MARITIME HISTORY

Here is the story of the well known schooner Bowdoin and of the people whose lives were touched by her. Virginia Thorndike has immersed herself in personal journals and published records, and has listened to the tales of dozens of people whose lives have changed because of their time spent with the Bowdoin, Maine's Official Sailing Vessel. Photos throughout. Paperback. 259 pgs.

In Coastal Maine, Roger Duncan recounts four hundred years of Maine's rich maritime history, from the early seafarers dicovery of its valuable resources and the families that settled the land, to Maine's role in the history of the U.S. in peacetime and war. 1992 paperback, 573 pages.

This engaging overview of Maine’s maritime history ranges from early Native American travel and fishing to pre-Plymouth European settlements, wars, international trade, shipbuilding, boom-and-bust fisheries, immigrant quarrymen, quick-lime production, yachting, and modern port facilities, all unfolding against one of the most dramatic seascapes on the planet. When the first edition was published in 2000, Walter Cronkite―a veteran Maine coastal sailor as well as The Most Trusted Man in America―wrote that “Paine’s economy of phrase and clarity of purpose make this book a delight.” Paine went on to write his monumental opus The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World (PW starred review), but now returns to his first and most abiding love, the coast of Maine, to revise and update this gem of a book. The new edition is printed in a large, full-color format with a stunning complement of historical photos, paintings, charts, and illustrations, making this a truly visual journey along a storied coast. 261 pgs.

Though tiny, the herring has played an enormous role in history. Battles have been waged over it. International economic alliances have formed over it. Major cities owe their prosperity to it. Political powers have risen and fallen with herrings own rise and fall in population. How can this all be attributed to this unassuming little animal? In Herring: A Global History, Kathy Hunt looks at the environmental, historical, political, and culinary background of this prolific and easily caught fish. Over the centuries, herring have sustained populations in times of war and hardship, and the fish’s rich flavor, delicate texture, and nutritious meat have made it a culinary favorite. Its ease of preparation just grill, broil, fry, pickle, salt, or smoke and serve have won it further acclaim. Engaging and informative, the book features fifteen mouth-watering recipes. It will appeal to food lovers, history buffs, and anyone who has ever enjoyed a British kipper, German Bismarck, Dutch matjes, or Jewish chopped-herring. Color photography throughout. From "The Edible Series". Hardcover. 143 pgs.

Here Greenlaw tells her own riveting story of a 30-day sword fishing voyage aboard one of the best outfitted boats on the East Coast. Complete with danger, humor, and characters so colorful they seem to have been ripped from the pages of Moby Dick. Paperback. 265 pgs.

In this hilarious and moving true story, Greenlaw reveals her keen eye for the dramas of small-town life, as well as her talent for fascinating nautical description. A must read for anyone who loves boats and the ocean and lobsters, anyone who has ever reached a crossroads in life, and anyone who has wondered what it would be like to live on a very small island. Paperback. 238 pgs.

Published by the Maine Historical Society in 1974, this bibliography is arranged as follows: (A) General Works, (B) Local Items, (C) Vessel Descriptions, (D) Allied Trades, (E) Records and Stats (F) Newspapers, (G) Periodicals, (H) Society Publications, (I) Dissertations (J) Manuscript Collections and (K) Miscellaneous.

Waldoboro was a major New England ship building and shipping center from the late 1700s until the early 1900s. Although, as in many Maine communities, records are scarce, we can be sure that over 600 sailing vessels were built, mainly within one-half mile of the village. The most common type of vessel built in Waldoboro was the schooner -- with two or three masts -- a "coaster," built to carry bulk cargoes such as wood, exported in the early days from local areas to the large cities of the East Coast. For example, between 1820 and 1840 eleven locally built schooners ran regularly between Waldoboro and Boston. Schooners operated like a trailer trucks of today, traveling back and forth, up and down the coast, making many trips each year. Cargo of any kind -- including animals and people -- was their business. Other types of vessels were also built in Waldoboro, including brigs, barks, barkentines, brigantines, sloops and ships. Many of the largest of these, particularly the ships, were sold to prominent firms that then used them in the trade to such faraway places as Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. In the closing decades of the 1800s, ships as large as 1700 tons were being built, followed in the early 1900s by the famous Palmer Schooner fleet, all of which exceeded 2000 tons. With his Palmer Schooner fleet, George Welt gave more hope that the shipbuilding industry would continue to flourish, but that was not to be. The forces bringing wooden shipbuilding and Waldoboro's glory days to an end were firmly in control. 332 Pages Paperback

The builder of the Observatory was Captain Lemuel Moody - he was also one of the founders of the Portland Marine Society in 1796. Captain Moody manned the Observatory from 1807-1846, and was active the in the Marine Society until his death in 1846. This book is a history of the Observatory and the man who built it. Paperback with black & white photos and documents throughout. 96 pgs.

New information about a long forgotten 1711 shipwreck that occurred at the site of Cape Elizabeth's famous Portland Head Light. This book also provides new insight into the early colonial era in Casco Bay. Black & white photos, maps and diagrams. Paperback. 53 pgs.