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Books on Chesapeake Bay Area Lighthouse


Bay Beacons Bay Beacons by Linda Turbyville, 1996
Probably the best known of the Bay Lighthouse books - with its full page color photos and detailed descriptions of each light, this could either be used as a coffee table book, or the "bird-watchers" guide to all of the existing Bay lighthouses (as we did). Some of the descriptions come across as a bit dry and technical and the background history is a bit brief. However, its a well researched, excellent book and I'm very appreciative of her for writing it.

Forgotten Beacons Forgotten Beacons by Patrick Hornberger and Linda Turbyville, 1997
The companion book to Bay Beacons, this is really two books. One traces the history of lighting the Bay. The second documents almost all of the lights no longer standing. An interesting read and excellent source. The two books in one format did take a little getting used to. I wish it was sold in hardcover.

Maryland Lighthouses of the Chesapeake Bay Maryland Lighthouses of the Chesapeake Bay by F. Ross Holland, 1997
Very informative - Holland takes more of a detailed historian's approach to his description of the lights and their origins. This book is full of details and early photographs, maps, and diagrams.

Maryland Lighthouses of the Chesapeake Bay Lighting The Bay by Pat Vojtech, 1997
I really enjoyed Pat Vojtech's first book on Skipjacks and was excited to find this second book of hers. Rather than concentrating on each light individually, the author paints a larger picture of life on the Bay, the environment in which they were built, how people lived, and how common events effected all of the lights. It is a collection of individual stories and oral history rather than an individual look at each light.

Maryland Lighthouses of the Chesapeake Bay Guiding Lights of the Delaware River and Bay by Jim Gowdy and Kim Ruth, 1999
I had quite a hard time finding books on Delaware lighthouses. This one was put out in conjunction with the New Jersey Lighthouse Society and, unfortunately, is no longer in print. I believe it is the most comprehensive book on the topic. It's well researched, includes numerous vintage photos, and offers a good deal of detail on all of the lights of the Delaware River and Bay, including those no longer standing.

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