About this item
Highlights
- In Cove Point on the Chesapeake: The Beacon, the Bay, and the Dream, Carol Booker tells the story of how nature and human desire define a singular place along storied waters.Booker writes of heroes, scoundrels and the families who populated a tiny waterfront community, once known mainly for shipwrecks and treacherous riptides, that became a World War II training ground, the locale for hunting buried treasure, and later a cog in the global energy trade with a natural gas plant.In its pages are tales of exploration and heroism, sports and tragedies including a riptide referred to as the devil's grasp by a man who survived.Cove Point on the Chesapeake tells of the resolve of a displaced Russian princess to rebuild her culture along the the nation's largest estuary.
- Author(s): Carol Booker
- 222 Pages
- History, General
Description
About the Book
Every community up and down the Chesapeake Bay's western shore has its story, woven out of dreams, adventures and misadventures. This is Cove Point's story. And like its signature lighthouse, it's one rife with warnings.
Book Synopsis
In Cove Point on the Chesapeake: The Beacon, the Bay, and the Dream, Carol Booker tells the story of how nature and human desire define a singular place along storied waters.
Booker writes of heroes, scoundrels and the families who populated a tiny waterfront community, once known mainly for shipwrecks and treacherous riptides, that became a World War II training ground, the locale for hunting buried treasure, and later a cog in the global energy trade with a natural gas plant.
In its pages are tales of exploration and heroism, sports and tragedies including a riptide referred to as the devil's grasp by a man who survived.
Cove Point on the Chesapeake tells of the resolve of a displaced Russian princess to rebuild her culture along the the nation's largest estuary. With solid reporting and interviews, Booker writes of the cunning of the developer who mapped the marshy shores and lured Washingtonians to a little-known stretch of shoreline for extraordinary fishing and easy living.
A resilient lighthouse illuminates this rare spot on earth and a century of its inhabitants, much as does the fetching prose of veteran journalist Booker.
Review Quotes
"Who knew such a quiet, tranquil place like Cove Point could be filled with such drama? A delightful book: well researched, well written, and a real page-turner."
-Leila Boyer, research historian; retired director, Calvert County Historical Society
"Carol Booker's stories speak not only to the residents of Cove Point but also to anyone interested in the Chesapeake because they contribute to our knowledge of the Bay: its history, its people, its customs. This book will be a delight."
-Jane Wilson McWilliams, historian and author: Annapolis: City on the Severn
"Each decade brings new faces, new elements of the story, new impacts from the larger world beyond. Trolling through the decades, it is a well-researched and personal perspective on the history of this lovely stretch of coast along Maryland's western shore."
-Sherrod Sturrock, retired director: Calvert Marine Museum
"Easy to read, informative, interesting, and thought provoking. Poor people and people of color in Calvert who struggled to survive would be shocked to learn that 'storybook' living was so close by."
-Michael Kent, author: Mulatto, The Black History of Calvert County (2019); and president: NAACP Calvert County Branch
"Intrigue on every page. Compelling from the first chapter to the end. You won't stop reading. Cove Point on the Bay should be turned into a television series."
-Grace Mary Brady, Founder and President: Bayside History Museum, North Beach
"An intimate look into the rich history of Cove Point. Carol's vivid prose immerses the reader in the exciting stories of life and growth on the Chesapeake Bay. This book is recommended to all readers who love lighthouses, life on the water's edge, and a rich and intriguing history. You'll lose yourself in Carol's delightful imagery as she takes readers on a journey of times past. Truly a delightful and energizing read!"
-Cory Talbott, President: Chesapeake Chapter, United States Light House Society