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Outdoors & Nature |
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The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators, and the Struggle for a Forgotten Frontier
written by Colin Woodard
Studio : Penguin (Non-Classics)
by Penguin (Non-Classics)
Publisher : Penguin (Non-Classics)
Released : 2005-04-26
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780143035343
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 9 reviews)
List Price : $16.00
Our Price : $6.49
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Product Description |
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This lively book reveals a little known culture that predates the Pilgrims and has remained true to the earliest version of the American Dream: an egalitarian, self-reliant republic. The self-sufficient lobstermen of the Maine coast are models of environmental prudence: at a time when the fishing industry is in crisis, they have conserved the bounty of their waters, even as the once-humble lobster has become a coveted delicacy. How denizens of the coast achieved this balance, even as they withstood assaults from everyone from French raiders to rapacious land speculators, makes for a “stellar informal history ... a primer for conservation and the effects of bad politics” (The Kingston Observer). |
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Superlative! |
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This is an absolute must read for any Maineac like me. Highly readable. Written with style, grace, flair and humor. The total opposite of a dense historical tome. Full of fascinating history. Quite wonderful. |
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Maine History |
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This book is a page turner I couldn't put down. Beautifully written, it does a thorough job of concisely telling the history of coastal Maine and, by so doing, gives us a start on the history of New England. It takes us from the earliest settlers to today, and even if one has, as I have, lived on the coast of Maine for close to 40 years, one can learn from the book. Put it together with "Islanders" by Virginia Thorndike, and you have a picture of one of the last best places on earth. Please don't let these books persuade you to move here! |
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The Lobster Coast.... |
is a all encompassing look at mid coast Maine, both present day and historically. It took me back to High School US history and made the French Indian wars come alive. Hear about modern day lobster pirates from of all places, "Friendship" invading a small island's lobster fields.
Look ahead for what is in store for a severely depleted fishery
then chuckle when a hidden camera reveals the secret life of lobster and captor. Great read, it belongs in your Maine libary. |
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More Than Meets the Eye |
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After finishing the first short section, my first thought was that the book was a bit of a lightweight -- at best, a paperback to read while flying across the Atlantic. But when I got to the second section which filled in many of the historical gaps -- particularly the "why's" -- from Elizabethan England to the Pilgrims to the modern era, I realized how interesting this book really was. Anyone who enjoys travelogues will enjoy this book; perhaps you need to have visited Maine at least once or have some connection to the state, but if you do read it, you will learn much more about the history of the western world than the title suggests. |
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Finest Kind! |
Colin Woodard skillfully paints a picture of Maine both past and present, identifying the nuances that make the culture so unique, while detailing the insecurities that plague Downeasters. Through the course of the book, Woodard traces the troubled evolution of Maine as both a political and social state, detailing the hardships that plagued early settlers in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and the economic disparity that have shaped the modern culture.
As a historian, Woodard is somewhat of a novice. He has difficulty weaving events together into a narrative that can be easily followed and tends to make broad leaps without establishing a proper foundation.
This shortcoming is more than compensated for by his obvious passion and interest in the subject matter. Woodard clearly understands the psyche of Maine. He recognizes that a Mainer is not an individual dwelling in a geographic territory bordered by Canada and NH, but rather somebody possessing a particular mindset... somebody that strives for the simpler things, while struggling to deal with the challenges of modern economics.
For anybody that loves Maine and the Downeast, this is a fabulous read and well worth the time. The book is definitely part history part sociology. But it's worth a look!
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