Definitive History

Discover the in-depth history behind some of America's most beloved locations and cultural icons with the Definitive History American History Book series. Learn how Johnstown, Pennsylvania recovered after a devastating flood in 1936, discover Sarasota’s famous connection to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and revisit Brooklyn Heights and the Battle of Brooklyn during the Revolutionary War. What part did seaside town Truro play in capturing British militia? What about the lost indigeneous history of Edisto Island? From Chesapeake, Virginia to Centerville, Iowa, uncover new stories through the Definitive History series.

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Truro:

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Goose Creek, A Definitive History:

$29.99 $22.49 Save 25%

The Early History of Clay County:

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Herndon:

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Gulfport

$26.99 $20.24 Save 25%

City on the Penobscot:

$39.99 $29.99 Save 25%

The Elizabeth River

$29.99 $22.49 Save 25%

South Norfolk, Virginia, 1661-2005:

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

South Norfolk, Virginia, 1661-2005:

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Truro:

9781596293632

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

We traversed with delight new reaches of the shore . . . one mile there was as good as two elsewhere.
--Henry David Thoreau describing Truro in Cape Cod
Like Thoreau, all who venture to Truro experience sheer delight at their first glimpse of this fabled coast. The Outer Cape's hauntingly beautiful beaches have been attracting tourists since their discovery. Yet, as longtime resident Richard Whalen expertly chronicles in Truro: The Story of a Cape Cod Town, there is far more to Truro than its coastal fringe. The Pilgrims thought first of settling in Truro; the town almost had its own Boston Tea Party; and its tiny militia took 460 British prisoners after the wreck of their warship. Now, Truro enjoys status as a favorite summer destination--even as conservationists work to preserve the fragile shoreline. Read Truro to discover the compelling story of a town whose fortunes remain forever linked with the sea.

Goose Creek, A Definitive History:

9781596290563

$29.99 $22.49 Save 25%

Goose Creek mayor Michael Heitzler continues his engrossing study of this often-overlooked community of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Heitzler's second volume employs hundreds of never before used primary sources such as private journals, tenant farmer rosters and hunting club records to reveal the lives of the white landowners who controlled the forests and fields and the African Americans who lived virtually invisible as they endured on small farms.

The Early History of Clay County:

9781596290631

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The land that makes up Clay County, Florida, today has been home to an array of diverse inhabitants throughout its long history. Timucua Indian villages, Spanish missions, English plantations and American forts have all sprung up from Clay County's lush landscape, along the majestic St. Johns river and beyond. The history of the county has been wrought by the struggles of tribes and nations; the endeavors of settlers and soldiers.

In this in-depth look at Clay County's vibrant past, local historian Kevin Hooper sheds light on the stories behind these various influences, and examines the development of the region from the pre-colonial period to the onset of the Civil War. Hooper calls upon a breadth of archival primary source material, and combines it with findings from recent archaeological discoveries in the region to provide an accessible and balanced work. The Early History of Clay County truly offers a comprehensive consideration of the factors and factions that have shaped the past in this fascinating area of northeastern Florida.

Herndon:

9781596290266

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Set in western Fairfax County, Herndon, Virginia, is a vibrant town, firmly in touch with the present, planning for its future yet embracing its small town heritage. In Herndon: A Town and its History, Charles V. Mauro, noted local historian, author and president of the Herndon Historical Society, traces Herndon's history from the Paleo-Indians through the coming of the railroad that helped build and support the dairy industry that was Herndon's back-bone, to its growth as a Washington, DC, suburb and the urban expansion due to the building of Dulles International Airport. Herndon contains numerous archival images and illustrations and is complete with endnotes, a full bibliography and a full index.

Gulfport

9781596290181

$26.99 $20.24 Save 25%

In today's Florida of strip malls and mega attractions, there is little perception of the state as part of the American frontier, but the hardy folks who settled Gulfport were truly pioneers. Moving away from lives disturbed or destroyed by the Civil War and its aftermath, these early families made homes on an isolated bluff surrounded by tidal flats and bayous, filled with virgin pine and palmetto scrub. From these modest beginnings, a small but thriving fishing village emerged.

As the years passed and the Florida boom took hold, Gulfport began to know a new kind of prosperity: tourism. Fancy hotels, shops, and restaurants were built and entertained a steady flow of visitors. A popular winter destination for wealthy Northerners following the Depression era, Gulfport became an interesting study in contrasts. Vacationing gentlemen fished on piers alongside the rugged local seamen; well-dressed tourists played bridge on manicured lawns across the street from rowdy taverns. The middle of the century saw rapid residential expansion as returning servicemen needed homes for their young families and retirees flocked to the area for its mild climate and economical living.

The Elizabeth River

9781596292079

$29.99 $22.49 Save 25%

This history traces three centuries of the Elizabeth River's journey through Virginia. Rich in biodiversity, she is a living body of water that has shaped the geography of the territory and the lives of its people.

Those who named her also opened a chapter in human history, one this enduring, beautiful princess has enriched each day since. There is today much to be gleaned from the river's strength. As you read through The Elizabeth River, remember that this remarkable river is your river. From the Great Bridge Lock to the Norfolk Naval Station the importance of the Elizabeth River is ever present in our everyday lives. Since man came to live on her shores, she is a river with a story.