Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor recipient. “Douglas A. Munro, a signalman first class of the United States Coast Guard, died heroically on Guadalcanal September 27, 1942, after succeeding in his assignment, for which he had volunteered, to evacuate a detachment of Marines from a point where enemy opposition developed beyond anticipated dimensions. Munro's final words were "Did they get off?" As World War II approached, Munro left to enlist in the United States Coast Guard in 1939. He had an outstanding record as an enlisted man and was promoted rapidly through the various ratings to a signalman, first class. In the action [where he was killed in action], Munro had already played an important part, since he was in charge of the original detachment of ten boats that had landed the Marines at the scene. He had successfully got them ashore and then had headed his boats back to a previously assigned position. Almost immediately upon his return, he was advised by the officer in charge that conditions had been different than had been anticipated and that it was necessary to evacuate the men immediately. Munro volunteered for the job of heading the boats for the evacuation. In charge of the rescue expedition, he brought the boats in-shore under heavy enemy fire and proceeded to evacuate the men on the beach. When most of them were in the boats, complications arose in evacuating the last men, whom Munro realized would be in the greatest danger. He accordingly so placed himself and his boats that they would serve as cover for the last men to leave. It was thus that he was fatally wounded -- protecting the men after he had evacuated them. He remained conscious sufficiently long only to say four words: "Did they get off?" He died, therefore, with the realization that his mission had succeeded and his final assignment had been carried out.” In addition to the Medal of Honor, Munro was also awarded, posthumously, the Purple Heart Medal, and was eligible for the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. To this date, Munro is the only Coast Guardsman to have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Written by the acclaimed author of SEAL of Honor, Gary Williams, the full story of Douglas Munro’s life and service has finally been told in it's entirety. Petty Officer Douglas A. Munro truly led by example “…he was courageous, selfless and was only thinking about the mission at hand”. This book is a tribute to Petty Officer Munro and is a worthwhile read. A significant individual in Coast Guard history who should not be forgotten. (M). $29.99. (x)

14255. Marshall, Charles. Surfmen. Fireship Press. 2013. 294p. Soft wraps. As lightning cracks over a roiling sea, a young boy clings to life amidst the waves. His family... his friends... all that he's ever known... have been taken by the storm. Drifting in the sea-tossed wreckage, the boy is unexpectedly rescued and given a new chance at life on the sands of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Thirty years later, thirteen years after the Civil War, on that same far-flung spit of sand at Cape Hatteras, seven men of courage face the sea and its storms as men of the United States Lifesaving Service. Recruited and trained by that same boy grown to manhood, Confederate blockade runner Captain Thomas Hooper, the men of Cape Hatteras Station are the only hope for sailors in distress at the treacherous Diamond Shoals. As Thomas Hooper readies his men to fight the sea and tries to keep them from fighting each other, he realizes that the souls he's there to save may very well be those of his men and himself. A good read. (M). $29.95. (x)

The movie is on the way - read now of the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard History:

29185. Tougias, Michael J and Casey Sherman. The Finest Hours - The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue. Simon and Schuster. 2009. 224p. In the winter of 1952, New England was battered by the most brutal nor'easter in years. As the weather wreaked havoc on land, the freezing Atlantic became a wind-whipped zone of peril. In the early hours of Monday, February 18, while the storm raged, two oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer , found themselves in the same horrifying predicament. Built with "dirty steel," and not prepared to withstand such ferocious seas, both tankers split in two, leaving the dozens of men on board utterly at the Atlantic 's mercy. The Finest Hours is the gripping, true story of the valiant attempt to rescue the souls huddling inside the broken halves of the two ships. Coast Guard cutters raced to the aid of those on the Fort Mercer , and when it became apparent that the halves of the Pendleton were in danger of capsizing, the Guard sent out two thirty-six-foot lifeboats as well. These wooden boats, manned by only four seamen each, were dwarfed by the enormous seventy-foot seas. As the tiny rescue vessels set out from the coast of Cape Cod , the men aboard were all fully aware that they were embarking on what could easily become a suicide mission. The spellbinding tale is overflowing with breathtaking scenes that sear themselves into the mind's eye, as boats capsize, bows and sterns crash into one another, and men hurl themselves into the raging sea in their terrifying battle for survival. Not all of the eighty-four men caught at sea in the midst of that brutal storm survived, but considering the odds, it's a miracle -- and a testament to their bravery -- that any came home to tell their tales at all. (M). Soft cover $14.95.

For more information see our SS Pendleton - SS Fort Mercer page.

A Sleeper!  Well Done! We recently purchased the author’s remaining stock and can pass on the savings to you:

14121. Ives, John G. The Keeper. Bohme Publishing. 2013. 416p. Soft wraps. The Keeper is a fresh, new historical fiction at its very best. Filled with electrifying rescue scenes, pitting a handful of men against fierce storms and bitter cold. A story of honor and love, fellowship and betrayal, strength and vulnerability. This is a novel of the Life-Savers, set in Provincetown, on the tip of Cape Cod, in 1899. Joshua Duell, the book's hero, is a young New Yorker who returns home from the Spanish American War. Now his mother has disappeared in a mysterious shipwreck, and he travels to the small village of Provincetown at the outer reach of the continent to find out how. With his friend and college roommate Buddy, Joshua joins the United States Life-Saving Service patrolling the outer beaches. Under the leadership of their Keeper John MacDonald, they face rigorous training and treacherous work as the storms come. Buddy is a charmer, but he alienates the other Life-Savers, which leads him to take drastic actions he and Joshua will come to deeply regret. A story of intense action, beautiful descriptions of the sea, and the coming of age of a fascinating young man. (M). $18.95. (x)

14228. Eisner, Harvey (ed). WTC: In Their Own Words. 2011. Cygnus. 278p. Soft wraps. With DVD of interviews and testimonials from survivors and firefighters. Filled with comprehensive, exclusive interviews with firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center attack, WTC: In Their Own Words, is a special collector's edition book from Firehouse Magazine in commemoration of the 10 year anniversary of the attack and as a testimonial to the first responders. Eisner, a retired Tenafly, New Jersey fire chief and longtime editor of Firehouse Magazine, felt the calling to capture the story of 9/11 and present it through the eyes of those who responded to the call – members of the FDNY – the New York Fire Department. It’s more than photojournalism at its best – captured images from a perspective never before seen by the public. It’s a reference guide. And in years to come, it may very well be a seminal historic accounting of the immediate aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in history. For some, still active or retired firefighters, it was too difficult to tell the story. For others, it was just the first, or second time, that they’ve ever articulated the emotional pain of that fateful day, nearly 10 years ago. This softbound book takes a highly detailed, in-depth look at the day's events and fire department response. This book also includes an exclusive DVD which includes interviews and testimonials from survivors and firefighters. Eisner felt it important to record for history the words of some of those who put their lives on the line. To present stories that have never before been publicly shared. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this volume will benefit these four organizations: FDNY Foundation, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, UFA Thomas R. Elsasser Fund, Wounded Warrior Project. A fitting tribute to responders who we should never forget. (M). $49. 

1443. Claflin, James W. Lighthouses and Life-Saving Along Cape Cod. Arcadia. 2014. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs, this is the fourth volume in a series of photographic histories of lighthouses and lifesaving along the coasts of the United States by the author. For centuries, heroic men and women have guarded the treacherous yet beloved Cape Cod coastlines. From Provincetown to Chatham, Sandwich to Cuttyhunk, and many towns in between, residents have relied on the Atlantic for employment and nourishment. But Cape Cod has always been plagued with a shifting coastline that consistently defies mariners’ efforts to pass through Massachusetts waters. In 1792, as shipping increased, mariners petitioned for a sorely needed lighthouse. It was not until 1797 that the first lighthouse on Cape Cod was built at the Highlands in North Truro. More lights and rescue stations would follow as the seas claimed their toll. Many lightship stations were also established from Chatham through Nantucket Sound to mark the constantly changing sandbars submerged offshore—more than in any other spot along the US coastline. Today, as sea levels change and sands continue to shift, some of these historic stations have been lost or moved, while still others are preserved only in such photographs as these. This compact volume features over 200 early photographs dating from the 1870’s through the 1960’s, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published, and traces the history of these services through photos and text. (M). $21.99. 

14222. Woodman, Richard and Andrew Adams. 'Light Upon the Waters' - The History of Trinity House. The Corporation of Trinity House. London. 2013. 320p. DJ. Hardback, large format and lavishly illustrated with 450 colour photos and illustrations, plans and charts. As part of their quincentenary celebrations, Trinity House has produced the definitive history book of the Corporation, 'Light Upon The Waters'. Trinity House is a private corporation governed under a Royal Charter. It has three core functions: it is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, responsible for the provision and maintenance of navigational aids, such as lighthouses, lightvessels, buoys, and maritime radio/satellite communication systems. Trinity House is also an official deep sea pilotage authority, providing expert navigators for ships trading in Northern European waters. The story of the corporation from incorporation to the current day, a span of 500 years, has been thoroughly researched and written up and illustrated with many beautiful and striking images from the corporation's extensive archives and collections. The book contains a wealth of information and is particularly good on nineteenth century lighthouse construction. This book will serve as the official definitive history, from the days of Henry VIII to the technological developments and changes faced in the new millennia. At the end of five centuries, the corporation remains; striving to serve the mariner with undiminished energy and inventiveness. This hardback, large format book delivers a fine illustrated history of Trinity House and calls upon the strengths of two experts in their respective fields: Captain Richard Woodman and Captain Andrew Adams. Captain Adams was a boy seaman when he joined Trinity House in 1963. During his over 40 year career he gained a wide experience afloat, becoming Chief Pilot in the Port of Harwich, and an RNR Captain and Nautical Adviser. His contribution to this book derives from his interest in a knowledge of the history of pilotage. He is a Younger Brother of Trinity House. Captain Woodman went to sea aged 16 and served in cargo-liners and Ocean Weather Ships before spending more than 30 years with Trinity House, several in command afloat and ashore. He was elected an Elder Brother in 2006. He is a keen yachtsman and an award-winning author with over 50 published works to his credit. A splendid book that deserves to be alongside anyone’s maritime collection and a must for anyone even remotely interested in lighthouse history, British maritime history and the lighthouses of the British Isles. Difficult to find. Weight 5 lbs. (M). $145. (x)

14118. Waterway, William. Gay Head Lighthouse – The First Light on Martha’s Vineyard. 2014. History Press. 176p. Soft wraps. On the afternoon of October 21, 2013, Gay Head Lighthouse researcher William Waterway discovered the 1844 stone foundation for Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts’s original 1799 wooden Gay Head Lighthouse when it was moved back 75 feet from the eroding cliffs. Today, still standing tall on the colorful clay cliffs of Martha’s Vineyard, Gay Head Lighthouse continues to provide safe passage to seafarers as it has since 1799. The steadfast tower marks a dangerous and heavily traveled passage between the island and mainland known as Devil’s Bridge. Being the first lighthouse on the Vineyard, Gay Head Light has a rich and varied history filled with stories of inspirational lighthouse keepers, disastrous shipwrecks and even mysterious deaths. Today, Gay Head Light serves as an iconic symbol of the island’s maritime history and attracts visitors from around the world. Join author William Waterway as he charts the history of the lighthouse from the original wooden tower lit with oil lamps to the rebuilt brick structure that houses the famous Fresnel lens. Filled with information on the light’s keepers and their families, changes over the years, the nearby Life-Saving station and crews, and more, this is a long awaited addition to our lighthouse libraries. (M). $19.99. 

14119. Klim, Jake. Attack on Orleans: The World War I Submarine Raid on Cape Cod. 2014. History Press. 176p. Soft wraps. On the warm morning of July 21, 1918 – during the last year of the First World War - a new prototype of German submarine surfaced three miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and attacked an unarmed towboat and her four barges. A handful of the shells fired by the U-boat’s two deck guns struck Nauset Beach, giving the modest town of Orleans the distinction of being the first, and only, spot in the United States to receive fire from the enemy during the entire World War. Coming to Cape Cod’s defense that momentous day were a hodgepodge of average American citizens – doctors, fishermen, vacationing cottagers, young children - as well as two groups of first responders that could not be more opposite; the waning United States Live-Saving Services, now the fledgling U.S. Coast Guard, and the infant air arm of the United States Navy. Lifesavers from the Orleans station launched a surfboat under heavy enemy shellfire and rowed in the direction of the thirty-two sailors trapped aboard the tug and barges. It was a situation Cape Cod’s surfmen never imagined being in; they were far more accustomed to rescuing sailors from wooden schooners caught in Nor’easters than from the jaws of an enemy submarine. Meanwhile, in the sky above, rickety seaplanes from the local Naval Air Station dive-bombed the enemy raider with payloads of TNT. It was the first time in history that American aviators engaged an enemy vessel in the western Atlantic. Although upwards of one thousand citizens watched the spectacle from shore, the “Attack on Orleans” is a story very few Americans, outside the proud town of Orleans, have ever heard. A most interesting account, well illustrated with photos. (M). $19.99.

Cape Cod Towns - Images of America Series. $21.99 each

Longley, Jennifer. Hyannis And Hyannis Port

Lombardo, Daniel. Orleans

Schofield, Marilyn C and Roberta Cornish. Eastham

Vuilleumier, Marion R. Sandwich, Cape Cod's Oldest Town

Cuttyhunk Historical Society. Cuttyhunk And The Elizabeth Islands

Brennan, Susan W and Diana Worthington. Truro

Edward O…. Barnstable Village, West Barnstable and Sandy Neck

Sicchio, Mary. The Forgotten Cape 1940-1960

Pizzolato, Susan and Lynda Ames Byrne. Wareham

Brewster Historical Society. Brewster

Claflin, James W. Lighthouses and Life Saving Along Cape Cod

13438. Simpson, Bland. Ghost Ship of Diamond Shoals: The Mystery of the Carroll A. Deering. Univ. of North Carolina Press. 2005. In the misty dawn of January 31, 1921, a Coast Guardsman on watch at the Cape Hatteras Life-Saving Station sighted a mighty five-masted schooner, all sails set, wrecked on the treacherous Diamond Shoals. Rescuers rushed to the ship, but when they arrived they found the Carroll A. Deering deserted, with no trace of the captain, Willis B. Wormell, or the crew. When, several months later, a bottle was found on a nearby beach, purportedly containing a note from a crew member who ascribed the schooner's fate to its capture by pirates, a sensational panic in international shipping ensued. The captain's daughter successfully lobbied for a federal investigation, but months of inquiry failed to turn up either the missing crew or a reason for the ship's demise. To this day, the fate of the Deering has remained one of the greatest mysteries of maritime history. Bland Simpson assembles the known facts into a compelling reconstruction of the Carol A. Deering's final voyage and its baffling aftermath. Using contemporary sources including newspapers, FBI reports, ship's logs, and personal and official correspondence, he weaves together historical narrative with the voices of key participants in the drama. Simpson's haunting chronicle keeps the story of the Deering alive, an apt memorial to the ghost ship and its lost crew. (M). $19.95.

13453. Hall, Wesley. The Hooligan Navy: A True Story About the Old Coast Guard. iUniverse.com, Inc. 2001. Soft wraps. The Hooligan Navy is the third book of a trilogy based upon the author's Navy (WWII) and Coast Guard (post-WWII) experiences. It is the frank and quite often humorous confession of what life was like as a radio operator in the late 1940s aboard a variety of U. S. Coast Guard cutters. Wesley Hall, at the age of 22, joined the Coast Guard in Oklahoma City, near his home, and was sent to Government Island, Alameda, California. From there he went to the CGC Alert, based in Humboldt Bay, Eureka, California. His record was a clean slate, and his future as a radio operator seemed bright. Fate, however, intervened and, incredibly, during the next two years, when his hitch was up, he served aboard five other cutters, including two Indian cutters assigned to Ocean Station Fox (the Chautauqua and the Escanaba); the Taney, another and larger cutter assigned to gather weather information at Station Fox; the Bramble, a buoy tender, assigned to the northern California coast; and the Storis, an icebreaker that took him from Baltimore, Maryland, to Juneau, Alaska. It is the true story of a young man whose first black mark inexorably led to a second and a third, despite his good intentions. This is a humorous book about this young ex-Navy sailor who found out the hard way that the Coast Guard is a very small outfit where the officers all knew each other and shared what they knew about recalcitrant swabs. A must read if you are interested in early times in the military. (M). $46.

14149. Smithweck, David. Mobile Point Lighthouse, Fort Morgan, Alabama. Mobile. 2014. 70p. Soft wraps. Mobile Point is located on the southeastern shore at the entrance into Mobile Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. The hazards created by constantly shifting shoals as the tide waters flow into the bay made aids to navigation a necessity for mariners. This is the story of one of those aids--The 1872 Mobile Point Lighthouse. Filled with information, profusely illustrated with photos, documents, plans and more. (M). $19.95. (x)

14178. Oleszewski, Wes. The Best of Wes Oleszewski - Favorite Great Lakes Shipwreck Stories. Avery. 2014. 202p. Soft wraps. The author has researched and written hundreds of Great Lakes Maritime stories over the years. He has personally chosen his "best" and is putting his favorites in the book True, factual stories of some of the most devastating Great Lakes shipwrecks ever documented. This book will take you through the 1800’s and the 1900’s, while in the shoes of the sailors, some lost, others forgotten, still others remembered as heroes. Huge waves, frigid weather and terrifying situations - relieve it all in this exciting book. A great read of classic Wes stories. (M). $16.95. (x)

14117. Dunn, Bill. Sea Girt Lighthouse – The Community Beacon. Charleston. 2014. 192p. Soft wraps. Illustrated with over 100 photos. The Jersey Shore lighthouse that stands in Sea Girt has been a guiding beacon for seafarers since the end of the nineteenth century. A revolutionary lens, designed by Frenchman Augustin-Jean Fresnel, captured the flickering flame of a burning wick and projected a unique flash that could be seen for fifteen miles. The genius of Fresnel’s design, on full display at the lighthouse, impresses as much now as it did in the days of sail. Many colorful characters were put in command here, including a Civil War soldier, a pioneering woman, an inventor and, for one day, the twenty-year-old daughter of a keeper. Sea Girt Lighthouse played an important role in defending the coast during World War II, when U.S. Coast Guard troops stood watch in the tower and patrolled the beaches. After its decommissioning, the lighthouse served for over two decades as the town library and recreation center, but by 1981, it was at risk of being closed and sold. That’s when a group of community members—the Sea Girt Lighthouse Citizens Committee—successfully fought to save and preserve the shore landmark. Today, the lighthouse is the community beacon, alive with activity and attracting visitors who flock from around the country and the world to experience its history. Well illustrated, with great accounts of the keepers and their lives here. (M). $21.99. (x)

14157. Kotzian, John. Sky Pilot of the Great Lakes. Avery. 2008. 224p. Soft wraps. "Sky Pilot" was sailors' slang for a chaplain. This book tells the life story of the Reverend William H. Law, a story that has never been told before. The Reverend Law was in peril on the Great Lakes and was rescued by a U.S. Life-Saving Service Station crew. As a result of that rescue, seeing their heroic efforts first hand, Reverend Law dedicated the rest of his life to the men and women stationed at Light  stations and Life-Saving stations throughout the United States. Whether it was bringing his "Floating Library" to stations located on the Great Lakes, regular correspondence with the crews of stations far too remote for a personal visit, or his relentless pursuit of Congress to approve a bill to provide better pay and pensions, Reverend Law became a fast friend to those serving in the Lighthouse and Life-Saving services. To the men and women he served, Reverend Law was lovingly known as "The Sky Pilot of the Great Lakes." A tale of unconquerable optimism, the story of W. H. Law's life is as much the account of the brave men and women of the Lighthouse Service and Life-Saving Service as it is the saga of a long and rewarding life in the service of others. (M). $17.95. 

14120. Dresser, Thomas, Herb Foster & Jay Schofield. Martha’s Vineyard in World War II. Charleston. 2014. 192p. Soft wraps. Illustrated with over 50 photos. The small, tight-knit island community of Martha’s Vineyard was irrevocably transformed by World War II. From rationing and blackouts to a military presence in Chilmark, the war was brought home to the residents of the island. In the air, pilots flew training missions from the Martha’s Vineyard Naval Auxiliary Air Facility. At sea, ferryboats served as hospital ships in the D-Day invasion, while enemy submarines lurked offshore. Mock invasions were undertaken by military forces from across Vineyard Sound, and remote sites were used for training missions and bombing practice. Residents participated in the war effort by buying war bonds, supporting USO activities and conducting air raid drills. Remnants and reminiscences of this illustrious past can still be found today. Join authors Thomas Dresser, Herb Foster and Jay Schofield as they revive the story of this resilient island during World War II. (M). $19.99. (x)

1506. na. Cape Lookout National Seashore. Cape Lookout Lighthouse Keeper’s Dwelling ( 1907) Historic Structure Report. Cultural Resources Division, Southeast Regional Office, National Park Service. 2004. 87p. Soft wraps. Historic Structure Reports provide a valuable foundation for the rehabilitation, restoration, stabilization or reconstruction of historic structures. Such a report is particularly important for finding or fabricating significant missing architectural details and other items that would have been found on such structures, and for documenting the history and changes to such structures over time. This allows one to recapture the appearance of a property at one particular period of its history, removing later additions, or substantially modifying existing historic fabric. In this case, the Cape Lookout, North Carolina Lighthouse Keeper’s Dwelling (1907) was studied using evidence present at the site, historical documents found at the National Archives, Life-Saving Service records, logs, reports, letters from the keepers and more. The Barden House, as the structure is now known, was the third Keeper's Dwelling built at the lighthouse station and was occupied by the lighthouse keeper and his family from the time it was completed in the fall of 1907 until the 1930s. In 1957, the Coast Guard, which had taken over operation of the nation's lighthouses in 1939, made the decision to surplus many of the buildings at the lighthouse station and at the Coast Guard Station. In 1958, Dr. Graham Barden acquired the Keeper's Dwelling and relocated it about 1.1 mile southwest of its original site. The architect for the original design of the Barden House has not been identified, but the plans were originally developed around 1886 in Baltimore by the engineering department of the Lighthouse Board. Those plans were modified around 1904 and used for construction of the house, which was completed in October 1907. Included as part of that construction project was a new summer kitchen and a brick and concrete cistern, both of which remain on their original sites near the lighthouse. The authors are able to provide a detailed assessment of how the structure would have looked during the period of interest, and more. The report includes numerous period and current photos and diagrams, architectural plans, and excerpts from Lighthouse Service and Coast Guard books and documents, original specifications, and more for guidance. A most important reference for anyone interested in what the building would have contained and looked like. (M). $36. (x)

14101. Hartman USCG (Ret), Captain Jeffrey. Guarding Alaska: A Memoir of Coast Guard Missions on the Last Frontier. 2012. 230p. Soft wraps. Alaska represents twenty percent of the land area, twenty percent of the oil production, forty percent of the fresh water of the United States, but after Wyoming, it's the least populated state. Despite that contradiction, the state has an abundance of natural resources, history, and adventure-especially for the members of the Coast Guard that oversee its massive coastline. Captain Jeffrey Hartman served four tours of duty in Alaska with the Coast Guard. He outlines the history of Alaska and its culture and describes his experiences overseeing a number of rescue missions there. Hartman illustrates with personal experience the challenges and dangers the Coast Guard faces in carrying out its missions protecting the Alaska people, environment and maritime infrastructure. He flew helicopters from Coast Guard icebreakers, on rescue and law enforcement missions and managed the search and rescue program on Alaska's waters. Guarding Alaska explains the many important functions that the Coast Guard serves and also examines how it's changed in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. You'll feel like you're in the middle of the action as you gain a deeper appreciation for the state and the people who protect it. Jeffrey Hartman retired from active duty after thirty years with the Coast Guard as a rescue helicopter pilot and emergency planner. In addition to his four Alaska tours he commanded the Coast Guard Air Station in Borinquen Puerto Rico. A graduate of the USCG Academy, he also has two masters degrees. Interesting account. (M). $21.95. (x)

1482. Mosley, Henrietta E. Point Fermin Lighthouse Families 1874-1927. Pacific Heritage Books. 2013. 132p. Soft wraps. This is the first book devoted to the history of Los Angeles’ Point Fermin Lighthouse, a 139- year old structure that still stands today. The relates the story of families living in this big Victorian house with a light tower, 100 feet above the ocean and their interactions with the world around them. Based on correspondence, memoirs, newspaper accounts, census records, station logs, pension files and other archival materials, the author relates how the lives of the members of four lighthouse families were shaped by their surroundings and the historical events of their times. “Meticulously-researched…engaging and informative…sure to become a standard reference for lighthouse scholars and fans alike." Includes rare family and government images. Nicely done. (M). $19.95. (x)

1483. Grohman, Adam M. Sentinels and Saviors of the Sea – A Collection of United States Coast Guard History. Volume 1. Adam Grohman. 2011. 289p. Soft wraps. Autographed by the author. This well done volume provides thirty short histories of the United States Coast Guard. Grohman’s work explores the determination, daring, and dedication to duty of the men and women of the United States Coast Guard and its predecessor services from the earliest days of the nation to present. “From the wartime efforts of Coastguardsmen on the bloody beaches of the Pacific Theatre of Operations and on the high seas battling German U-boats during the Second World War to the heroic efforts of Revenue Cutter Service officers and enlisted men … the service members have been vital to our nation’s military efforts. Incidents recounted in this interesting volume include The February Gale of 1880, U.S.S. Rockford, Siege of Cape Florida Light, Rescue Flotilla One, Loss From Eatons Neck, Signalman First Class Douglas Munro, Manomet Station Loss, Fort Mercer and Pendleton Rescues, Dots & Dashes No More, The Wreck of the #3314, and much more. Other histories included in the book recount rescues along the shores of souls stranded in the surf from a sinking vessel or on the high seas from intrepid flight crews aboard fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. These efforts, usually amidst inclement weather and harrowing conditions serve to highlight the diligent efforts of Coast Guard members to those imperiled by circumstance. In addition, this volume includes a host of archival photographs, copious footnotes, and a detailed source listing for each chapter. Wonderful reading, well done. (M). $16.95. (x)

1468. Grohman, Adam M. Sentinels and Saviors of the Sea – A Collection of United States Coast Guard History. Volume 2. Adam Grohman. 2014. 312p. Soft wraps. Autographed by the author. Like the first, this volume provides thirty more short histories of the United States Coast Guard. Grohman’s work explores the determination, daring, and dedication to duty of the men and women of the United States Coast Guard and its predecessor services from the earliest days of the nation to present. “From the wartime efforts of Coastguardsmen on the bloody beaches of the Pacific Theatre of Operations and on the high seas battling German U-boats during the Second World War to the heroic efforts of Revenue Cutter Service officers and enlisted men in hand-to-hand combat with British forces aboard the bloodied decks of the Revenue Cutter Surveyor in 1813, the service members have been vital to our nation’s military efforts. Other histories included in the book recount rescues along the shores of souls stranded in the surf from a sinking vessel or on the high seas from intrepid flight crews aboard fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. These efforts, usually amidst inclement weather and harrowing conditions serve to highlight the diligent efforts of Coast Guard members to those imperiled by circumstance.” In addition, this volume includes a host of archival photographs, copious footnotes, and a detailed source listing for each chapter. Wonderful reading, well done. (M). $16.95.

1493. Chubbs, Harold and Wade Kearley. Facing the Sea: Lightkeepers and Their Families. Flanker Press. 2013. 132p. Hard cover. DJ. In Facing the Sea, authors Harold Chubbs and Wade Kearley have captured an important era in the maritime history of Newfoundland and Labrador. These tales of rescue and tragedy, of love lost and redeemed, describe first-hand what life was like for lightkeepers and their families in twenty-five light stations along the exposed and often inhospitable coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of these stories are told here for the first time in print, and each story is rich with new details and insights from the perspective of these remarkable men and women. Well illustrated with photographs. (M). $38. (x)

1445. Cape Lookout National Seashore, Cape Lookout Coast Guard Station Boat House: Historic Structure Report. 2004. 70p. Soft wraps. Cape Lookout, NC. Cultural Resources, Southeast Region, U.S. Dept. of Interior, National Park Service. Historic Structure Reports provide a valuable foundation for the rehabilitation, restoration, stabilization or reconstruction of historic structures. Such a report is particularly important for finding or fabricating significant missing architectural details and other items that would have been found on such structures, and for documenting the history and changes to such structures over time. This allows one to recapture the appearance of a property at one particular period of its history, removing later additions, or substantially modifying existing historic fabric. In this case, the Cape Lookout, North Carolina Coast Guard Station 1924 Boat-House was studied using evidence present at the site, historical documents found at the National Archives, Life-Saving Service records, logs, reports, letters from the keepers and more. The Boat-House is a one-story, wood framed, hipped-roofed structure built in 1924 for storage and maintenance of life-boats. Altered after it was relocated in 1958, it still retains most of its historic features and original materials. Using these and other sources, the authors are able to provide a detailed assessment of how the structure would have looked during the period of interest, and more. The report includes numerous period and current photos and diagrams, architectural plans, and excerpts from Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard books and documents, original specifications, and more for guidance. A most important reference for anyone interested in what the building would have contained and looked like. (M). $44.(x)

13434. McDougal, Steph. Lighthouses of Texas. Arcadia. 2014. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. Not long after winning their independence from Mexico in 1836, Texans began clamoring for lighthouses. Hundreds of miles of barrier islands, shifting sandbars, and shallow bays made the Texas coast treacherous at a time when few overland routes provided access to the new republic. Beginning in 1852, twenty-eight lighthouses were built along the Texas coastline, on land and over water. Lighthouse service was often a family affair, with husbands, wives, and children working together as keepers and assistants. For nearly 70 years, construction continued as coastal erosion, hurricanes, and wars regularly damaged or destroyed those lighthouses already built. These “sentinels of the sea” lessened but did not eliminate the chance of shipwreck, so lifesaving stations, manned by able seamen with unsinkable surfboats, were established as well. As Texas’s lighthouses were gradually automated throughout the 20th century, many were sold to private owners or abandoned. Today, several have been restored, and two—at Aransas Pass and Port Isabel—still function as aids to navigation. This interesting volume draws images from public and private collections, most never before published, to tell the story of the lighthouses of Texas. Superb photographs of the station, keepers, equipment  and more, well worth it. (M).  $21.99.

13408. Henry, Ellen J. The Lighthouse Service and the Great War. Ponce Inlet. 2013. 72p. Soft wraps. The Great War at the beginning of the twentieth century affected every aspect of American life including the personnel of the Lighthouse Service. It was even proposed that the Lighthouse Service become a part of the U.S. Navy during the Great War. This would become a reality and the operation of the Lighthouse Service and the lives of the personnel were greatly affected. But many questions would arise. What orders would lighthouse personnel obey? What would they be paid ? Could the keeper’s families remain at the light stations as they had for years ? How would the operation of the lighthouses change in this new age of submarine warfare? What additional duties would be required of lighthouse personnel ? These and many other questions are discussed in some detail in the author’s most interesting and readable account. Author Ellen Henryis the Curator at the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station Museum in Florida and is an expert on the subject of the U.S. Lighthouse Service. Her well researched account is filled with little known information on the Lighthouse Service during this period and will be a valued addition to your library. (M). $9.95. (x)

13424. Barbo, Theresa Mitchell, Captain W. Russell Webster (ret) and Julia Marshall. The Daring Coast Guard Rescue of the Pendleton Crew. Charleston. 2013. 124p. Stiff wraps. Jack Nickerson and his faithful lab, Sinbad, wake early one snowy Cape Cod morning, ready for winter fun. Meanwhile, miles away in the ocean, the crew of a cargo tanker ship called the Pendleton is in serious trouble. The waves and wind of a raging nor’easter rip the tanker in two, leaving the people to cling for their lives in the wicked, cold storm. There’s no time to waste—the Coast Guard, including Jack’s friend Bernie Webber, leave Chatham Harbor in search of the Pendleton crew. They don’t yet know that Jack and Sinbad have snuck aboard the rescue boat as stowaways. Join the young duo in the front-row seat for the greatest small-boat rescue in American history. Well done, with wonderful illustrations that add flavor to the story. The Daring Coast Guard Rescue of the Pendleton has well-written and well-paced action that keeps youth interested, wanting to read page after page. Historically, the Coast Guard action is correct. Jack’s story is fiction, used to bring children into the story. Sinbad, the black lab always by Jack’s side, was a real dog that hung around the Coast Guard Station Chatham and was loved by the crews. (M). $14.99. (x)

13272. Whatley, Merita S. Point Arena Lighthouse. Arcadia. 2013. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. The low rumbles of the fog signal and flashing beam of light from the powerful lens have guided mariners away from the perilous waters surrounding Point Arena Lighthouse since 1870. After the great earthquake in 1906 and the rebuilding of the tower in 1908, Point Arena’s navigational aids continued to warn ships away from the peninsula off Northern California’s Pacific coastline. The original tower was replaced with a concrete cylindrical tower that rises 115 feet from the headland. This became the first lighthouse tower in the United States constructed with materials found to be superior to the stone and masonry lighthouse structures of the past. The new tower, crowned with a nearly 13,000-pound first-order Fresnel lens, sent a beam of light 20 miles out to sea and continued alerting ships of the dangers just offshore. This book tells the story of Point Arena Lighthouse, as well as the people and events that shaped its history, highlighting the heroism and dedication of the lighthouse keepers and their familys who served. This interesting volume draws images from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs of the station, keepers, equipment  and more, well worth it. (M). $21.99. (x)

13342. Galluzzo, John. Looking Back at South Shore History: From Plymouth Rock to Quincy Granite. History Press. 2013. 176p. Soft wraps. From Plymouth Rock to Quincy granite, the South Shore of Boston has been a place of revolution, relaxation and revelation. Artists have gained inspiration from the meeting of sea and shore, enemy navies have targeted its strategic ports and, in better days, merrymakers have sought its warming sun, cooling breezes, amusement parks and historic and natural landmarks. The Toll House Cookie, the song "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)" and the U.S. Navy's rallying cry "Don't give up the ship!" all were South Shore born. John Galluzzo, author of The North River: Scenic Waterway of the South Shore and When Hull Freezes Over, gathers the best of his "Look Back" column in this compilation of historic vignettes from South Shore Living magazine. Includes chapter on The First Keepers of Scituate Light and more. (M). $19.99. (x)

An Amazing Book: 

13205. Levitt, Theresa. A Short Bright Flash - Augustin Fresnel and the Birth of the Modern Lighthouse. W.W. Norton. 2013. 288p. With 60 illustrations and 6 maps. Augustin Fresnel (1788–1827) shocked the scientific elite with his unique understanding of the physics of light. The lens he invented was a brilliant feat of engineering that made lighthouses blaze many times brighter, farther, and more efficiently. Battling the establishment, his own poor health, and the limited technology of the time, Fresnel was able to achieve his goal of illuminating the entire French coast. At first, the British sought to outdo the new Fresnel-equipped lighthouses as a matter of national pride. Americans, too, resisted abandoning their primitive lamps, but the superiority of the Fresnel lens could not be denied for long. Soon, from Dunkirk to Saigon, shores were brightened with it. The Fresnel legacy played an important role in geopolitical events, including the American Civil War. No sooner were Fresnel lenses finally installed along U.S. shores than they were drafted: the Union blockaded the Confederate coast; the Confederacy set about thwarting it by dismantling and hiding or destroying the powerful new lights. Levitt’s scientific and historical account, rich in anecdote and personality, brings to life the fascinating untold story of Augustin Fresnel and his powerful invention. Quality and contents make this an extraordinary read and a MUST for any lighthouse organization. (M). $25.95. (x)

13244. St. Germain, Paul. Lighthouses and Lifesaving Stations on Cape Ann. Arcadia. 2013. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. The maritime history of Cape Ann, on the northern coast of Massachusetts, is filled with stories of heroism, adventure, and human endeavor. The lighthouses and life-saving stations surrounding Cape Ann since the late 18th century have served to protect and safeguard the area’s mariners and major industries. Fishing, shipbuilding, and granite quarrying businesses all flourished under their watchful eyes. They provided artists with spectacular subject matter and attracted tourists from around the world to visit them. This book highlights the heroism and dedication of the lighthouse keepers and life-saving surfmen who served. This interesting volume draws images from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs of the station, keepers, equipment  and more, well worth it. (M). $21.99. (x)

13183. D’Entremont, Jeremy. Everyday Heroes: The True Story of a Lighthouse Family. Coastlore Media. 2013. 252p. Soft wraps. Wonderfully illustrated with 26 black and white photos and maps. Lighthouses are an essential part of our American culture. They stand as symbols of altruism, strength, hope, faith and guidance. And today, in the age of automation, they also stand as memorials to the lighthouse keepers and their families who once devoted themselves to “keeping a good light” in service to mariners. Traditional lighthouse keeping has passed into history with automation, but there are still those who recall lighthouse life with nostalgia. Seamond Ponsart Roberts, daughter of a lighthouse keeper, is one of those people. Seamond was born while her parents lived at the rugged Dumpling Rock Light Station off Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She went on to spend the rest of her youth at two other southeastern Massachusetts light stations: Cuttyhunk Island and West Chop on Martha’s Vineyard. During her lighthouse years, Seamond experienced good times and bad, tragedy and heroism. She is a born storyteller who has always shared her memories with family and friends, and her unique story is now told in the new book - Everyday Heroes: The True Story of a Lighthouse Family. “I am, and always will be, a lighthouse keeper's daughter. I had the good fortune to be born to a different kind of childhood. I didn't recognize this fact back when I was small. I thought that everybody lived like we did on our little island of Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts, which in itself was a life apart,” she writes. This is the true story of a family's life at lighthouses on the edge of civilization. It's a story of adventure, danger, devotion to duty, and love. Seamond Ponsart Roberts shares her memories and emotions with good humor, a sharp eye for detail, and above all an appreciation for a way of life that has passed into history. (M). $16.99. (x)

13213. Potts, Annie. Last Lights - The Hand-Wound Lighthouses of the Bahama Islands. Fish House Press, 2011. 136p. Soft wraps. Between 1836 and 1887, the British Imperial Lighthouse Service commissioned eleven manned light stations to be built as remote outposts in The Bahama Islands. Designed during the golden age of lighthouse construction, these works of art in architecture still stand, continuing to warn vessels off the shallow and dangerous waters of the Bahama banks. Of the original eleven manned lights, only three of these remain hand operated today. They are among the last hand wound, kerosene lit lighthouses in the world. Through photographs of keepers at work and short histories of all the original light stations, this book inspires the continued conservation of these last lights. Through photographs and text, the author brings us into the lives of the builders, suppliers, and the lighthouse keepers of these little known lighthouses. A stunning book, wonderfully illustrated, beautifully composed. (M). $29.95. (x)

13189. Richmond, Arthur P. Massachusetts Lighthouses: Past & Present. Schiffer. 2013. 160p. DJ. A must-have book for the lighthouse enthusiast, maritime buff, and anyone who is interested in Massachusetts history, Massachusetts Lighthouses Past and Present describes the more than sixty lighthouse stations that have been found along the coast from Fall River in the south to Salisbury in the north, near the New Hampshire border. The lighthouse station locations are identified using navigational charts and their characteristics, including date established, tower structure, optics, fog signals, and many more significant topics are presented in a straightforward table format. A dozen or so lighthouses that no longer exist, and probably are not as well known, are also discussed. More than four hundred images, some more than 130 years old, show the original towers and stations and are accompanied by present-day photographs of these beacons. Numerous images show the insides of towers and lantern rooms not only in those open to the public for tours, but also in restricted or rarely visited lighthouses. (M). Published at $34.99. Our Price $31.50. (x)

13190. Oleszewski, Wes. Shipwrecks!! Factual Accounts of Obscure Great Lakes Shipwrecks. Avery. 2013. 176p. Soft wraps. True, factual stories of some of the most obscure Great Lakes shipwrecks ever documented. This book will take you from the 1820’s to the 1980’s, while in the shoes of the sailors, some lost, others forgotten, still others remembered as heroes. Huge waves, frigid weather and terrifying situations - relieve it all in this exciting book. (M). $17.95. 

13162. de Quesada, Alejandro. U.S. Coast Guard in World War II. 2010. Osprey. 64p. Soft wraps. Illustrated with period photos and artwork by Stephen Walsh. Noted military author Alex de Quesada reveals much of the history of the U.S. Coast Guard throughout World War II. In particular, he draws attention to the little-known story of how the U.S. Coast Guard operated a number of the landing craft throughout D-Day in 1944 as well as providing crucial anti-U-boat patrols throughout the war years. A number of Coast Guard servicemen were lost in these two campaigns, and their undeniable contribution to the war effort deserves greater recognition. The Coast Guard also provided aviators and gunners to the Merchant Marine and manned Port Security Services. These roles are all fully explained and illustrated with rare photographs and specially commissioned artwork. Chapters include: Introduction, Pre-war Coast Guard, The Coast Guard Auxiliary, The Coast Guard at War, Home Front, The Aleutian Campaign, The Battle of the Atlantic, North Africa and Italy, Normandy invasion, Pacific Theatre: From Pearl Harbor to the Philippines, Victory, Uniforms, Bibliography. Quite interesting. (M). $19.95. (x)

13177. de Quesada, Alejandro. The U.S. Home Front 1941-45. 2008. Osprey. 64p. Soft wraps. The outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939 led to cautious attempts to raise volunteer organizations among American men and women, to back the armed forces in the event of the USA becoming directly involved in the conflict. The attack on Pearl Harbor caused a huge surge of patriotic response, and voluntary enlistment in a wide range of armed forces auxiliary and civilian support services swelled vastly. Looking firstly at the background and general character of wartime life in the United States, this book covers a number of these services, providing an interesting comparison with the conditions on the British Home Front and the experiences of other countries caught up in the war, examining organizations from the Red Cross to the Coast Guard and for the first time, containing full-color reconstructions of over a dozen uniformed services. Chapters include: Enemy And Homegrown Facism, Home Defense & Premilitary Training, Patriotic Service Organizations, Humanitarian Organizations, Maritime Services including Army Transport Service – Coast And Geodetic Survey – Merchant Marine – Us Coastguard Auxiliary,·Aeronautical Services including Air Transport Command – British Flying Training Schools – Civil Air Patrol – Relief Wings Inc – Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron – Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, The Workforce including Civilian Conservation Corps – “Rosie The Riveter”: Women Ordnance Workers – Women’s Land Army, Children At War, Select Bibliography, and more. Quite interesting. (M). $19.95.

13156. O'Connell, Wil and Pat. Lighthouses of Eastern Michigan. Arcadia. 2013. 128p. Soft wraps. 200 vintage photographs. From the Straits of Mackinac to the Detroit River, Lighthouses of Eastern Michigan reveals intriguing stories of lighthouses and the people who depended on them. Readers will enjoy discovering what happened when a large ship fell 20 feet over one of the Soo Locks and the captain commented, "Good-bye Old World," as well as of a persistent ghost that caused havoc with the Coast Guard. Which lighthouse was a construction miracle in 1874? And whatever happened to the lost lighthouses of the Detroit River? A collection of the mysteries, storms, fires, and heroics surrounding the lighthouses of eastern Michigan are waiting within. Authors Wil and Pat O'Connell have spent the last 20 years photographing and writing about the lighthouses of the Great Lakes. Their interesting volume draws images from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs of the stations, the men, equipment  and more, well worth it for the photos alone. (M). $21.99.

28262. Bostick, Douglas W. The Morris Island Lighthouse: Charleston's Maritime Beacon. History Press. 2013. 2nd. 128p. Douglas Bostick, historian and former director of Save the Light, Inc., recounts the stories of the many light keepers and their families who braved meager provisions, low pay and grueling conditions living on a small island at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. Filled with over 55 black & white photographs. Well done, most interesting lighthouse history. (M). $19.99. (x)

13101. Smith, Ken. Coast Guard Follies – My Humor in Uniform. Yeoman House. 2007. 96p. Soft wraps. Ken Smith was just a boy of 18 in 1951 when the government asked him to serve. Despite his flat feet, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard and began a three-year adventure that took him from the frigid North Atlantic to a tiny atoll in the South Pacific called Ulithi. This book is Smith's fond recollection of his time in the service, when the only dangers came from the push-push girls, the bad decisions of Lt. Lard-Ass and an ungrounded gooseneck lamp. This is a hilarious and heartwarming story that will appeal to all old Coasties and landlubbers alike. Great reading – takes one back for sure. (M). $16.95. (x)

1343. Workman, Capt. Robert B. Jr. USCG (Ret.), Float Planes And Flying Boats – The U.S. Coast Guard and Early Naval Aviation. Naval Institute Press. 2012. 322p. DJ. With nearly 300 vintage photographs and over 300 pages of text, U.S. Coast Guard aviator Capt. Robert Workman presents a complete picture of naval aviation's rapid development between 1911 and 1938. Frustrated by the lack of information about the Coast Guard's aviation heritage, the author undertook research of his own. The result is this balanced look at early naval aviation that, for the first time, gives full credit to the important contributions made by Coast Guardsmen. He shows that it was thanks to their creativity, skill, and determination, along with efforts by the other sea services, that such great strides were possible. Several chapters are devoted to the inventions of the float plane and flying boat and why the flying boat was considered more seaworthy and reliable. Workman has done a magnificent job chronicling the lives of pioneers and visionaries whose accomplishments led to Coast Guard aviation as we know it today. Well Done! (M).  $41.95.

1369. Kroll, C. Douglas. A Coast Guardsman's History of the U.S. Coast Guard. Naval Institute Press. 2010. 209p. DJ. The author has melded story-telling and the evolution of the Coast Guard in a unique fashion. More a book about Coast Guard heritage than an academic history, this book focuses on a variety of relatively unknown Coast Guardsmen who personify the service’s core values. The author highlights contributions of a variety of individuals, from seamen to admirals on active duty, as well as Reserves, Auxiliary, and civilian members of Team Coast Guard. These heroes, representing a great diversity in age, sex, race, and ethnicity, set an example worthy of emulation and serve as role models for today s Coast Guard men and women. (M). $34.95.

11501. Stover, Douglas. Pea Island Life-Saving Station, Rodanthe, North Carolina, Coast Guard Station #177 : Historic Resource Study. National Park Service. 2008. 83p. Provides a valuable foundation for the restoration of historic structures and insights into the lives of the crews. Report is particularly important in documenting the historic significance of the property and the accomplishments of the Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard crews here. In this case, the Pea Island, North Carolina Life-Saving Station was studied using evidence present at the site, historical documents found at the National Archives, Life-Saving Service records, logs, reports, letters from the keepers and more. Using these and other sources, the author is able to provide a detailed assessment of how the structure would have looked during the period of interest, and more. The report includes numerous period and current photos and diagrams, architectural plans, and excerpts from Life-Saving Service books and documents, original specifications, and more for guidance. A most important reference for anyone interested in what the station building(s) would have contained and looked like as well as an in depth look at the construction and work of the Life-Saving Service there. (no longer in print) PDF File on Disc. (M) $29.95. (x)

1376. Licameli, Doris. Rowing To The Rescue: The Story of Ida Lewis, Famous Lighthouse Heroine. 2011. 80p. soft wraps. With mixed emotions, fifteen-year-old Ida Lewis said good-bye to the little house on Spring Street on a sunny June day in 1857. Though her new home would still be in Newport, Rhode Island, it sat on a tiny outcropping of rocks out in the harbor, completely surrounded by water. Ida’s father, Captain Hosea Lewis, was the keeper of the Lime Rock Light. The new lighthouse was big enough for the entire family of six. Then just four months later, tragedy struck. Captain Lewis was no longer able to man the lighthouse. Responsibility for keeping the lifesaving beacon aglow soon fell on Ida’s young shoulders. It was an awesome task, but she was determined to do a good job. She knew sailors would be depending on her for their safety. As time went on, plenty more people would have petite, amazing Ida Lewis to thank for their live. Masterfully written! Ms. Licameli tells the story of a heroine that our girls are sure to idolize! Though expertly written for preteens and young teens, it is a great read aloud parents will enjoy, too! (M). $21.95.

Want the perfect book for your children at Christmas ?

Winner of the Time of Wonder Award 2012!

12419. Buzzeo, Toni. Lighthouse Christmas. Penguin. 2011. 32p. DJ. Beautifully illustrated. A lovely child’s tale about a family Christmas at this Maine offshore lighthouse – would Santa even know how to find them ? Frances is determined to make Christmas jolly for her younger brother, even if it means joining family on the mainland and leaving Papa behind on their isolated lighthouse island. After all, would Santa even know how to find them in this faraway spot? But when Christmas Eve is ushered in on a wild storm and Papa risks his life to rescue a drowning man, the children realize that the most important thing about the holiday is being together. As in all great Christmas stories, a happy ending is in store, and Santa finds them after all. Cozy and nostalgic, this story was inspired by the Flying Santa program, a New England tradition since 1929. It's the perfect book for a family to read together in front of the fire on Christmas morning. There's a charmingly nostalgic feel both to the story and to the illustrations, which convey a sense of time and place and are very appealing - a gentle but dramatic story of an earlier time, when just one care package could make a happy Christmas for an entire family. Reading this book with your young ones is sure to become a family tradition. (M). $16.99.

12289. Murray, Steve. Guardians of the Hereford Inlet. 2010. Rio Grande, NJ. 201p. Soft wraps. A wonderful detailed and interesting work documenting the history of the Hereford Inlet, and includes a history of the Hereford Inlet Light Station, the Anglesea Life-Saving Station, and the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboat Station No. 133. Filled with period photos, maps, plans as well as a chapter on each light keeper, rescues, the life of a keeper, the work of the Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard in the area, restoring the structures and much more. A most interesting work that is difficult to find. (M). $38.

12484. Corbett, Gordon. Keeper of the Light. FogHorn Publishing. 2012. 72p. Soft wraps. Riveting new book from by Gordon Corbett details his grandfather Willie W. Corbett's life as a lighthouse keeper at four Maine lighthouses during the era of the United States Lighthouse Service and the transitional period to the Coast Guard. The book details his early life, through his retirement years, with remarkable stories of a way of life that will never again be repeated. The book includes a large selection of historic family and lighthouse photos and a bonus section on the history of the lighthouse where Corbett was the last official Lighthouse Service keeper on the eastern most island lighthouse in the United States. (M). $9.95. 

12492. Epstein, Becky Sue and Ed Jackson. American Lighthouse Cookbook. Sourcebooks. 2012. 295p. Hardcover. This mouth-watering book takes readers on a culinary journey across America to visit 47 lighthouses, read dozens of short stories about them, both heroic and tragic, and sample more than 300 mouthwatering recipes from eight coastal regions of the United States. The American Lighthouse Cookbook celebrates the local cuisines that have long been the staple of lighthouse keepers. Arranged geographically in eight regions of America, the lighthouses were chosen for their interesting backgrounds and stories. Following the story of each lighthouse is a menu for a modern-day lighthouse meal. Traveling through these pages, you will discover a new way to experience lighthouses and coastal food you won't soon forget. (M). $26.99.

12466. Cook, David E. Hudson River Light-Keepers – A Research Tool. Mayfield. 2012. 48p. Spiral bound. A biographical anthology of at over 100 men and women who maintained the light stations along the Hudson River before they were all automated. This detailed work is filled with lots of great historical and family history of lighthouse keeping along New York’s Hudson River shorelines. Includes a listing both chronologically and an alphabetical of the lighthouse keepers. In addition to listings of the many keepers over the years, includes a biography of each, stations served and great information about the station and his activities and occurrences there. Illustrated with a few photos when available. Packed full of information. (M). $24.95.

12480. Salvadore, Joseph E. and Joan Berkey. U.S. Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May. Arcadia. 2012. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. Commissioned as Navy Section Base 9 in 1917, the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May stands on the site of a former amusement park that bordered the Atlantic Ocean a few miles east of Cape May in southern New Jersey. Dirigibles, submarines, and minesweepers were based here during World War I. Because of its proximity to the ocean and Delaware Bay, the base was used by Coast Guard patrol boats and cutters to chase rumrunners during Prohibition in the 1920s. An airfield was established adjacent to the base in 1926, and in 1940, both combined to become Naval Air Station Cape May. The station protected the coast line from German U-boats during World War II. The Coast Guard took over the facility in 1946, and in 1948, the base became the only recruit training center in the country, today graduating more than 4,000 recruits per year. Through a wealth of vintage photographs, many previously unpublished, and descriptive text, the authors reveal the work and history of this important Coast Guard base. Superb photographs, well worth it for the photos alone. (M). $21.99.

12427. Werner, Edward C. U.S. Life-Saving Station, Kenosha, Wisconsin 1879-1915. 87 p. Soft wraps. Interesting detailed work by Mr. Werner (USCGR Ret.) traces the history and operations of the U.S. Life Saving Service at Kenosha, Wisconsin from the station’s commissioning in 1879 until the change-over to the Coast Guard in 1915. A great deal of information is presented regarding the crews, their life at the station and the wrecks and services rendered. Also the station, changes over the years, equipment and more are covered. Well illustrated with vintage photographs. Nicely done, well worth it. (M). $17.95.

12366. Truman, Stephen, Grace & Joel. STORMS AND SAND - A Story of Shipwrecks and the Big Sable Point Coast Guard Station. Pine Woods Press. 2012. 208p. HC. Illustrated with 69 photos and illustrations. Great Lakes maritime history encompasses epic stories of heroic rescues, tragic losses, and changing times. Storms and Sand is a glimpse into the world of the brave men of the U.S. Life-Saving Service/ U.S. Coast Guard Station at Big Sable Point, Michigan. The station was located on land that is now part of Ludington State Park. The book tells the history of the station; including the sacrifices by the life-savers and Coast Guardsmen, and their courageous struggles in rescuing Lake Michigan shipwreck victims. Storms and Sand also chronicles lesser-known events in the lives of the men, their families, and the Big Sable Point lighthouse keepers. Great reading about an interesting area. (M).  $29.95. 

12211. Wood, Allan. New England Lighthouses: Famous Shipwrecks, Rescues, & Other Tales. Schiffer. 2012. 160p. Soft wraps. Immerse yourself in New England s maritime history through tales of historic shipwrecks and heroic rescues. From Connecticut to Maine, meet the special individuals who helped those in peril. Learn about the disasters that led to the pioneering of travel safety. As told by the people who witnessed these incredible and often life-changing events, stories tell also of the Flying Santa, miracle baby rescues, and paranormal activity. Amusing accounts from one of the last surviving lighthouse keepers also provide an indelible look at life in and around the lighthouses. With an appendix of lighthouses that can be viewed by boat and a glossary of Mariner terms, this is a great resource for historians, maritime enthusiasts, and a guide for tourists and local residents alike. There s something for everyone in this photographic look at New England s lighthouses. (M). $29.99. 

Just Arrived - and even Better than Expected: 

    1276. Cheek, Richard (ed). From Guiding Lights to Beacons for Business: The Many Lives of Maine's Lighthouses. Historic New England. 2012. 240p. Soft wraps. Published by Historic New England, this new book contains an amazing amount of material with a layout and design like no other book published about Maine's Lighthouses. The influence of Maine's lighthouses derives not just from the structures themselves but from the myriad forms of writing, representation and reproduction that they have inspired. This book is the third volume in the visual history series that Historic New England is publishing, and contains  ten detailed chapters by seven authors, with an introduction by Senator Snowe. With 240 pages and hundreds of color and b/w images, the book is loaded with amazing facts and wonderful visual imagery. Some chapters include: Throw Out the Life-Line, Shaping the Towers, All Alone and Ever Ready, Children Lighthouses and Lifeboats, Saving the Sentinels. The perfect, entertaining, Maine lighthouse book and a must-have for anyone with interest in lighthouses and how they have influenced society, advertising and more over the last century. Shown above is an image from the book, Keepers Robert T. Sterling and Frank Hilt, keepers at Portland Head Light. This is a limited printing and sure to sell out fast. (M). $34.95.

12297. Cuzzart, Melissa Leigh. From Surfman to Petty Officer: The History and Legacy of the U.S. Life-Saving Service and the U.S. Coast Guard at Cape Lookout, North Carolina. 2009. Proquest. 110p. Soft wraps. Quietly nestled among the dunes of Cape Lookout North Carolina lie the remnants of what once was a working Life-Saving Service  and Coast Guard Station, and numerous locally owned shanties. Although the buildings are slowly decaying, the stories of these men and their impact on the surrounding community continue to provide a basis upon which the local culture and way-of-life exists. This study details how the presence of the Life-Saving Service and the Coast Guard affected the lives and experiences of the local people and shaped the reflection, memory, and meaning of the site for present day visitors. Through local oral history interviews including past Coast Guardsmen stationed there, as well as the log books of the Keepers, the memory and legacy of both agencies in this unique place offers a link between the past and present. Interesting accounts from this different perspective. (M). $89.95.

12181. Karentz, Varoujan. The Life Savers - Rhode Island’s Forgotten Service. Amazon. 2012. 252p. Soft wraps. An incredible story of men against the sea and the U.S. Life Saving Service of the 19th century. For almost 40 years, between 1878 and 1917 nine U.S. Life Saving Stations along Rhode Island’s coastline and Block Island saved both ships and crews in weather that froze hands, feet and limbs. The Life Savers were remarkable men of courage and endurance patrolling beaches and signaling ships standing in danger. They rowed their surfboats into dangerous seas or rigged beeches buoys rescuing lives. Their lost stories and history have been captured by Karentz from official government archives and told in their own words. Included are synopsis of Rhode Island’s worse marine disasters as the passenger steamer SS Larchmont in the dead of winter was holed and sunk by the schooner Harry Knowlton with a loss of 145 lives, to the rumored purposeful shipwrecker’s on Block Island who decoyed wayward vessels to their doom to salvage wreckage and cargo. Dozens of shipwrecks and rescues by the men assigned to the Life saving stations are covered with direct words from the rescuers themselves. The Life Savers will intrigue you as how these gallant men fought the elements and how they saved lives. (M).  $14.95.

1291. Stonehouse, Frederick. Steel On The Bottom - Great Lakes Shipwrecks. Avery. 2012. 224p. Soft wraps. Historical photos, maps, illustrations and underwater photos. Noted maritime historian Frederick Stonehouse recounts the final voyages of eight Great Lakes ships in this volume from Avery Color Studios, a firm specializing in Great Lakes-related books, posters, maps, etc. The ill-fated vessels chosen for inclusion share only the common trait of being steel-hulled ships whose loss tickled the author's fancy. They include a car ferry lost in 1910, a Netherlands freighter lost in 1953, a sand dredger lost in 1950 and so on. In most cases the ships succumbed to the terrifying storms that all too often sweep across the Great Lakes; the others collided in poor visibility. Yet in reading through these accounts, time and again human stupidity, incompetence, inadequate crew training, poorly done ship inspections and related factors played roles in the sinkings and/or excessive loss of life. Stonehouse does a good job of evoking the tedium, tension and sometimes stark terror of sailing the Great Lakes and enduring its vicious storms. Though none of these vessels will ever enjoy the notoriety of the Edmund Fitzgerald, their voyages and endings are well told in this book, which includes over 80 black & white photographs and maps. This book is sure to please both the Great lakes history and shipwreck buff. (M). $16.95.

1292. Stonehouse, Frederick. Wood On The Bottom- Great Lakes Shipwrecks. Avery. 2012. 208p. Soft wraps. Historical photos. A follow up to his very popular Steel On The Bottom, this well researched and well written shipwreck book focuses on wood ships that have met their demise on the Great Lakes. For many centuries wood was the preferred material for ships, both salt and freshwater. Masts, cabins, decks and hulls were all made from it. It was strong, resilient, easy to work with and inexpensive. Properly used and maintained, a wooden ship could last for many years. But it was no guarantee of safety as Wood On The Bottom proves beyond a doubt. Stress of storm, collision, poor navigation, bad luck and human folly all played a part in sending thousands of wooden ships to the bottom of the Great Lakes, where they are quietly rotting away into the ages. Wood On The Bottom tells the dramatic tales of a dozen wooden shipwrecks. Some like the Alvin Clark, Lady Elgin and Rouse Simmons (the infamous Christmas Tree Ship) are well known, but others, including the Persian, Oriole and Bon Voyage are cloaked by history. Another outstanding Stonehouse book. (M). $16.95.

1278. Cheek, Richard, John Updike and Robert E Cook. Land of the Commonwealth: A Portrait of the Conserved Landscapes of Massachusetts. Trustees of Reservations. Oct 2000. 160p. Soft wraps. 190 color illus. Forward by John Updike. When The Trustees of Reservations was founded in 1891 as America's first private, statewide conservancy, belief in the restorative powers of nature was a relatively new idea in America. Gradually, the colonial impulse to subjugate the wild was transformed into a humanistic reverence for the spiritual power of nature, and land was set aside for preservation. Thanks to the efforts of The Trustees of Reservations and many others, Massachusetts now has 1.1 million acres of land permanently protected from development-more than one-fifth of the state. Land of the Commonwealth is the first photographic book devoted exclusively to the conserved landscapes of a single state. It is both a visual introduction to the diverse natural and cultural sites that have been protected and a tribute to the accomplishments of all those who have worked to safeguard Massachusetts's rich landscape heritage. Organized geographically into five regional sections, the book uses spectacular color photographs by Richard Cheek to capture the scenic, historic, and ecological dimensions of the conserved landscapes of Massachusetts. Each chapter begins with a description of the region's defining characteristics, followed by images of exemplary natural, designed, working, historical, and literary landscapes. Some are popular and beloved, others little-known and waiting to be discovered. Superb work by this nationally recognized photographer. (VG+). $38.

1274. Salter, Ben B. Portsmouth Island - Short Stories and History. 1972. Softcover, 80 pages. Illustrated. Portsmouth Island stands as a reminder that some wild places cannot be tamed. Contained within the sandy borders of Portsmouth Island, North Carolina, lies Portsmouth village, a 250-acre hamlet once known to be a bustling Southern Outer Banks settlement bordered by precious, undisturbed beaches. This an easy read about simple times in this once bustling fishing village. Anyone who has ever visited our nation’s outer beaches can appreciate these tales. The stories recount the history of the island and some of it's inhabitants before the last resident moved off the island and before the National Park Service took it over in the 70's. Includes chapters on the Life-Saving / Coast Guard station, shipwrecks off the island, caught in a storm, life on the island and more. Great accounts for those who long to escape the hustle and bustle of contemporary life. Clean, tight. Difficult to find. (VG+). $26.

     The entire Coast Guard Crew visited Tammy in the hospital the day after the rescue.

11495. Alley, Margo. Rogue Wave – Wood Island Lighthouse and The Historic Rescue of Tammy Burnham. 2012. Instant. 187p. Soft wraps. On the afternoon of November 29, 1960, two-year-old Tammy Burnham almost lost her life when the small skiff she was in capsized in Wood Island Harbor. Because of deteriorating weather conditions, the United States Coast Guard called off the search for her and her rescuer, Seaman Edward Syvinski USCG. Tammy’s father, Laurier Burnham, was the lighthouse keeper on Wood Island, where the family lived. When told of the accident, Burnham was ordered to remain on the island. Nevertheless, Burnham set out, against orders, searching for them himself. He found his child and the seaman, but both were near death. Burnham successfully transported them to the larger USCG boat. Unfortunately, their problems did not end there as the U.S. Coast Guard boat crew was disoriented in the fog and heavy breaking seas. A local lobsterman would finally render assistance and play a major part in saving little Tammy’s life. There was a delay of over 30 years before the men involved became recognized and awarded. Today, over 50 years later, Edward Syvinski, who held onto Tammy that fateful night and fought for their very lives, authors his own chapter in Rogue Wave, breaking his silence at last. The story has a history of controversy, but readers may easily reach their own conclusions. (M). $19.95.

(Editor's Note: There appears to be some controversy into the facts pertaining to this rescue but to date no book refuting the above account has appeared. If or when it does we will be sure to present it as well.)

12268. Sammarco, Anthony Michael. Boston's Harbor Islands. Arcadia. 1998. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. First discovered in 1630, the many harbor islands have come to play an integral part in the history and development of the city. Boston’s Harbor Islands uncovers the fascinating stories of such places as Long Wharf, Castle Island, Minot’s Light, Marine Park, and the Boston Floating Hospital, to name but a few. View the rare photographs of Governor’s Island, and much more. Through a wealth of vintage photographs and descriptive text, the author reveals the history and lore of this historic area. Superb photographs, well worth it for the photos alone. (M). $21.99.

2312. MacAlindin, Bob. NO PORT IN A STORM. Scotland . 2000. 146 p. Soft wraps. Now in its second printing. The ships of this book evoke none of the usual romantic images of ships and yet may be the noblest of all. Invariably painted a gaudy red, no other ships spent more time at sea yet sailed fewer miles, their crews compelled to scan the same water and stretch of coastline for the bulk of their working lives. The life of a lightshipman in a hurricane was a sleepless nightmare of holding on, body braced against every combination of rolling and pitching, with tons of water burying the ship. This enthralling book describes 18 factual adventures from many countries including America, Denmark, Ireland, Canada, England, Holland, Scotland, Australia and Belgium giving vivid accounts of life aboard and the many hazards and disasters that occurred. (M).  $34.95.

12115. Semones, JoAnn. Sea of Troubles: The Lost Ships of Point Sur. Glencannon Press. 2012. 229p. Stiff wraps. According to Celtic legend, “Thin Places” are areas where two disparate worlds touch, such as land and sea.  And so it is with the rugged coastline of Big Sur. Twisting and turning along steep, craggy cliffs, high above white-tipped waves, the region’s raw beauty is both spectacular and inspiring. Most breathtaking is a gigantic dome-shaped rock which seemingly sits at the edge of the world.  Known as Point Sur, the lofty monolith is surrounded by massive offshore boulders, dangerous reefs, and swift currents.  Its troubled seas doomed many fine ships to destruction.  Even a lighthouse, thought impossible to build, could not end further tragedy. The many shipwrecks chronicled in these pages illuminate specific moments in time. They allow us to reach into another era, shedding light on who we were and who we have become. Thoroughly illustrated with vintage photographs, this work provides a most interesting account of the many wrecks in the area, survival as well as loss. (M). $27.95. 

12197. Dunlop, Tom. The Chappy Ferry Book. Back and Forth Between Two Worlds ~ 527 Feet Apart. 2012. Vineyard Stories. 128p. Soft wraps. Photographs by Alison Shaw. DVD by John Wilson. This is a delightful, fact-filled history of one of the shortest, oldest and most unusual ferries in the country – the Chappaquiddick ferry on Martha’s Vineyard. It includes stories about the blind man who skippered it for nearly forty years, the seaplane that struck it in 1937, and the roles it played in the filming of the movie Jaws. The book includes a centerfold illustration showing how the ferry works and a 15-minute DVD of The Chappy Ferry Movie hosted by Dick Ebersol, former chairman of NBC Sports, who has loved the ferry all of his life. Filled with hundreds of vintage photographs and more. Fine reading. (M). $25.95. 

12193. Shaw, Allison. To The Harbor Light - Lighthouses of Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket & Cape Cod. 2012. Vineyard Stories. 96p. Soft wraps. Photographs by Alison Shaw. Text by Brenda Horrigan. Foreword by lighthouse historian Jeremy D'Entremont. Lighthouses constantly fascinate us. We look at them as links to a romantic past, as sentinels of our shores. Organizations have grown up to protect them, admirers have built their own private lighthouses, and millions of people visit the public ones each year. And nowhere is there more variety, more history, and more beauty than along the Massachusetts shores of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha s Vineyard and Nantucket. Seen through the lens of Alison Shaw, the lighthouses take on a life of their own caught in the reflection of the water they face, their lights shining against a night sky, their windows ablaze with life. The images by Allison Shaw of the twenty lighthouses featured in the book are more than just photography. In this case, the back cover of the book is telling the truth: each photograph truly is a work of art. Plus, the book is a practical guide to the lighthouses of Cape Cod and the islands that also includes historical text within its 96 pages. As an extra bonus, the publishers went out of their way to print the book on some of the best quality paper we’ve seen in a long time for a soft cover book. Lay this book on your coffee table or toss it into your backpack to use as a guide when you go off to discover the joys of lighthouse viewing. To The Harbor Light is nothing short of exquisite and we highly recommend it. (M). $20.95.

12134. Dresser, Thomas. Disaster off Martha’s Vineyard. 2012. History Press. 160p. Soft wraps. With its rocky coast and treacherous shoals, shipwrecks were a common occurrence in nineteenth-century Massachusetts. Few claimed as many lives as the City of Columbus. The night was clear and the route familiar for Captain Schuyler Wright and his experienced crew as they sailed a ship equipped with the latest technology. Yet with all this, the City of Columbus went down with 103 souls. Over a century later, Eric Takakjian and the Quest Marine Services team located the wreckage of the City of Columbus on the north ledge of the Devil’s Bridge, off the southern tip of Gay Head. Historian Thomas Dresser takes us into the icy waters of the Atlantic as he recounts the terrible chain of events that led to disaster on that fateful night. (M).  $19.99.

2739. Smith, Robert H. SMITH’S GUIDE TO MARITIME MUSEUMS OF NORTH AMERICA. Del Mar. 2006. 6th. 250p. with photo CD of maritime subjects. Soft wraps, spiral bound. This month we have received a pair of books by Robert H. Smith that are valuable additions to any maritime history collection. The first is the latest version of  “Maritime Museums of North America” listing over 600 maritime museums, canals and canal locks, and lighthouse museums. Smith’s work has for many years been the only comprehensive guide in print. In it you will find such information as location and how to get there, phone numbers, description of major exhibits, history, gift shops and more. Every page is filled with vivid descriptions of ships on display, lighthouses and their surroundings, and almost anything the author, researcher or visitor would need to know. Fully updated and illustrated. I use this guide as a reference to contact lighthouse related museums and I am sure that it will be of great use to you as well. This latest edition has pointers to museum Web sites and accompanying photo CD with more than 400 images of maritime subjects from around the country organized by state. (M). Published at $19.95.  Our Price $18.95.

12147. Baker, Kimball. “For Those in Peril”: A History of the Ocean City Life-Saving Station. 2011. Ocean City, NJ. 40p. Soft wraps. This story of the Ocean City Life-Saving Station is twofold: the story of the station and its rescuers, and the story of those who, through vision and perseverance, saved this important piece of our history from the wrecking ball. This 40-page, illustrated booklet provides both histories, and invites you to take part in making the rest of the story. A special feature of the booklet is a chronology of station-saving events, beginning with the listing of the property for sale in August 1998 and leading to the station’s restoration phase. Also included: an acknowledgement of those who rallied to preserve this beautiful station on site, and a chart with much information about its U.S. Life-Saving Service rescuers. Interesting account of the 1871 Red-House Type station and the later 1882-Type stations. (M). $10.95. 

1287. Wilkins, Mark C. Cape Cod's Oldest Shipwreck - The Desperate Crossing of the Sparrow-Hawk. 2011. History Press. 128p. Soft wraps. Over 40 images. In 1626, the Sparrow-Hawk began its final journey across the brutal winter waves of the Atlantic Ocean, departing from the southern coast of England-with America as its goal. As cases of scurvy and whispers of mutiny rose, the hopes of those aboard the small vessel began to fade. The ever-changing coastline of Cape Cod caused the Sparrow-Hawk to run aground. Desperate to repair their ship and attain their goal of becoming wealthy Virginia tobacco planters, they wrecked her again, forcing them to abandon their beloved ship, and take up residence in Plymouth colony. Revealed by the tides over two hundred years later, the wreckage was pillaged by local scavengers and put on display in Boston. Join Mark Wilkins as he delves into the secrets of the Sparrow-Hawk. (M). $19.99. 

12113. The Fyddeye Guide to America's Lighthouses: 750+ Lighthouses, Lightships, and Life-Saving Stations You Can Visit Today! Seattle. 2012. 242p. Soft wraps. Well illustrated. The most comprehensive travel guide to hundreds of lighthouses, lightships, and life-saving stations in the United States - the Fyddeye Guide to America’s Lighthouses helps families, retirees, veterans, and visitors find the most interesting maritime heritage attractions for the summer travel season. From islands in Maine to the metropolises of southern California, you’ll discover the towering historic structures that have inspired travelers for millennia. You can get close to virtually all America’s lighthouses, and many allow you to climb to the top and stay as long as a month in historic buildings. Includes more than 750 lighthouses, conveniently organized by coastal region and state; brief histories and complete contact information, including website, email address, and phone; three maps with suggested itineraries for discovering lighthouses in New England, Michigan, and California; notes on whether you can stay overnight on the lighthouse grounds, possibly in the keepers’ historic quarters; chapters on lightships and historic life-saving stations, including availability of overnight accommodations; more than 40 images of lighthouses from coast to coast; and more. (M). $17.95. 

12112. Dresser, Thomas. The Wampanoag Tribe of Martha’s Vineyard - COLONIZATION TO RECOGNITION. History Press. 2011. 192p. Soft wraps. The Wampanoag tribe of Gay Head/Aquinnah is a group of indigenous people on Martha’s Vineyard. From their legendary giant leader Moshup, Wampanoags can trace their ancestry back more than 10,000 years. The tribe weathered colonization by missionaries in the 1600s and then endured two centuries of domination, only to have its land taken in 1870. However, over the past 140 years, the Wampanoag tribe, which still lives in its ancestral home of Aquinnah, has shown endurance and fortitude as it continues to practice traditional crafts and its tribal heritage. In this book, Thomas Dresser captures the spirit of the tribe, tracing its survival through to recognition by the federal government in 1987, nearly 25 years ago. Brief interviews with elders and current tribal members offer insight into the tribe’s remarkable history. (M). $19.99. 

12148. Wright, John Hardy. Provincetown Volume I. Arcadia. 1997. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. On November 11, 1620, the Mayflower landed at the tip of Cape Cod, allowing the Pilgrims their first glimpse of America and their first contact with what was to become their new home. In the nearly four hundred years since their arrival, Provincetown, a charming and historic seaport town, has been an important port for fishing and whaling vessels, a favorite destination for vacationers, and a haven for those looking to make this unique community their home. Established in 1727, Provincetown first found prosperity in the trade and commerce of the fishing and whaling industries. At the turn of the twentieth century, however, the seaport’s beguiling charms and innate beauty were discovered by artists and writers who flocked to the seashore in successive droves. The more than two hundred black and white images in this delightful volume, chronicle the evolution of Provincetown—from the conception, building, and dedication of the Pilgrim Memorial Monument, America’s tallest granite monument, to the activities of residents and tourists at work and play in the three neighborhoods of this enchanting Cape Cod town. Superb photographs, well worth it for the photos alone. (M). $21.99.

12149. Wright, John Hardy. Provincetown Volume II. Arcadia. 1998. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. By the beginning of the twentieth century, picturesque Provincetown–– incorporated in 1727––was no longer one of the major seaports of Massachusetts involved in the whaling industry. The fishing industry was still going strong due to the hard-working Portuguese fishermen, but commercial interests looked towards tourism as they had in many other towns and cities. Where once fishing shacks and warehouses dotted the shoreline off Commercial Street, comfortable and well-appointed guesthouses and restaurants emerged to support the growing numbers of day-trippers (many of whom arrived by ferry from Boston) and vacationers who were discovering this charming town at the very tip of Cape Cod. Tourists had visited Provincetown early on. Henry David Thoreau made three walking trips on Cape Cod around 1850, but it was not until the turn of the century that artists, followed by playwrights, authors, and musicians, realized they could live inexpensively in a community that fostered creativity. The artistic and literary culture of Provincetown was enhanced by hangers-on who enjoyed the Bohemian lifestyle. Counter-culture hippies of the 1960s blended in with the colorful personalities of those individuals who came to “P-town” to pursue an alternative lifestyle. Gays and Lesbians have transformed many aspects of the town—both architectural and cultural––in its evolution from a fishing village to a popular and prosperous year-round resort community. Provincetown Volume I focuses on the architecture and social history of this atypical town. This eagerly anticipated sequel features views of the shore, harbor, and ocean, the whaling and fishing industries, art and artists, playwrights and authors, entertainers, and alternative lifestyles.  Superb photographs, well worth it for the photos alone. (M). $21.99.

1215. Sicchio, Mary. The Forgotten Cape: 1940-1960. Arcadia. 2007. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. In the 1940s through the 1960s, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce promoted Cape Cod as an alluring vacationland where the blue begins, and the frets of life cease. At the same time, a young, exuberant man with a camera, Richard Cooper Kelsey, arrived in Chatham. Kelsey began compiling a photographic record of small town life, of Cape Cod tourist landmarks, and the real people of Cape Cod with precision and clarity. He portrayed a Cape Cod of much beauty and charm, an earlier, more youthful time, and a time just within reach of memory. The photographs in The Forgotten Cape: 1940-1960 were culled from the over 7,000 item Kelsey Collection of the Nickerson Room at Wilkens Library, Cape Cod Community College. Superb photographs, well worth it for the photos alone. (M). $21.99.

7415. Bunting, W. H. A DAY’S WORK: A SAMPLE OF HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS, 1860-1920. Part I. Gardiner , Maine . 1997. 384pp. With 225 b/w photographs. Any of you who have seen and enjoyed Mr. Bunting’s previous work Portrait of a Port: Boston 1852-1914, will surely enjoy this companion piece. Once again the author puts together a collection of astonishing historic photographs accompanied by narrative captions. Here the author leads the eye with extraordinary skill as we view coastwise cargo schooners, traveling from island to island by scow, a lumber batteaux shooting rapids, granite-cutting operations, long teams of oxen hauling a building through Waldoboro, a mowing gang, train wrecks, lumber camps, and much more. A grand collection for lovers of Maine , the coast, New England or just an earlier time. (M) Available in Paperback for $35 Reduced to $22.    or    Hardcover $55 Reduced to $33.

20370. Bunting, W. H. A DAY’S WORK: A SAMPLE OF HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS, 1860-1920. Part II. Gardiner , Maine . 2000. 384pp. Soft cover. With 225 b/w photographs. Any of you who have seen and enjoyed Mr. Bunting’s previous works Portrait of a Port: Boston 1852-1914, and A Day’s Work: A Sample of Historic Photographs, 1860-1920, Part I, will surely enjoy this companion piece. Once again the author puts together a collection of astonishing historic photographs accompanied by narrative captions. Here the author leads the eye with extraordinary skill as we view coastwise cargo schooners, traveling from island to island by scow, a lumber batteaux shooting rapids, granite-cutting operations, ship building, and much more. A grand collection for lovers of Maine , the coast, New England or just an earlier time. (M). Published at $35. Reduced to $22.

1291. Stonehouse, Frederick. Steel On The Bottom - Great Lakes Shipwrecks. Avery. 2012. 224p. Soft wraps. Historical photos, maps, illustrations and underwater photos. Noted maritime historian Frederick Stonehouse recounts the final voyages of eight Great Lakes ships in this volume from Avery Color Studios, a firm specializing in Great Lakes-related books, posters, maps, etc. The ill-fated vessels chosen for inclusion share only the common trait of being steel-hulled ships whose loss tickled the author's fancy. They include a car ferry lost in 1910, a Netherlands freighter lost in 1953, a sand dredger lost in 1950 and so on. In most cases the ships succumbed to the terrifying storms that all too often sweep across the Great Lakes; the others collided in poor visibility. Yet in reading through these accounts, time and again human stupidity, incompetence, inadequate crew training, poorly done ship inspections and related factors played roles in the sinkings and/or excessive loss of life. Stonehouse does a good job of evoking the tedium, tension and sometimes stark terror of sailing the Great Lakes and enduring its vicious storms. Though none of these vessels will ever enjoy the notoriety of the Edmund Fitzgerald, their voyages and endings are well told in this book, which includes over 80 black & white photographs and maps. This book is sure to please both the Great lakes history and shipwreck buff. (M). $16.95.

1292. Stonehouse, Frederick. Wood On The Bottom- Great Lakes Shipwrecks. Avery. 2012. 208p. Soft wraps. Historical photos. A follow up to his very popular Steel On The Bottom, this well researched and well written shipwreck book focuses on wood ships that have met their demise on the Great Lakes. For many centuries wood was the preferred material for ships, both salt and freshwater. Masts, cabins, decks and hulls were all made from it. It was strong, resilient, easy to work with and inexpensive. Properly used and maintained, a wooden ship could last for many years. But it was no guarantee of safety as Wood On The Bottom proves beyond a doubt. Stress of storm, collision, poor navigation, bad luck and human folly all played a part in sending thousands of wooden ships to the bottom of the Great Lakes, where they are quietly rotting away into the ages. Wood On The Bottom tells the dramatic tales of a dozen wooden shipwrecks. Some like the Alvin Clark, Lady Elgin and Rouse Simmons (the infamous Christmas Tree Ship) are well known, but others, including the Persian, Oriole and Bon Voyage are cloaked by history. Another outstanding Stonehouse book. (M). $16.95.

11420. Wright, Larry & Patricia. Lightships of the Great Lakes. Severn Bridge. 2011. 146p. Lighthouse historians Larry and Patricia Wright have researched and compiled a wealth of information on lightships all around the Great Lakes including the St. Lawrence River, with a special chapter on vessel designations. Filled with accounts of life aboard these vessels, their history, storms, damage and more, as well as over 100 vintage photos. (M). Published at $29.95. Our price $28.95. 

20272a,b,c. Gleason, Sarah C., KINDLY LIGHTS – A History of the Lighthouses of Southern New England . Boston . 1991. 175p. DJ. A wonderful account of the evolution of a lighthouse system in Southern New England with considerable historic detail on the 98 light stations in the area. Covering the area from Great Captain Island in Connecticut, to Newburyport Harbor Light on the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border, the author weaves tale of Pleasonton, Winslow Lewis and notable others in the evolution a system of lights. Well done and a most worthwhile investment. (VG+).   $15.95.

21430. Wright, David & David Zoby. FIRE ON THE BEACH – Recovering the Lost Story of Richard Etheridge and the Pea Island Lifesavers. New York . 2000. 335p. DJ. Fire on the Beach recovers a lost gem of American history, telling the story of the US Life-Saving Service and particularly the true-life story of the early Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard and one crew of African-American life-savers who fought storms and saved lives off North Carolina ’s Outer Banks. This historic account of the Pea Island surfmen and their keeper leaves nothing to the imagination as the authors chronicle their lives and work on the outer beach. Magnificent detail of their daily lives and of numerous rescues that they performed. Surely one of the best on the subject and great reading. (M).  Published at $26.  Our price $24.95. Now available in soft cover $16.95.

11478. Arrigo, Joseph A. Historic Northern Lighthouses Coloring Book. Apple-Wood. 2002. 48p. Soft wraps. Lighthouses, with their bright, intense beacons of light, were built to guide ships and boats of all kinds, helping to protect them from disaster. Every lighthouse has its own unique story of shipwrecks, heroic rescues, romance, and even ghosts. All lighthouses shown in these These coloring books will amuse, entertain, and educate children of all ages and anyone who is fascinated by these historical towers of light. (M). $8.45.

11476. MacKenzie, Morgan. American Lightships, 1820-1983 : History, Construction, and Archaeology within the Maritime Cultural Landscape. Lambert Academic Publishing. 2011. 128p. Soft wraps. Lightships served a vital role in protecting U.S. maritime interests from 1820 to 1983. Employed as navigational aids, lightships were stationed along shipping lanes and intercoastal waterways in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, and various estuarine environments in the Chesapeake, North Carolina, and the Pacific Northwest. Addressing gaps in the current historical and archaeological record pertaining to lightships, this thesis answers different research questions and discusses the role of lightships in the American maritime cultural landscape. The development of lightship construction is included as well as an explanation of changes in wooden, composite, iron, and steel techniques. Information regarding characteristic features of lightships focuses on improvements in light and fog signaling equipment. In total, this historical and archaeological study analyses use, construction, and meaning of lightships in America. (M). $98.

11473. McLintock-Hubbard, Doris M., Dory of the Lighthouse. 2011. 72p. Soft wraps. This heart-warming story of the memories of Doris M. McLintock-Hubbard’s childhood days at three lighthouses will captivate your imagination while it draws you back in time, to an amazing way of life that can never again be repeated in the annals of history. The story takes you back to another era lost in time of a lighthouse keeper’s family at three uniquely different lighthouses: The Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, a beacon built in the middle of New York’s Hudson River, Connecticut’s Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse that is located at the end of a long breakwater, and the land-based Eatons Neck Lighthouse, built to mark the entrance to Long Island Sound’s Huntington Bay. You will be captivated as you read the pages of the home-spun recollections from the days of yesteryear as seen through the eyes of a child and now remembered many years later in life. As well as preserving lighthouse history for future generations. Dory of the Lighthouse will be loved by everyone; a book that will be read over and over and treasured through the ages. (M). $10.95. 

11463. Wachholz, Ted, The Eastland Disaster Historical Society, The Chicago Historical Society. The Eastland Disaster. Arcadia. 2005. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. More than 7,000 people living in the Chicago area and Michigan City, Indiana, eagerly anticipated Saturday morning, July 24, 1915. The fifth annual midsummer excursion and picnic had been organized by the employees of the Western Electric Company’s Hawthorne Works. Thousands of carefree merrymakers would enjoy a festive day including a lovely cruise across Lake Michigan to an awaiting parade and day-long picnic. For thousands of hard-working immigrant laborers and their families and friends, it was going to be a day to remember. Instead, the day’s scheduled event turned into a tragedy unlike any other. The SS Eastland, while still tied to the wharf, rolled into the Chicago River with more than 2,500 passengers on board. Nearly 850 people lost their lives, including 22 entire families. The ensuing struggle for survival, and the resulting death, heroism, cowardice, greed, and scandal gripped the city of Chicago. Thoroughly interesting and important account. (M). $21.99.

11431. Whalen, Richard F., Everyday Life in Truro – From the Indians to the Victorians. Charleston. 2008. 120p. Soft wraps. Everyday Life in Truro describes the idyllic days of the Pamet Indians and the storm-lashed hardships of Truro's first families as they worked to carve an enduring settlement amid the sandy soil and dangerous fishing grounds of Cape Cod. Have you ever wondered how life on the Outer Cape used to be, before traffic and summer visitors? In Everyday Life in Truro, longtime Truro resident Richard Whalen, author of the companion volume Truro: The Story of a Cape Cod Town, illuminates Truro's past, describing in fascinating detail the everyday triumphs and tragedies of pre-World War II life on remote and windswept Truro. (M). $16.99.

11411. Lee, James J. III. Spermaceti Cove Life-Saving Station – Historic Structure Report. Lowell, Mass. Historic Architecture Program, Northeast Region, National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of Interior, National Park Service. Harpers Ferry. 2008. (Reprint 2011) 312p. Soft wraps. Historic Structure Reports provide a valuable foundation for the rehabilitation, restoration, stabilization or reconstruction of historic structures. Such a report is particularly important for finding or fabricating significant missing architectural details and other items that would have been found on such structures, and for documenting the history and changes to such structures over time. This allows one to recapture the appearance of a property at one particular period of its history, removing later additions, or substantially modifying existing historic fabric. In this case, Spermaceti Cove Life-Saving Station was studied using evidence present at the site, historical documents found at the National Archives, Life-Saving Service records, logs, reports, letters from the keepers and more. Using these and other sources, the author is able to provide a detailed assessment of how the structure would have looked during the period of interest, and more. The report includes a number of period photos and diagrams, and excerpts from Life-Saving Service books and documents for guidance. A most important reference for anyone interested in what the station building (s) would have contained and looked like. (M). $78.

11337. Cann, Donald J., John J. Galluzzo, Capt. W. Russell Webster, USCG (Ret.). The Coast Guard in Massachusetts. Arcadia. 2011. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. The Coast Guard’s deepest roots run through Massachusetts, the ancestral home to three of the five predecessor agencies that make up the service today. The Coast Guard formed in 1915 and since that time has served the citizens of the Bay State at lifeboat stations, air stations, lighthouses, LORAN stations, and radio stations, as well as on lightships and cutters of all sizes. They have protected the Massachusetts coastline during numerous wars, performing some of the most dramatic rescues in American history—from the Pendleton to the Argo Merchant to the Etrusco and more. The story of the Coast Guard in Massachusetts is one of heroism, honor, respect, and devotion to duty. Nicely told by this trio of respected Coast Guard authors. This interesting volume draws images from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs of the stations, the men, equipment  and more, well worth it for the photos alone. (M). $21.99.

11339. Fowler, Chuck, Dan Withers, Combatant Craft of America. Patrol and Rescue Boats on Puget Sound. Arcadia. 2011. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. The history of impressive battleships, aircraft carriers, and submarines on Puget Sound has been well chronicled. However, the story of the smaller, fast patrol and rescue boats that have protected its vast inland waters is largely unknown. This book, through more than 200 rare images and engaging text, reveals the fascinating story. It covers Navy, Coast Guard, and Army Air Force craft in the sound, including the famed patrol torpedo boats of World War II. Featuring evocative photographs from the National Archives, as well as veterans’ personal collections, this book highlights these military craft, their proud crews, and essential wartime and peacetime operations. Superb photographs, well worth it for the photos alone. (M). $21.99.

11338. Wardius, Ken, Barb Wardius, NPLH Friends. North Point Milwaukee Lighthouse. Arcadia. 2011. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. The North Point Milwaukee Lighthouse, neatly nestled in beautifully landscaped Lake Park on Milwaukee’s east side, is a local maritime jewel. Incorporated as part of legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s grand design for this scenic urban park, North Point rests far atop a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, making it one of the highest light stations on the Great Lakes. Three distinctly different lighthouses have been located here, each with its own unique story. Notable keepers include Georgia Stebbins, who came to North Point as a sickly young woman and was transformed by fresh air and hard work into a feisty, dedicated lightkeeper and served with distinction for over 30 years. Abandoned and boarded up for many years, North Point has been resurrected from near ruin. Today, the North Point Lighthouse Friends see to it that this historic sentinel is preserved for future generations. This interesting volume draws images from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs of the stations, the men, equipment  and more, well worth it for the photos alone. (M). $21.99.

889. Williams, Lawrence W., A COLLECTORS GUIDE TO SOUVENIR CHINA – Keepsakes of a Golden Era, Identification and Value Guide. Paducah , KY. 1998. 232p. Soft wraps. Completely illustrated with over 500 color photographs. A hundred years ago, souvenir china was all the rage in the US . For the first time this well known expert from Chatham , Mass. presents a complete guide to the background and manufacturers, along with an in-depth analysis, descriptions, and current values. For those of you who have been collection lighthouse and life-saving commemorative pieces, or who would like to collect pieces from your hometown, this is a most valuable reference. Wonderful reading, with over 500 beautiful, clear color photographs of every type and style, manufacturer’s marks and details. (M). $24.95

11341. Sherrard, Raymond H. (Special Agent, Ret., U.S. Treasury Department). The Encyclopedia of Federal Law Enforcement Patches. Garden Grove. 2000. 232p. Soft wraps. Thoroughly illustrated with thousands of color photographs. The long awaited book by the Dean of U.S. Federal Police Emblem collectors,  is the definitive collector's guide to 4212 federal patches. The author’s comprehensive book covers all federal agencies, combining Federal Law Enforcement Patches Volumes I and II (out of print) with additional new patches into one large reference volume. Full color throughout. This book can help you avoid reproduction patches, and know what patches you need. All of the patches in this book are numbered, and will assit you in identifying the patches you are trading for. Chapters include: Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce NOAA NMFS, Central Intelligence Agency CIA, National Security Agency NSA, Department of Defense DOD, Department of Education, Department of Energy DOE, Environmental Protection Agency EPA, Federal Law Enforcement Associations, FDA / HHS / SSA / HUD / OPM, Department of the Interior, Department of Justice DOJ, Drug Enforcement Administration DEA, Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI, United States Border Patrol, Immigration and Naturalization Service INS, United States Marshal Service USMS, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service USPS / USPIS, Department of State, Interpol / United Nations / USIA, Department of Transportation DOT, Amtrak, United States Coast Guard USCG, Federal Aviation Administration FAA, Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms ATF, United State Customs Service USCS, Internal Revenue Service IRS, United States Secret Service USSS, Judicial Branch / Federal Courts, Veterans Administration / Department of Veterans Affairs VA, Legislative Branch / United States Congress, Independent and Quasi-Federal Agencies, National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA, National Science Foundation, Tennessee Valley Authority TVA, U.S. Trusts, Territories, and Possessions. (M). $39.95. 

11340. Sherrard, Raymond H. (Special Agent, Ret., U.S. Treasury Department), Keith D. Bushey and Jacob A. Bushey. The Centurions’ Shield. Garden Grove. 1996. 320p. Soft wraps. Profusely illustrated with hundreds of photographs, (some in color), appendices, biblio., index. This book is THE definitive, LAPD-authorized and comprehensively-researched history of arguably what is the world's most famous law enforcement organization. Included is a comprehensive pictorial guide to the hundreds of badges, patches and other insignia of the LAPD as well as other City of L.A. departments, many of them shown in full-color. Included are the Jack Webb/Dragnet years; rare badge hallmarks, Reel Cops (the LAPD in TV and film), career info, collecting tips, and much, much more! A must-have reference for all law enforcement personnel, researchers and collectors! Well done! (M). $29.95.

8248. Claflin, James W., LIGHTHOUSES AND LIFESAVING ALONG THE MASSACHUSETTS COAST. 1998. 228p. 200 vintage photographs. Published as part of the Images of America series by Arcadia Publishing. This is the first volume in a series of photographic histories of lighthouses and lifesaving along the coasts of the United States. Arcadia is a well known publisher of local and regional histories, including the popular Images of America series. This compact volume features over 200 early photographs dating from the 1870's through the 1940's, drawn from my and other private collections, most never before published and traces the history of these services through photos and text. (M) $21.99.

Also available from the same author:  

LIGHTHOUSES AND LIFESAVING ALONG THE MAINE & NEW HAMPSHIRE COAST

LIGHTHOUSES AND LIFESAVING ALONG THE CONNECTICUT & RHODE ISLAND COAST

9230. Applegate, Lloyd R., A LIFE OF SERVICE: WILLIAM AUGUSTUS NEWELL. Toms River , NJ. 1994. 153p. Soft wraps. William Augustus Newell (1817-1901) founded the U.S. Life Saving Service by getting a $10,000 appropriation tacked onto the Lighthouse Bill of 1848. Newell was a physician/surgeon, three-term congressman from New Jersey , the first term being with Abraham Lincoln with whom he roomed, governor of New Jersey and later Washington Territory , White House physician in 1865, Indian agent in the Northwest in his 70's etc. For us, however, his extensive efforts in the establishment of the Life-Saving Service are of considerable interest and the author devotes fully one quarter of the book to these efforts, improvements in equipment and the memorial established by the New Jersey Legislature in 1896 commemorating his efforts. The only comprehensive account of the life’s work of this important figure. (F-). $19.95.

 Available Now! 

1166. United States Light House Establishment. “Price List of Standard Articles (for Lighthouse Purposes) Furnished from General Depot, Thompkinsville, New York. 1901”. Washington. GPO. 83p. We have known of the existence of this document but until now have been unable to find it. It includes listings and descriptions of items available from the General Lighthouse Depot in Staten Island, for use by keepers at light stations, depots, for use on light vessels and tenders, and  more. Included are 18 text pages, 44 full page photo plates and 21 fold-out plates of implements and equipment. Prices are included for budgeting purposes when requesting such items from the General Depot (keepers Service basket $5, First Order Revolving Lens $6,328, etc). Plates include steam whistles, automatic sirens,  electric buoy lantern, engines to power fog signals, fog signal house, Daboll trumpet, bell striking apparatus, air pressure lamps, 4th, 5th, 6th order lamps, lightship and tender lamps, table lamp, locomotive headlight lantern, lens lantern, light vessel lanterns, post lantern, revolving clock mechanisms, revolving lenses, keeper’s service basket, oil carrier, dustpan, drip pan, oil feeder, oil measure, and more. A “must” for museums, collectors, writers and researchers on the subject and anyone interested in the apparatus used by the Lighthouse Service. Spiral bound, photo-reproduced copy. (M). $86.

1104. Menz, Katherine. POINT LOMA LIGHTHOUSE: CABRILLO NATIONAL MONUMENT, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Historic Furnishings Report. National Park Service. Harpers Ferry. December 1978. 243p. Soft wraps. Historic Furnishings Reports provide a valuable foundation for the rehabilitation, restoration, stabilization or reconstruction of the interior furnishings of historic structures. Such a report is particularly important for finding or fabricating significant missing furnishings, tools and other items that would have been found in the structures or used by the inhabitants. This allows one to recapture the appearance of a property at one particular period of its history, removing later additions, or substantially modifying existing historic fabric. In this case, Point Loma Light Station was studied using evidence present at the site, historical documents found at the National Archives, Light House Establishment records, logs, reports, letters from the keepers and more. Using these and other sources, the author is able to provide a detailed assessment of how the interiors would have looked during the period of interest, what furnishings and amenities would have been present, keeper’s tools and equipment, clocks and more. The report includes a number of period photos and diagrams, and excerpts from Light House Establishment books and documents for guidance. A most important reference for anyone interested in what the inside of light station buildings would have contained and looked like. (M). $48.

11162. Contino, H.S.  Shipwrecks of Coos County. Arcadia. 2011. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. European settlement of Coos County began with a shipwreck. The Captain Lincoln wrecked on the north spit of the Coos Bay in January 1852. The crewmen built a temporary camp out of the ship's sails and named it "Camp Cast-Away." This was the first white settlement in the area. The men eventually traveled overland to Port Orford, where they told other settlers about the Coos Bay and its many natural resources. By December 1853, Coos County was established by the territorial legislature, and several towns were founded; the history of the area had been completely altered by a single shipwreck. The author has been the research assistant at the Coos Historical and Maritime Museum for the past five years, and has thoroughly researched over 100 local shipwrecks. Covering a 150-year period, she has chronicled the misadventures of the vessels that traveled on the county's two main bodies of water, the Coos Bay and the Coquille River. From small fishing boats to lumber freighters, the vessel types vary greatly, and their stories range from tragedies to simple maritime mishaps. Superb collection of photographs. (M). $21.99

10507. Morrison-Low, A. D. Northern Lights: The Age of Scottish Lighthouses. National Museum of Scotland. 2010. 176p. Soft wraps. Northern Lights has been published to mark the 200th anniversary in 2011 of the world’s oldest rock lighthouse, on the Bell Rock or Inchcape Reef, off the east coast of Scotland. The Bell Rock Lighthouse, the world's oldest rock lighthouse situated off the coast of the county of Angus, was built by the famous Stevenson engineers, and has its 200th anniversary on 11 February 2011. Northern Lights celebrates that occasion. This fully illustrated book tells the story of Scotland's lighthouses through objects, charts and photographs, using National Museums Scotland's pre-eminent collection of sea-marking material from the Northern Lighthouse Board, and also items from the Stevenson family. For reasons explained in the book, historic items relating to the building of the earlier Eddystone Lighthouse, located in the English Channel, are also held by the museum, and John Smeaton's stone-built construction there must be seen as the inspiration for Robert Stevenson's structure. Wonderfully illustrated, worth it for the lamp and lens photographs alone. (M). $24.95.

1186. Henry, Karen Anderson. Papa Was a Lighthouse Keeper. Author House. 2004. 76p. Soft wraps. Little Doris Hanson lived in the lighthouse on Chambers Island, Wisconsin, every summer from the age of 11 days to 10 years. Doris's father, Sam O. Hanson, was the assistant lighthouse keeper in the early 1900's. What was it like to live on a remote island in a lighthouse? Doris told of her adventures and unique experiences of the life of a youn girl living in just such a place for much of her childhood. Having lost her mother at the age of 3, Doris learned the importance of having loving relationships with the rest of her family. Her experiences shaped her life and taught her self-reliance. This is the story of one summer on the island. (M). $14.95.

1171. na. RESCUE – True Stories of the U.S. Life Saving Service. Avery. 2011. 224p. Soft wraps. Forward by Frederick Stonehouse. A compilation of U.S. Life Saving Service rescue accounts from the United States Life Saving Service Heritage Association. Exciting true rescue accounts from the Atlantic, Pacific and Great Lakes. Illustrated with photos. Riveting reading. (M). $17.95. Available April 2011. 

1194. Juge, Dick. The Historic Northwest Passage and the C.G.C. Storis - The Story of a Young Man Growing up in the Coast Guard in the 1950s. AuthorHouse. 2007. 300p. Soft wraps. In 1955 Dick Juge dropped out of his final semester of high school to join the Coast Guard in time to qualify for the Korean Conflict GIBill. This book takes you on his journey through the Coast Guard enlistment and training process, and then on voyages aboard three Coast Guard Cutters: Sebago out of Mobile, Alabams, Storis in Alaska, and Duane from Boston. The author tells of boot camp mishaps, formidable icebergs, liberty adventures, and much more as we accompany him in his career. You will feel like a member of the crew aboard an icebreaker as it crosses the Arctic. Good reading. (M). $35.

23254s. Jones, Ray. THE LIGHTHOUSE ENCYCLOPEDIA – A Definitive Reference. Guilford . 2004. 274 p. Soft wraps.  Who was Augustine Fresnel? What is a clamshell lens? When was the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse moved? What is a daymark? Lighthouse lovers and anyone interested in history will find the answers to these and hundreds of other questions in The Lighthouse Encyclopedia. This one-stop resource offers an amazing wealth of information about the history of lighthouses, key people associated with lighthouses, lighthouse technology, lighthouse organizations and much more. Organized in typical A-Z encyclopedia style, this compendium of information allows the reader to easily find historical fact, famous keepers, or lighthouse mechanisms and much more. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 color and b/w photographs, including many archival views of stations, keepers and their equipment, 4 maps and more. This is a one-of-a-kind reference and should prove an essential resource. (M). Published at $19.95.  Our price $15.95.

Special purchase price:

7209s. Shelton-Roberts, Cheryl. LIGHTHOUSE FAMILIES. 2006. 210p. Soft cover. Living in a lighthouse was a way of life for the families of more than 5000 keepers and employees of the United States Lighthouse Service. These quiet people faithfully manned their remote outposts and withstood enemy attacks, hurricanes, and dishonest bureaucrats while saving countless thousands of lives. These men, women and children daily experienced physical hardship, round-the-clock work, isolation, and danger - and the strong bond of family. Though the Lighthouse Service no longer exists, many of the children who grew up at these stations do and their stories are preserved for the first time in this remarkable book. Family tales from Pigeon Point California, St. Augustine Florida, Saddleback Ledge Maine, Old Mackinac Point Michigan, Morris Island South Carolina and many more. Illustrated with over 100 family vintage photographs and a beautiful full color photo of the light as it appears today. This is a book that you won’t want to put down. (M). Published at $14.95. Our price $9.95.

1165. Castro-Bran, Rose. Lighthouses of the Ventura Coast. Arcadia. 2011. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. The Ventura County coast has been illuminated for more than a century by three distinctive lighthouses, united in their mission of warning mariners of coastal hazards and guiding ships to safe passage. Port Hueneme's original 1874 Victorian Stick Style lighthouse stood sentry until it was replaced in 1940 by the still-standing art moderne structure, which guards the only deepwater port on the California coast between San Francisco and San Pedro. The Anacapa Island Light, a cylindrical brick structure in the Channel Islands lit in 1932, was the last new lighthouse on the West Coast. Ventura, originally dubbed San Buenaventura by Fr. Junipero Serra in 1782, extends its "good fortune" to the steamers, warships, tankers, and other craft guided to safety by these navigation beacons. The author, a flotilla commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and a member of the Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation Team, helps maintain California's lighthouses and has been museum curator of Point Hueneme Lighthouse since 2002. The evocative vintage images showcased here are from her collection, local museums, lighthouse keepers' families, and the Point Hueneme Lighthouse collection. Through these vintage photographs and detailed text, Lighthouses of the Ventura Coast uncovers the history of these structures that kept watch over the coastline. Superb photographs of the stations, keepers, equipment and more, well worth it. (M). $21.99.

A Must Read !

23439. Lane. Anthony. GUIDING LIGHTS – The Design & Development of the British Lightvessel from 1732. Charleston . 2001. 208 p. Over 200 photographs and illustrations. Soft wraps. Anthony Lane has researched the history of light vessels over a period of many years. Now he has drawn his research into a book that covers the period from 1732 until the present day. These light vessels have protected ships from the sandbanks and treacherous waters surrounding the British Isles throughout war and peace. Until 1986, they were manned by a very special breed of men who lived in arduous conditions to keep the light shining whatever the weather thrown at them. The book is full of drama and technical detail and is a must for any maritime enthusiast. The first lightship in the world was placed at the Nore Sands, at the entrance to the Thames Estuary on the east coast of England , in 1732. About seven years later a lightship was placed at the entrance to the Liffey: it remained on station until around 1782 when the Poolbeg Lighthouse was established. These, and other early lightships were operated by private entrepreneurs as commercial enterprises. The earliest lightships were converted mercantile ships, with lanterns hung from yards. But from the turn of the nineteenth century purpose-built lightships were designed. Through the nineteenth century the number of lightship stations increased. At the beginning of the twentieth century Irish Lights had twelve lightship stations, and three or maybe four spare vessels, but Trinity House had around 65 stations. Dr Lane describes in great detail the construction and arrangement of a typical nineteenth century Trinity House lightship, including the general arrangements, machinery space, crew accommodation, stores, deck machinery, and mooring systems. The first Trinity House all-steel lightship was No 81, completed in 1926. The design of steel lightships varied through the ensuing years. Dr Lane gives a detailed description of a typical steel lightship and also documents changes in the design as they developed over the years. A separate chapter is devoted to lanterns, lights, and optics and another to the various types of fog signaling equipment. Includes superb photographs and information on early burners, reflector lamps and much more. Thanks should go to the author, for there is a wealth of information here that might have been lost had not Dr Lane recorded it. Working life on board Trinity House lightships is described too, and a hard life it was. Includes rarely seen views of crew spaces, working spaces and much more. The book concludes with a chapter on lightvessel automation and records the present whereabouts and condition of the surviving British and Irish light vessels. The book has many excellent photos and drawings showing details of machinery and equipment, vessels, and lightshipmen at work and relaxing. An entire chapter consists of a photographic survey of steel lightships. It is obvious that this book has been meticulously researched and it is likely to become a standard reference book for the future. This is surely a Must Read whether you are interested in US or British lightships, many of the photos and information pertain to both and should not be missed. (M).  $76.

7452. Noble, Dennis L., LIGHTHOUSES & KEEPERS - The U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy. 1997. Annapolis. 244p. DJ. Certain to capture the imagination of his readers, this renown author tells of shipwrecks, rescues, and of tending the lights during long and lonely nights. All aspects of this fascinating topic are covered including not only the work at the lighthouses and lightships, but also the keepers, buoy tenders, buoys, fog signals and electronic aids. A book with a special, personal appeal, great reading. (M). Retail $36.95. Our price $27.95.

1103. McCarthy, James F. “Jay”. Collision at Sea – The True Story of the Collision and Sinking of U.S.C.G. Lightship RELIEF LV-78 / WAL-505, and Other Memories and Photos of Life Aboard RELIEF Lightship 78/505. Infinity. 2010. 84p. Lightships were often called floating lighthouses - they were stationed where it would not be practicable to place a lighthouse, in exposed and dangerous locations, such as, far out to sea in deep water, close in to shore with soft sandy bottoms or treacherous and shifting shoals, in busy shipping channels or wherever maritime needs dictated. Often, the defenseless lightship, anchored and incapable of avoiding a collision, paid the ultimate price for remaining in this hazardous and vulnerable position. This is a true story of one such collision. The author, James F. “Jay” McCarthy, served 2 years on the RELIEF Lightship LV-78/WAL-505. He speaks with firsthand knowledge of the ship and crew. He was shipmates with a number of the crew that survived the collision by the freighter SS Green Bay and the sinking of the lightship. He tells the whole story - pre-collision, collision and post-collision and draws from excerpts of the Official U.S.C.G. Joint Marine Board of Investigation into the collision between the SS Green Bay and the USCG Lightship RELIEF 78 / WAL 505, and the survivors story, as told largely in the words and memories of RELIEF LV 78/505 survivor Bobbie R. Pierce, BM3. He attempts to tell this story in chronological order, with a view into what was occurring on both ships during this timeframe. Most interesting look into the lives and dangers of these “lightship sailors”. Well illustrated with crew and ship photos. (M). $11.95. 

1133. Costopoulos, Nina. Lighthouse Ghosts and Legends. Crane hill. 2003. 116p. Soft wraps. Following on the heels of Crane Hill's best selling Lighthouse Ghosts (now in its sixth printing), Lighthouse Ghosts and Legends brings fans of watery hauntings more of their favorite lore. Author Costopoulos here weaves more than two dozen tales of mystery surrounding some of America's best know beacons, including St. Simon's Island, New London Ledge, Yaquina Bay, Saginaw River, Tillamook, Thunderbay Island, and more. Covering the extent of coastal America and the Great Lakes, Lighthouse Ghosts and Legends also runs the gamut of sprites, spirits, mysteries, miracles, and madness. Lighthouse fans will consider this unique volume a must-have. The stories featured in Lighthouse Ghosts and Legends are drawn from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts, as well as the Great Lakes. (M). Pub $12.95. Our price $9.95.

1134. Field, Van. MAYDAY! Shipwrecks, Tragedies & Tales from Long Island’s Eastern Shore. Charleston. 2008. 96p. Soft wraps. Since the mid-1600's, eastern Long Island's shoals, sandbars and assorted submerged hazards have caused many an unlucky vessel to become shipwrecked. The frequency of wrecks rose to a grim crescendo during the mid-nineteenth century as New York and New England peaked as shipping centers. Then came the dawn of the twentieth century and the arrival of advanced navigational aids. Although the number of wrecks declined, the high drama persisted as rumrunners and German submarines kept the coast humming with rumors and anticipation. In MAYDAY!, author Van R. Field painstakingly assembles a compendium of Long Island's most harrowing, amazing and notorious shipwrecks and ocean-going incidents. (M). Pub $17.99. Our price $14.99.

10508. Owens, James E. U. S. Life Saving Coloring Book. Schiffer. 2010. 50p. Soft wraps. Illustrated with 48 drawings. The history of the nation's Life Saving Service comes alive in this 50-page activity book, with scenes of life on the sea and water rescues depicted. Color the pages while learning about efforts to aid shipwrecked sailors and the fates of wrecked ships. From Massachusetts, to the Great Lakes, and the East and West Coasts, the history of lifesaving stations can be preserved through this fun and colorful activity. Grades 3-6 recommended (great for use with colored pencils). (M). $6.99. 

9496. Peterson, Douglas, (U.S.C.G. Retired) U. S. LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE TENDERS. Eastwind Publishing. 2000. 169p. DJ. This is the first book to feature all of the lighthouse tenders and auxiliary craft of the United States Lighthouse service from 1840 until 1939. Lighthouse Tenders, the lifeline to the keepers of America's lighthouses and lightships, towed lightships, tended buoys, carried necessities and saved lives day and night, in weather fair or foul. Without these services the keepers of America 's lighthouses and lightships could not have survived. More than 150 years ago the first tender was launched, to be followed by 300 ships of varying design used for lighthouse service-all of which are presented in this thoroughly researched book. Vintage photographs, drawings, plans and statistics illustrate the historic profile of each ship. This long awaited book recognizes these often overlooked ships of the U.S. Lighthouse Service and their important contribution to America 's maritime heritage. 9.5"x9.5", hardbound. 175+ b/w photos and plans. Out of print - difficult to find. (M). $79.95.

10507. Morrison-Low, A. D. Northern Lights: The Age of Scottish Lighthouses. National Museum of Scotland. 2010. 176p. Soft wraps. Northern Lights has been published to mark the 200th anniversary in 2011 of the world’s oldest rock lighthouse, on the Bell Rock or Inchcape Reef, off the east coast of Scotland. The Bell Rock Lighthouse, the world's oldest rock lighthouse situated off the coast of the county of Angus, was built by the famous Stevenson engineers, and has its 200th anniversary on 11 February 2011. Northern Lights celebrates that occasion. This fully illustrated book tells the story of Scotland's lighthouses through objects, charts and photographs, using National Museums Scotland's pre-eminent collection of sea-marking material from the Northern Lighthouse Board, and also items from the Stevenson family. For reasons explained in the book, historic items relating to the building of the earlier Eddystone Lighthouse, located in the English Channel, are also held by the museum, and John Smeaton's stone-built construction there must be seen as the inspiration for Robert Stevenson's structure. (M). Please inquire. 

10509. Medlicott, Gordon. An Illuminating Experience. Whittles. 2009. 144p. Soft wraps. Liberally illustrated. A welcome addition to the slowly growing library of Lighthouse Keepers' memoirs. The author's story begins in 1966 - a time when oil lights were rotated by a hand-wound clockwork mechanism and keepers handled explosive fog signals. Throughout the 1960s and '70s, despite having the technology to land men on the moon, some of our lighthouses were still operated by oil, not only for the main navigation light, but also in the keepers' living quarters. With some of the offshore stations lacking even the basic facilities of running water, a bathroom or heating life onboard was, to say the least, pretty basic. Little did the author realize that he would witness, and become part of, a new technological age that would sweep through the industry. Unmanned lighthouses being operated by remote control via telemetry links to a computer and satellite information provided by GPS. The narrative gives a great account of daily life working in the lighthouse service covering a long period including the mass-automation of stations and the end of manned lighthouses. In turn exhilarating, funny and sad. (M). $31.95. 

10488. Marc, Jacques F. Pacific Coast Steamship China. UBC Press. 2009. 182p. Hardcover.  300+ color and 80 b/w photographs. At the height of Pacific-coast steamship travel in the late 1800s and early 1900s, passengers enjoyed a sit-down dinner served on china with silver flatware. Today, the only places you can still find this china is at flea markets and antique shops or by diving at old dock sites and on shipwrecks. Pacific Coast Ship China identifies and dates shipping china used along the Pacific coast of North America. It identifies more than 280 china patterns used on vessels and in-shore establishments of shipping organizations registered in Alaska, Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Hawaii; it describes patterns used in coastal, intercoastal and transpacific services. In addition to passenger vessels, it documents the china used by freighter operations, oil companies, government services and yacht clubs. This easy-to-use guide identifies almost 300 china patterns. It provides collectors, museum technicians, divers, history buffs and anyone else interested in identifying and dating Pacific-coast ship china with all the information they need. It also includes brief descriptions of 73 Pacific-coast shipping companies and government services including Lighthouse Service and Coast Guard. (M). $79.95.

10459. (DVD) Lakeshore Guardians - The Story of Nine Wisconsin Life-Saving Stations. 2010. 59 minutes. Written, shot, and edited by filmmaker Dan Larson who also produced the Keepers of the Door series. Dan Weaver composed and recorded the music score. Steve VanBekum provided voice-over narration. Between 1875 and 1896, nine U.S. Life-Saving Stations were completed along the Lake Michigan coast, stretching from Kenosha to Plum Island in Death’s Door Passage. Staffed by a keeper and a seven-man crew, these “guardians” saved countless mariners wrecked along the shore. Seven years in the making, this 59-minute documentary tells the story of their sacrifice and bravery. Larson has spent the past several years traveling the Lake Michigan coast shooting and documenting what remains of the United States Life-Saving Service. The result is a comprehensive video that includes such topics as the Sturgeon Bay Station’s rescue of the schooner Otter’s crew, the Service’s role in the loss of the Christmas Tree ship, the 1913 winter storm’s impact on the Plum Island Station and much more. (M). $24.95. Our price $23.45.

10470. (DVD) The Keepers of Cana Island Light & Keepers of the Door. 2006. (two documentaries in one) In the Keepers of Cana Island Light, actor Stephen King plays the part of Keeper Clifford Sanderson, who was Assistant Keeper at Cana Island From 1884-1892, and keeper from 1924-1933. Join him as he begins the story in 1867 when plans for the lighthouse were first discussed, and follow the lives and work of each of the eight keepers at Cana Island over the years. Keepers of the Door documents the many lighthouses of Door County, Wisconsin, and the many keepers who dutifully kept the lights burning. Beginning in 1836 at Pottowatomie Lighthouse on Rock Island and looks at twelve light stations, with interviews of relatives of the keepers, looks inside the light towers and homes, and more. (M). $29.95. Our price $28.45.

10448. (DVD) The Lightkeepers with Academy Award® winner Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws, The Goodbye Girl) stars with Emmy and Tony winner Blythe Danner (Meet the Fockers) and Oscar® nominee Bruce Dern (Coming Home) in this warmhearted tale of lost love and second chances. This highly anticipated movie was filmed on location at the Race Point Lighthouse on Cape Cod. The year is 1912. Vowing to swear off women for good, curmudgeonly Seth Atkins (Dreyfuss) takes refuge tending a remote Cape Cod lighthouse. Then, a mysterious stranger (Tom Wisdom, Pirate Radio) literally washes up in Seth's life, with a past full of secrets and a similar aversion to females. But the arrival of two beautiful, spirited women (Danner and Mamie Gummer) will test the men's resolve - and send all four of them sailing into uncharted romantic waters! Regular Price $27.95. Our Price $24.50. 

10490. Costello, Linda, and Bruce Foster, Wendy Edelson, Al Mitchell. Lighthouses – A Pop-Up Gallery of America's Most Beloved Beacons. Thunder Bay Press, 2007. Hardcover. From the busy Atlantic waters to the rugged Pacific coast, explore the country's most historic and beautiful lighthouses with amazing 3-D pop-ups. Lighthouses features more than 25 color photographs and original illustrations showcasing America's coastal guardians. From the historical to the technical, author Al Mitchell, a renowned expert in the field of lighthouse study, explains the important roles played by each beacon through the years. This unique tribute includes 5 amazing, architecturally accurate 3-D pop-ups designed by acclaimed paper engineer Linda Costello. Beautifully illustrated pop-ups stand approximately 9 1/2 inches tall and 5 inches in diameter and demonstrate each lighthouse's unique design and function. Pop-ups include some of the most famous landmarks in the country: Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina's distinctive black-and-white light tower; Old Point Loma Light, the beacon for California's Gold rush traffic; and Florida's prominent Ponce de Leon Inlet Light. This is the ultimate book for admirers of lighthouses and architecture. (M). $28.95.

Lightships of the United States of America Volumes I, II, III by Thomas Schoenewolff:

The 3 volumes of Lightships of the United States of America consist of a comprehensive listing of all the lightships that served under the lighthouse service and the Coast Guard. Each ship is outlined with the technical specifications of service, officers, and crews of each ship. The data and information includes all of the research done by noted lightship historian Willard Flint, as well as from other sources across the country, organizations and historical archives, providing a comprehensive view of the history of each ship. These volumes provide the reader with a complete historical reference of the lightship service in this country. Also included are hundreds of photographs of the lightships including on-station photographs, mechanical drawings, officers, crews and more.

10453a. Schoenewolff, Thomas. Lightships of the United States of America, Volume I – Northeast. RoseDog Books. 2010. Soft wraps. 368p. $61.

10453b. Schoenewolff, Thomas. Lightships of the United States of America, Volume II – Southeast. RoseDog Books. 2010. Soft wraps. 146p.  $28.

10453c. Schoenewolff, Thomas. Lightships of the United States of America, Volume III – Gulf, Western, Great Lakes. RoseDog Books. 2010. Soft wraps. 188p.  $38.

10425. Majher, Patricia. Ladies of the Lights: Michigan Women in the U.S. Lighthouse Service. Univ. of Michigan Press. 2010. 120p. Soft wraps. Michigan once led the country in the number of lighthouses, and they're still a central part of the mystique and colorful countryside of the state. What even the region's lighthouse enthusiasts might not know is the rich history of female lighthouse keepers in the area. Fifty women served the sailing communities on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, as well as on the Detroit River, for more than 100 years. From Catherine Shook, who raised eight children while maintaining the Pointe Aux Barques light at the entrance to Saginaw Bay; to Eliza Truckey, who assumed responsibility for the lighthouse in Marquette while her husband fought for four years in the Civil War; to Elizabeth Whitney, whose combined service on Beaver Island and in Harbor Springs totaled forty-one years. The stories of Michigan's "ladies of the light" are inspiring. "Ladies of the Lights" pays long overdue homage to an overlooked part of Great Lakes maritime history. (M). Published at $22.95. Our price $21.50. 

10426. Richmond, Arthur P. Cape Cod Lighthouses and Lightships. Schiffer. 2010. 256p. Hard cover. This is an indispensable reference for the lighthouse enthusiast, required reading for those interested in maritime history, and a necessity for anyone who loves Cape Cod. Step back in time and observe the lighthouses and lightships that marked the shores and guided mariners through dangerous waters surrounding Cape Cod. Experience these maritime marvels and trace through the history of these lighthouses and lightships. Archived plans describe the details of these aids to navigation with more than 500 images, including some that have never before been published. Complete your journey with a visit to these historic spots, using the books comprehensive visitors’ guide. “Cape Cod Lighthouses and Lightships” is so thoroughly researched, so packed with individual narratives and visuals, that it is one of the most comprehensive books on Cape lighthouses to date. (M) $45. Our price $41.95.

10397. Collins, George M. To Guide, Guard, and Rescue: Building the Yaquina Lighthouses, Jetties, and Life-Saving Station. Newport. 2010. 112p. Soft wraps. An interesting new book, actually four tales in one; Chapter One details the establishment of the Yaquina Lighthouse on this site, which was short lived (only three years). The lighthouse here later served as a U.S. Life Saving station. Chapter Two details the construction of the more famous Yaquina Head Lighthouse. Chapter Three discusses the construction of the Yaquina Bay jetties. Chapter Four discusses the establishment and history of the U.S. Life Saving station at the former lighthouse facility. Includes extensive information on the construction, the keepers and men stationed there, the operation of the Light House Establishment, shipwrecks in the area, and much more. Well illustrated with over 100 b/w photos, maps and illustrations. (M). Publisher’s price $21.95. Our price $20.45.

10395. Lee, Ila G., Children of the Lighthouse. Bloomington. 2003. 125. Soft wraps. Children of the Lighthouse preserves the unique experiences of the author, living at a lighthouse during the Great Depression and Worls War II. The daughter of a lighthouse keeper, Lee grew up along the Pacific coast, occupying with her family different light stations in Oregon and Washington.  Featuring historical photographs and letters, this is a great opportunity to relive a bygone era. Great reading. (M). $13.95.

10343. Roberts, Mike. The Last Keeper at Split Rock. St. Cloud. 2010. 180p. Soft wraps. Mike Roberts was the last U.S. Coast Guard officer on duty at Split Rock Lighthouse, the Minnesota tourist destination near Two Harbors that draws more than 100,000 visitors a year. The St. Cloud-area resident has the distinction of being the person who extinguished the landmark's light for the last official time when it was decommissioned in 1969 by the Coast Guard. Evolving technology had made the landmark obsolete. More than 40 years later, Roberts returned to the lighthouse to celebrate its 100th year. This book chronicles his four-year enlistment in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1966-1970, most of which was spent on Lake Superior as a search-and-rescue crew member and as a lighthouse keeper. He notes that "There are tons of books written about lighthouse keepers, but very few actually written by lighthouse keepers." Roberts began telling his life stories to his children and grandchildren as they grew up and now he has published them for us to enjoy. These are his stories of life at Split Rock, of the great Superior, and of making ends meet on the North Shore. (M). $14.95.

2806. Cavallaro, Lenny and Lou Cook, Bob Jannoni. SOLVED: The Mystery of the General Arnold. Carver. 2007. 112 p. Soft wraps. In 1778, the brigantine General Arnold went aground on the White Flat off Plymouth, Massachusetts. More than 70 men froze to death in one of the most horrible naval disasters of the Revolutionary War. Almost two centuries later, the skeletal remains emerged from the waters. Was this the Arnold? The debate lasted for many years. Finally, in this work, the authors solve this mystery and relate the tale of this stricken vessel. (M). $8.95.

10166. Harrison, Timothy and Walter C. Plohocky, BMCS, USCG Ret., Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse and Life Saving Station. Foghorn Pub. 2010. 32p. Soft wraps. This new book tells 3 different stories of the life on the small island of Thunder Bay near Alpena, Michigan.  First is "A Season On Thunder Bay Island" by former US Coast Guard lighthouse keeper Walter C. Plohocky, telling of life on the island for one complete shipping season, March through December. Also included is a history of the lighthouse and the story of Capt John and Celia Persons, the Icons of Thunder Bay Island. Well illustrated with historic photographs. Soft cover. (M). $8.95.

10115. Benchley, Rob and Robert D. Felch. Keeping the Light – The Epic Move and Preservation of Nantucket’s Sankaty Head Lighthouse. 2009. Sconset Trust. 144p. DJ. A lighthouse has stood on Sankaty Head near the village of Siasconset since 1850, the third such aid built on the island. However, in recent years coastal erosion had brought the surf perilously close to the lighthouse, threatening to topple it into the sea with a future gale. Fortunately the ’Sconset Trust took on the project to oversee the light’s restoration and to raise funds to move the light tower safely away from the eroding cliffs. This epic historic preservation project was successful due to a tremendous island-wide outpouring of support. The new ’Sconset Trust book, Keeping the Light, documenting this historic move, has just been released. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photographs, the book chronicles the formation of a plan, the move and the tower’s restoration, once again the famous "Blazing Star". Beautifully done, this will make a superb addition to anyone’s collection. (M). $98.

10180. Thompson, Kalee. Deadliest Sea: The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History. New York. 2010. 309p. DJ. Deadliest Sea by Kalee Thompson is the spellbinding true story of the greatest rescue in U.S. Coast Guard history. It's no secret that commercial fishing on the Bering Sea is easily one of the world's most dangerous and deadly professions. For the men of the vessel 'Alaska Ranger', this fact presented itself on March 23, 2008, when the ship began taking water only to be fully submerged just a few hours later. In "Deadliest Sea," author Kalee Thompson offers readers the harrowing account of the Ranger's accident, and the daring rescue attempt by U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescue teams  which succeeded in saving the lives of more than twenty of the crew members--thus becoming the single most successful cold-water rescue in Coast Guard history. A fascinating and gripping account for all. (M). Reduced $16.99. 

10121. St. Germain, Paul. Twin Lights of Thacher Island, Cape Ann. Arcadia. 2010. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. Thacher Island was named for Anthony Thacher who, in 1635, lost his four children and other family members in a shipwreck during the most severe storm to ever hit the Massachusetts coast. Some time later beacons were established on the island to warn mariners away. In later times, the lighthouses there have played an important role in several wars, including the Revolutionary War and World Wars I and II, when the navy established a radio compass station and lookouts to protect the coast from enemy submarines. A ship bearing a U.S. president almost wrecked on Thacher Island, and the island was used as a witness protection site for a Mafia criminal. Twin Lights of Thacher Island, Cape Ann captures the history, adventures, and intimate stories from over 200 years of lighthouse keepers living on the island, including how the two towers were built and how scientific discoveries were applied to improve the lights over the years. This interesting volume draws images from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs of the station, keepers, equipment  and more, well worth it. (M). $21.99. 

10122. Coast Guard Sector San Diego. The Coast Guard in San Diego. Arcadia. 2010. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage and recent photographs. Located a few miles north from the border of the United States and Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard has maintained a continual presence in San Diego since 1935. It was in May of that year that a single air detachment, led by Cdr. Elmer F. Stone, began operating out of a commercial hangar at Lindbergh Field. From those humble beginnings, a base was constructed on 23 acres of tidelands adjacent to the airstrip and eventually formed into Sector San Diego. Through the years, their units and missions have evolved as new technology and changing world events dictated new missions for the Coast Guard. Today Coast Guard Sector San Diego stands as a model of interagency cooperation for the Department of Homeland Security as the Coast Guard works with other federal agencies to protect San Diego's maritime domain. This interesting volume draws images from the Coast Guard archives as well as public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs of the station, men, equipment  and more, well worth it. (M). $21.99.

6697. Thompson, Frederic L., THE LIGHTSHIPS OF CAPE COD. 1996. 2nd printing. 112 pp. Soft wraps. Signed by the author. Illustrated with over 93 beautifully detailed photographs. Much sought after, this scarce volume chronicles the history of the lightships in this vital area. Wonderfully detailed b/w photographs enhance the author's vivid description of the history and life aboard these vessels. One of the only volumes ever written exclusively on this subject, this fine work will make a fine addition to any library (M). $14.95. (Wholesale discounts available)

29313. Ryder, Richard G. Seashore Sentinel: The Old Harbor Lifesaving Station on Cape Cod. West Barnstable. 2009. 120p. Soft wraps. This latest account of the history and life at Cape Cod’s Old Harbor Life-Saving Station updates his older work - OLD HARBOR STATION CAPE COD – now long out of print but still in demand. This extremely worthwhile account of the life-savers at the Old Harbor Life Saving Station in Chatham , Mass., is a one of a kind, chronicling not only much of the wrecks and work of the life savers, but particularly looking at the equipment issued to such a station at the time and the lives of the men living and working there. Includes many photographs, wreck accounts, life at the station, moving the station and much more. A most interesting chronicle. (M). $12.95.

1002. Crowell, Marnie Reed. Mark Island Light. Sunset, Maine. 2009. 27p. Soft wraps. Mark Island Light, officially known as the Deer Island Thorofare Lighthouse, was fitted with a fourth-order Fresnel lens showing a fixed white light and was first lighted on New Year's Day in 1858. The 25-foot tower was attached to a one-and-one-half-story wood-frame keeper's dwelling. In 1998, some 140 years after its light beamed for the first time, Mark Island Light entered another chapter in it ownership when it passed into the hands of Island Heritage Trust. To highlight the acquisition of the light, the author has published a comprehensive and fascinating history of the light, its keepers and operational details, as well as a record of the heroic keepers who lived the isolated life we tend to romanticize today. Included in Crowell's affectionate history are vintage and contemporary photographs and drawings and excerpts from journals, letters and newspapers. (M). $13.95. 

1007. Maginley, Charles D. and Bernard Collin. The Ships of Canada's Marine Services. Vanwell. 2001. 288p. DJ. With one of the longest coastlines in the world and a significant inland waterway, Canada possesses an unparalleled civilian fleet providing essential marine services. This detailed work presents an illustrated record of the historical and hard-working ships that have shaped their history and maritime heritage, current to the year 2001. The ships included belong to the Canadian Coast Guard and its predecessors, to the Customs Preventive Service, patrol vessels of the RCMP, and the civilian-crewed vessels of the Canadian Naval Auxiliary Service. These ships include hydrographic survey vessels, icebreakers, fisheries patrol boats, search and rescue craft both station-based and offshore, lighthouse supply vessels and buoy tenders, lightships, tugs, and northern exploration ships. Included are work histories, specifications and photographs (some quite rare) or paintings of each ship are given. Many ships are illustrated in rare old photographs digitally enhanced for clarity, in sketches and paintings by talented marine artists, and in a stunning 24-page colour section within the book. Ship histories have been compiled from many sources, both published and obscure, to provide as complete a record as possible. (M). $59.95.

1019. Foster, Colonel Frank C. and Lawrence H. Borts. Military Medals of the United States. Fountain Inn. 2010. 192p. Soft wraps. Military Medals of the United States, here in its seventh edition, is an authoritative reference work on the subject. Included are complete criteria for every Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine award since 1939. All decorations, service medals, and ribbons shown in b/w or full-color and accompanied by dates and campaigns as well as detailed descriptions on proper wear and display. The many illustrations make this book a truly beautiful reference work. The book also contains detailed information about the various devices worn on each ribbon, guides to the proper wear of medals and ribbons on the uniform, and much more. There is even a special section on United Nations mission medals. Included are: Criteria for all medals listed in full detail with dates and campaigns; Superb front and back color pictures of all U.S. Military decorations, service medals, marksmanship medals and ribbons, plus commonly awarded foreign medals; Separate color ribbon display in correct order of precedence for Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine awards since 1939; Complete chapter on devices for awards and ribbons – cross referenced with medals; Complete section on wear and display of U.S. Military Medals for all branches; Valuable section on how to claim your medals from the government. (M). $24.95.

29371. Murphy, Mary. Preservation Values in the United States: A Case Study of Three Lighthouses. Masters Thesis. Texas Tech University. 2007. 142p. This study is an analysis of the preservation values evident in three historic lighthouses: The Roanoke River Lighthouse in Plymouth, North Carolina; the Old Plantation Flats Lighthouse in Cape Charles, Virginia; and the Old Roanoke River Lighthouse in Edenton, North Carolina. These three lighthouses are compared and analyzed according to the preservation values set forth by Austrian historian Alois Riegl in his essay "The Meaning of Monuments and Their Historical Development" and the values implied in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. This study serves four purposes: First, this study establishes the relationship between Riegl's preservation theory and the current preservation guidelines in the United States. Second, this study presents the histories and current conditions of three related historic lighthouses together in a single work. Third, this study makes a recommendation of treatment for the Roanoke River Lighthouse in Edenton based on Riegl's preservation theory. Fourth, this study concludes with a summary regarding the current state of preservation theory in the United States, and of lighthouse preservation in particular. Filled with photographs, drawings and illustrations. Worthwhile reading, and an interesting source of reference for those interested in similar restorations. Available in: High quality paperback ($124)  spiral bound ($32) or as PDF on disc ($24).

29325. Karentz, Varoujan. Beavertail Light Station on Conanicut Island. Booksurge. 2008. 242p. Soft wraps. For over 250 years, America’s 3rd oldest lighthouse has stood as a sentinel at the entrance of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. The author tells the story of technological innovation and federal bureaucratic conflict as four different organizations, beginning in 1749, attempt to improve operations and reliability of the light station there. Woven into this history, the author follows the early slave trade and Colonists who insisted that the lighthouse be built, and describes the work ethics and reporting requirements of the generations of 'Keepers' who tended the light. (M). $24.99

29411. Osmers, Henry. On Eagle’s Beak - A History of the Montauk Point Lighthouse. Outskirts Press. 2008. Soft wraps. 371p. A history of Montauk Point Lighthouse has been long overdue! Henry Osmers fills the void with a chronicle that is thorough and appealing. The author blends scholarly research with supreme storytelling skills to chronicle this graceful treasure perched atop Turtle Hill, at the eastern tip of Long Island. On Eagle's Beak details many facets of the Montauk story, from the settlement of the peninsula and construction of the light station, to the keepers who staffed it until automation and its modern day operation as a museum. Especially noteworthy is Osmers' coverage of Montauk Light's long struggle with erosion, a problem facing many lighthouses in the nation. With more than 70 photographs, illustrations and graphs, as well as scores of anecdotes culled from diaries, newspapers and ledgers, “On Eagle’s Beak” is perfect for devoted lighthouse aficionados and casual admirers alike. (M). $19.95.

29410. Osmers, Henry. Living on the Edge - Life at the Montauk Point Lighthouse 1930-1945. The story of the Montauk Point Lighthouse is also a profoundly human one. Dozens of keepers and their families called the lighthouse home over the years. Theirs was an often lonely existence, and Osmer does justice to their experiences with two chapters detailing notable keeperships under both civilian leadership and, later, Coast Guard administration. Also sprinkled throughout are reflections of the lighthouse’s numerous visitors over the years – notably an 1861 visit to the Point by Walt Whitman, who wrote a laudatory poem on Montauk, from which the book takes its title. Modernization in recent times ended the era of the lighthouse keeper, and the Montauk Point Lighthouse, now automated, became a museum in 1987. (M). $19.95.

29324. Weymouth, Kent. Lighthouses of the Golden State – California’s Shining Beacons. Sacramento. 2008. 200p. Soft wraps. With a population of about 200 people Yerba Buena was a sleepy little town in 1846. The following year, Yerba Buena would become San Francisco. With the discovery of gold at Sutter's mill by James Marshall in 1848, a rush to California began that would swell the population of San Francisco to more than 36 thousand by 1850. Risking their lives for the promise of fortune, men traveled from all over the world to this new prosperous land, at a time when the coast of California and the waters surrounding it were unexplored, dangerous and unprotected. Magnificent structures would rise in the decades to follow, built by brave and adventurous souls. At these isolated outposts, hearty individuals were stationed as light-keepers to protect the ships bringing commerce, supplies and the peoples that would build the west. Step back in time to an era of adventure, hardship, loneliness and isolation, when lighthouses rose on the shores of the Golden State. Exhaustively researched and thus thoroughly informative, Lighthouses of the Golden State offers up a truly complete and detailed history of the construction, purpose, and current condition of the towering structures. Weymouth covers the individual history of dozens of lighthouses, and extensively specifies the reason that each particular lighthouse was built, what the operating procedures for each were, and general points of information and interest about them. Well illustrated. (M). $19.95. 

29310. Helvarg, David. Rescue Warriors: The U.S. Coast Guard, America's Forgotten Heroes. Thomas Dunne Books. 2009. 356p. DJ. The men and women of the Coast Guard are the forgotten heroes of the armed services, writes journalist David Helvarg. Since its founding more than two hundred years ago, the United States Coast Guard has rescued over a million people. On any given day, “Coasties” respond to 125 distress calls and save over a dozen lives. Yet despite having more than 50,000 active-duty and reserve members on every ocean and on our nation’s coasts, great lakes, and rivers, most of us know very little about this often neglected but crucial branch of the military. In Rescue Warriors, award-winning journalist David Helvarg brings us into the daily lives of Coasties, filled with a salty maritime mix of altruism and adrenaline, as well as dozens of death-defying rescues at sea and on hurricane-ravaged shores. The definitive book on America’s “forgotten heroes.” (M). $25.95

29303. Meininger, William F. Recollections of Thirty-Two Years in the U.S. Coast Guard, and Other Ramblings. Authorhouse. 2008. 383p. Soft wraps. Mr. Meininger was born and raised in the Midwest and joined the Coast Guard in 1961. He served on several ships in both the north Atlantic and south Pacific. Returning from overseas in 1965, he was assigned to a small boat rescue station and later a patrol boat. He attended Officers Candidate School in 1970 and completed naval flight training receiving his wings in 1971. He then served as a search and rescue pilot at Cape May, NJ; Kodiak, AK; Clearwater, FL; Astoria, OR and Detroit, MI. He spent his last five years as a staff officer assigned to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. retiring after thirty-two years of service in 1993. The author notes that “this is a collection of humorous stories I recall from my time in the service, and shortly thereafter. It is my nature to poke fun at things I find funny, or in some cases, sad. Most, almost all, of these recollections are accurate.” Wonderful account of the author’s thirty two year career in the Coast Guard, well written, funny, a treat to read. (M). $19.95.

29261. Borch, Fred L. and Charles P. McDowell. Sea Service Medals – Military Awards and Decorations of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Annapolis. 2009. 184p. DJ. Sea Service Medals is the first and only complete historical examination of all the personal awards, decorations and medals that may be awarded to Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel for heroism, achievement and service. As a comprehensive history of all awards and decorations of the United States' three sea services, this book serves as a valuable guide to the rich traditions of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. It provides little-known historical information on the background and development of each award and decoration, along with details of its design and award criteria. The decorations examined include well-known awards for combat heroism such as the Navy Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and the Silver Star. Non-combat heroism awards such as the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and Coast Guard Medal are also discussed. All decorations and medals for achievement and service are examined, ranging from the Navy and Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medals, the Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal to the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Coast Guard Achievement Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon. Fifty full color photographs of sea service awards, including illustrations of never-before-published rare Navy Medals of Honor, provide context for this unique history. (M). $34.95. Our Price $31.46. 

29307. Cook, David E. The Light-Keepers of Lake Champlain. Mayfield. 2009. 232p. Soft wraps. A biographical anthology of at least 146 men and women who maintained the light stations of Lake Champlain before they were all automated, this detailed work is filled with lots of great historical and family history of lighthouse keeping on Lake Champlain's New York and Vermont shorelines. Includes a listing both chronologically and an alphabetical of the lighthouse keepers. In addition to listings of the many keepers over the years, includes a biography of each, stations served and great information about the station and his activities and occurrences there. Illustrated with photos when available. Packed full of information. (M). $16.95.