The Chesapeake Bay is the nation's largest estuary, stretching 185 miles
from the Susquehanna River to the Virginia capes, touching more than
8,000 miles of shoreline. This country of mists and tranquil waters
harbors a rare abundance of wildlife, as well as the last commercial
sailing fleet in the United States--the famous skipjacks, or
oyster-dredging boats. The bay and its rivers are home to isolated
villages that preserve early colonial dialects; to historic plantations,
such as Mount Vernon; and to considerable cities, including Washington,
D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond.
Beautifully photographed and written, Chesapeake Country tells the
story of the bay in all its aspects: its waterscape and wildlife; its
delicate ecology; its rich history as the seedbed of American liberty as
well as American slavery; and its uncertain present, as the population
of watermen who live by crabbing and oystering dwindles, and that of
prosperous newcomers seeking a respite from city life grows. This new
edition also discusses the future of the bay in the era of climate
change and brings us up to date on the places and personalities that
make the Chesapeake so unique.
For those who live on the bay, Chesapeake Country is a celebration.
For those who do not, it is an invitation to explore. And for everyone,
it is a journey of discovery.
