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Learn about the real life of beloved actor Andy Griffith.

The world loves Sheriff Andy Taylor. Yet the actor who played him was intensely private. Here, for the first time, is the real Andy Griffith, his career and life defined by the island that made him in the years soon after World War II. He achieved his artistic breakthrough while acting in The Lost Colony drama on Roanoke Island, then spent the rest of his life repaying the island for giving him that start. Here, in unique closeup, is Andy of Manteo, reveling in wild, watery and loving ways with his fellow islanders.

Author and journalist John Railey paints an intimate portrait of Andy, based on interviews with many of those who knew him best on the sand where he lived and died.

During World War II, the city of Evansville manufactured vast amounts of armaments that were vital to the Allied victory.

The Evansville Ordnance Plant made 96 percent of all .45-caliber ammunition used in the war, while the Republic Aviation Plant produced more than 6,500 P-47 Thunderbolts - almost half of all P-47s built during the war. At its peak, the local shipyard employed upward of eighteen thousand men and women who forged 167 of the iconic Landing Ship Tank vessels. In this captivating and fast-paced account, University of Evansville historian James Lachlan MacLeod reveals the enormous influence these wartime industries had on the social, economic and cultural life of the city.

Florida's swamps and sands hide a rich history and strange stories abound. Whether you live in the state or just have a fascination with its unique background these are stories to surprise and fascinate.

Florida has a history as diverse as its residents. And much of that is still hidden. Since the arrival of the Spanish in 1513, the state has played host to strange stories. A heartbroken senator entered a mental institution over unrequited love for an heiress. Thousands of British pilots trained in flight schools across the state. And the true, and darker, story of Pocahontas is linked with the first barbecue. Author and historian James C. Clark unearths a history hidden beneath swamps and sand for years.

At the end of the nineteenth century, the U.S. Armory opened in Springfield, spurring rapid growth. With that golden age of progress came iconic buildings and landmarks that are now lost to time.

Railroads brought workers eager to fill Springfield's factories and enterprises like Smith & Wesson, Merriam Webster and Indian Motorcycles. The Massasoit House Hotel, the Church of the Unity and the Daniel B. Wesson mansion once served as symbols of the city's grandeur. Forest Park grew into an upscale residential neighborhood of Victorian mansions. Join local historian Derek Strahan as he returns Springfield to its former glory, examining the people, events and - most importantly - places that helped shape the City of Firsts.

An authoritative guide to Washington’s nautical heritage.

Discover the popular destinations and hidden gems along Washington’s coastline, from the Mukilteo Lighthouse to the Wedding Rocks petroglyphs and beyond. Learn about the seafaring Coast Salish people, who navigated the waters of the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years, and the early exploration and settlement by European-Americans in the late 18th century. Delve into the expansion and growth that led to the development of international ports and the modern maritime economy. View the enormous sternwheel snagboat, W.T. Preston—one of a trio that kept inland waterways navigable for nearly a century—and hundreds of other fascinating sites.

Join author Erich R. Ebel and historian Chuck Fowler as they guide you through the cultural and nautical history of the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area.

The high times, the rubouts, the payoffs -- they're all here in Wayne Klatt’s account of the Windy City’s wildest years.

The entire country -- the world -- was shocked and entertained by what went on in Chicago during Prohibition. Learn how it all happened, from a step-by-step speakeasy set-up to the White Sox scandal to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Pull back the gauzy curtains of the gaudy era when Al Capone contributed to Mayor William Thompson's campaign and Governor Len Small used gangsters to fix his embezzlement trial. After studying every day of the Toddlin' Town’s stint in Prohibition, author Wayne Klatt shows how bootleg gangs came into power and demolishes the myth of a North Side-South Side rivalry.

Long Island's history is filled with fascinating firsts, magnificent mansions and captivating characters.

From Glenn Curtiss, the first pilot to fly a plane on the island, to Earle Ovington, who carried the country's first airmail, the area has been known as the cradle of aviation. Millionaire William K. Vanderbilt's Long Island Motor Parkway, remnants of which still remain, was the nation's first highway. The desolate ruins of an exiled Albanian king's estate lie in the midst of the woods of the Muttontown Preserve. Captain William Kidd, pirate chaser turned pirate, is rumored to have buried treasure on the island.

Elmhurst native Richard Panchyk reveals the rapidly vanishing traces of Long Island's intriguing history.

Anderson County, created in 1826, played a huge role in South Carolina's past. Many of those stories remain untold.

Learn the story behind the person who discovered ether and the connection to one of Anderson's stately manors. Encounter the day Anderson was taken over by armed militia—a spectacle that thousands gathered to see and that newsreels across the country covered. Discover the connection between Anderson County and one of the largest scandals in history that kept millions from winning huge prizes by eating a Big Mac. Author Liz Carey details the lesser-known history of Anderson County.

The history of Jackson County, Michigan, brims with colorful characters and noteworthy episodes nearly lost to time.

Jackson abolitionists used their barns, houses and hidden compartments to harbor freedom seekers traveling on the Underground Railroad. One even repelled an armed posse from Kentucky. A prominent druggist murdered his mother in 1889 and a jail guard in 1893.Evidence suggests he murdered his father too. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt traveled to Brown's Lake for relaxation in 1935, but a media mob had other plans. A popular Blackman Township roadhouse has a longstanding tradition of entertaining pioneers, stagecoach drivers and mobsters, but its secret guests are even stranger.

Join local historian Linda Hass as she delves into these and other entertaining and often-overlooked stories.

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Beyond the grand facades and trappings of the Main Line cream-and-crystal crowd are hidden tales and scintillating stories.

Author Mark Dixon's collection of articles from Main Line Today explores the region's offbeat and oft-forgotten history. With a keen eye and a touch of humor, Dixon delves into the Welsh origins of nearly unpronounceable towns and the journey of the Sound of Music's Trapp family to Merion. From anecdotes of the socialite who divorced her husband when he had the gall to survive the sinking of the Titanic to the Wayne native who turned from the convent to a career as an internationally renowned opera star, Dixon brings to light the lost pages of Main Line history.

Remember the favorites from Youngstown, Ohio in classic restaurants such as the MVR and the Boulevard, and other eateries that reflect a diverse and entrepreneurial history.

In Youngstown, Ohio take a tour of restaurants like the MVR and the Boulevard, which continue to reflect Youngstown's ethnic diversity and tenacious entrepreneurial spirit, as well as establishments like Overture, which offer a promise of urban renewal from a refurbished downtown. And raise your glass to the best-laid tables of a bygone era, from the Mural Room to the 20th Century.

Wicked Bozeman delves into a dangerous and dark past

The Gallatin History Museum, housed in the old Gallatin County Jail, holds many secrets. From the house of ill repute on Mendenhall Street to the earliest jail break in 1873, the historic crimes are replete with con artists, forgers, robbers and the insane each leaving a trail of deceit and mystery. There is laughter, shock and the hard reality of a life lost to time behind bars.

Using the original jail ledgers as a jumping off point, Museum Curator Kelly Suzanne Hartman takes the reader along on an investigative journey through Bozeman's seedier past.

Gear up for a frightful journey into the mysterious Ocala National Forest.

Central Florida is known as the happiest place on Earth. But an hour’s drive from the amusement parks lies a forest swirling with mystery. For generations, locals have whispered about a dark energy coming from the Ocala National Forest and drifting into nearby towns. Supernatural beasts and apparitions. Ghost lights galore. From cults to monsters to the spirts of those who ventured in yet never reemerged, the woods have long been a source of rumor and tragedy. The vengeful Coyote Woman who dispatches those with evil natures. The soldier of Fort King who vanishes when addressed. The spectral monk of Astor, on the hunt for his killer. Author and folklorist Christopher Balzano takes readers among the trees and beyond to offer a glimpse into the true stories, urban legends and haunted folklore whispered among the residents of these deep woods..

Make a reservation at the Hotel Galvez and enjoy the storied hospitality that has marked the Queen of the Gulf’s reign for over a century.

Come walk the timeless halls of the Hotel Galvez. No expense was spared in the creation of this beautiful statement of Galveston’s resilience, which stands as the only historic beachfront hotel in the state of Texas. Perched on the city’s famed seawall, the building has weathered a century of hurricanes and even “served” in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. Presidents, beauty pageant contestants, gamblers, movie stars, military heroes, newsmen, and countless other guests have gazed out at the Gulf through its gracefully arched windows. Kathleen Maca recounts the legends and shares the secrets of this extraordinary hotel.

The history of Dubuque is as important to the nation as it is Iowa. Look into the life of railroad-attorney Abraham Lincoln as he pays a visit to a prominent railroad engineer in Dubuque prior to becoming president. Follow congressional debate on whether U.S. Rep. William Vandever (R-IA) had the right to simultaneously hold a seat in Congress and a commission in the U.S. military during the Civil War. View some of the more popular Americans photographed by famed Dubuque photographer Samuel Root, including an image of Frederick Douglass captured while in Dubuque for one of three lectures the “Self-made Man” made in the Key City. Author and historian John T. Pregler sheds light on these rediscovered facets of American history and many others.

In the 1620s the land that would one day become the Massachusetts North Shore was a harsh frontier. Native Americans, fishermen, and religious exiles struggled to survive while speculators strived to profit off the vast resources of this New World.

Out of the disease, greed, and chaos of the era would emerge one of the most unique cities in the world. Learn how a working-class salter named Roger Conant became the first governor of Massachusetts and why Miles Standish tried to end this new colony of fishermen with brute force. Meet the woman who led the Massachusett people through their most trying times but whose name was ultimately lost to recorded history.

Join local author Benjamin Shallop as he reveals how a place known as Naumkeag became Salem, the City of Peace.

Legends, Lore and True Tales of Utah explores an eclectic past

Ordinary history books often fail to address the obscure or the unexplained, leaving questions buried in annals of yesteryear. Where were Utah’s mythical monsters, including Bigfoot, spotted? How did ‘Schoolmarm’s Bloomers’ become a state symbol? What created the Lagoon Amusement Park’s ‘dark side’? Why did ‘Frankenstein’ prowl through the Cache town of Clarkston? Does Sardine Canyon hide the state’s fishiest story? Exactly what was the ‘Lakemobile’ that rolled through the Great Salt Lake? When and why did BYU temporarily ban football? How is it that the first college basketball team to ever play in the state was all women, and they beat the men?

Retired journalist Lynn Arave presents this unique collection, including over a hundred photographs, of the Beehive State’s offbeat history.

The past lies just under the surface in Lake County.

Interurban trains once carried wealthy Clevelanders to idyllic summer homes and resorts along the shoreline and up to Little Mountain. Stories abound of rum-running during Prohibition, enslaved people who were carried to freedom through the Underground Railroad, and stolen gold bars believed to be buried along a riverbank. Lake County was also once the site of a booming ship-building industry and a secret plant that created chemical warfare during World War I. Many residents fondly recall long-gone drive-in theaters and beloved drug store soda fountains and bakeries of the mid to late twentieth century.

Join author Jennifer Boresz Engelking as she reveals the history behind some of the county’s most intriguing people, places, and industries.

What's the real meaning of juke joint? Explore these special places for a special brand of the blues.

Juke joint - two words often used, often abused. They convey an inherent promise of something real, edgy, from another time. All juke joints are blues clubs, but not all blues clubs are jukes. Here, artist recollections and insights delve below the murky surface to tell the tales, canonize the characters and explain the special brand of blues bottled in these quasi-legal establishments. Author Roger Stolle works from the inside to educate and entertain with a mix of history, anecdote and discovery. It’s a wild ride.

Discover the tales of the ghosts and specters that linger in the northwest corner of the Natural State.

The mountains and deeply wooded valleys of Northwest Arkansas have a mysterious side to match their pristine beauty. Eureka Springs is home to more than a few hotel guests who have never checked out. The lingering spirits of fallen Civil War soldiers are said to haunt the battlefields of Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove. Many former patients of sadistic doctor Norman Baker are believed to roam the grounds of his former hospital, now the Crescent Hotel. Elkhorn Tavern, a well-known stop on the historic westward thoroughfare, is still plagued by lingering apparitions from its days as a field hospital.

Join paranormal investigator and author Bud Steed on a tour of some of the most haunted spots in Northwest Arkansas.

Local journalist and author Jeff Hampton tells the stories of the wild horses of Corolla…and their protectors.

A herd of wild horses has roamed the Currituck Outer Banks for nearly five hundred years. In the last four decades the area has changed dramatically, with a boom in tourism bringing increased visitors and more traffic. A boon to the local economy in many ways, these changes have also led to more dangerous interactions with the herd. A group of locals reacted by creating the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. Learn about the horses and the actions taken to preserve them and help them thrive. Read tales of some of the characters among the herd, including the stallion Star, Amadeo, the blind pony and Raymond the mule.

Writer Susan B. Johnson documents the interesting histories of of the famous antebellum cottages which dot Savannah's historic district.

In a warm, accessible style, Savannah writer Susan B. Johnson gives voice to the walls of the famous antebellum cottages that dot the city's historic district and examines the lives of the families that called them home. Who built these tiny dwellings? Who lived in their twelve hundred (or fewer) square feet of space? And what sort of world did they see when they gazed out their windows? This charming, meticulously researched book answers all these questions—and more. Who can resist the story of Dr. Samuel Furman, who was married to sisters, first Lucy and then Henrietta Williams? Or the sad tale of Edward and Jane Harden, who both died of bilious fever in 1804—he on her birthday, she on his—leaving their children in the care of slaves? Or the mystery of lively and conniving Eliza Howell, whose three husbands all died under the same circumstances?

In the early 1800s, Saratoga Springs was mostly a tourist destination because of its natural mineral waters and their healing powers.

But that changed in 1863 with the opening of the Saratoga Race Course. From then on, summers in the Spa City came alive with the excitement of the sport of kings. Since the victory of the great horse Kentucky in the introductory Travers Stakes, the racecourse has showcased the sport's greatest champions. Otherwise seemingly uncatchable thoroughbreds--including Man o' War and Secretariat--faced unexpected defeat on its turf, earning Saratoga the nickname the Graveyard of Champions. Author Kimberly Gatto chronicles the story of the oldest thoroughbred racetrack in the country, with tales of the famous people and horses that contributed to its illustrious history.

With vivid battlefield accounts based on extensive primary research, award-winning author Jack Dempsey’s masterful biography tells the amazing story of an unsung hero.

Detroit’s Alpheus Starkey Williams never tired in service to his city or his country. A veteran of the Mexican-American War, he was a preeminent military figure in Michigan before the Civil War. He was key to the Lost Order, the Battle of Gettysburg, the March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign. His generalship at Antietam made possible the Emancipation Proclamation, and Meade and Sherman relied on his unshakable leadership. A steady hand in wartime and in peacetime, Williams was a Yale graduate, lawyer, judge, editor, municipal official, militia officer, diplomat and congressman who stood on principle over party.

The author of Hidden History of Terre Haute and Wicked Terre Haute explores the home of sin in the Sin City.

Home to uproarious saloons, swindling gambling dens, and thriving brothels, Terre Haute's infamous West End was so wild the Chicago Tribunecalled it "the scene of a hundred all night carousings.'? Pimps, pickpockets, and conmen roamed the crowded streets where legendary Madam Edith Brown's pleasure palace was the crown jewel of brothels. Yet more than a mere den in inequity, the West End was also a community that could put bickering differences aside and pull together to help their neighbors. And it wasn't only a place for seedy enterprise, but also a place for stores, cafes, and homes.

Historian Tim Crumrin presents the first complete history of this legendary area and separates myth from reality to reveal the very human side of the West End.

Writer H.L. Mencken—the Sage of Baltimore—called her a “wicked seaport” but where “the old charm, in truth, still survives.”

Neither Southern nor Northern, Baltimore has charted her own course through the American Experience. The spires of the nation’s first cathedral rose into her sky, and the first blood of the Civil War fell on her streets. Here, enslaved Frederick Douglass toiled before fleeing to freedom and Billie Holiday learned to sing. Baltimore’s clippers plied the seven seas while her pioneering railroads opened the prairie West. The city that birthed The Star-Spangled Banner” also gave us Babe Ruth and the bottle cap. This guide navigates nearly 300 years of colorful history—from Johns Hopkins’ learned philanthropy to the raucous camp of John Waters, and from modest rowhouses to the marbled mansions of the Gilded Age.

Let local authors Brennen Jensen and Tom Chalkey introduce you to Mencken’s “ancient and solid” city.

The history, altars, art and ceremonies that anchor Voodoo in Crescent City culture are revealed in this authoritative study.

The diverse spiritual roots of New Orleans run deep—and they all converge in the practice known as Voodoo. The city's Roman Catholic influence and its French, Spanish, Creole and American Indian traditions blended with the rites and rituals that West Africans brought to Louisiana as enslaved laborers. The resulting Voodoo tradition became a unique and integral part of New Orleans culture and heritage. 

While 19th century enslaved practitioners held Voodoo dances in designated public areas like Congo Square, they also conducted secret rituals away from the prying eyes of the city. By 1874, some twelve thousand New Orleanians attended Voodoo queen Marie Laveau's St. John's Eve rites on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain.

This cultural history by local authors Rory Schmitt and Rosary O'Neill traces the Voodoo tradition from its earliest beginnings to its continued practice in the Crescent City today.

What could writers Louisa May Alcott and Henry David Thoreau have in common with the inventors of barbed wire, margarine and the washing machine?

They were all deeply moved by their time spent in the beautiful Monadnock region of southwest New Hampshire. Inspired by beloved local storyteller Fritz Wetherbee, Historical Society of Cheshire County director Alan F. Rumrill collected the stories of these notable people in his series, Monadnock Moments, broadcast on Keene radio station WKNE from 1985 to 2005. In this collection, Rumrill has gathered 100 of his most interesting vignettes and paired them with historic images, chronicling the lives of successful businessmen, politicians and soldiers, and spinning tales of disaster, murder and adventure that all had their roots in towns like Keene, Stoddard, Walpole and Jaffrey. Entertaining, informative, and often surprising, these snippets of history capture the essence of southwest New Hampshire.

Believe in the Magic

The most wonderful time of the year has its own special meaning for those who grew up in the Queen City. The elves at Shillito’s and Pogie and Patter the talking reindeer were as integral to holiday merriment as caroling and eggnog. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden really knows how to throw a Christmas party for people and animals, and WinterFest at Kings Island provides much-needed warmth in the winter chill. Many city squares display Christmas trees bathed in lights and offer horse-drawn carriages or a skating rink. But only Cincinnati offers Santa rappelling down the face of a building and an ice skating rink with bumper cars.

Join local author Wendy Hart Beckman for a merry jaunt through Yuletide years gone by.

Despite the beauty of the region, Lake Champlain has been the site of dark and mysterious events.

Located between New York’s majestic Adirondacks and Vermont’s famed Green Mountains, it’s not surprising that some spirits linger in this otherwise tranquil place. Fort Ticonderoga saw some of early America’s bloodiest battles, and soldiers’ ghosts still stand guard. A spirit walks the halls of SUNY Plattsburgh, even after his original haunt burned in 1929. Champlain's islands--Stave, Crab, Valcour and Garden--all host otherworldly inhabitants, and unidentified creatures and objects have made appearances on the water, in the sky and in the forests surrounding the lake. Join Burlington's Thea Lewis as she explores the ghosts and legends that haunt Lake Champlain.

The middle Texas coast, known locally as the Coast Bend, is an area filled with fascinating stories. From as early as the days of de Vaca and La Salle, the Coastal Bend has been a site of early exploration, bloody conflicts, legendary shipwrecks and even a buried treasure or two. However, much of the true history has remained unknown, misunderstood and even hidden. For years, local historian C. Herndon Williams has shared his fascinating discoveries of the area's early stories through his weekly column, Coastal Bend Chronicle. Now he has selected some of his favorites in Texas Gulf Coast Stories. Join Williams as he explores the days of early settlement and European contact, Karankawa and Tonkawa legends and the Coastal Bend's tallest of tall tales.

The beloved places and landmarks of Toledo's past still tint Ohio's memories, as well as those of its residents.

Catch the action of a Toledo Mud Hens game at bygoballpark Swayne Field. Watch the glittering marquees light up the downtown skyline with names such as Count Basie and Elvis Presley to B.B. King and KISS. Recall the birth of the Jeep, as well as the dozens of unique and prominent shoppes available to the residents of Toledo and tourists alike. Author David Yonke jogs fond memories of good times past in this nostalgic stroll through Toledo's heritage.

On the evening of January 2, 2009, Captain Matteo Russo and crewman John Orlando got underway aboard the fifty-four-foot fishing vessel Patriot, from the iconic State Pier in Gloucester, Massachusetts, bound for nearby fishing grounds in search of cod. They never returned.

What happened less than eight hours later on that bitter and dark winter early morning that caused the Patriot to sink? Why did the Coast Guard deliberate more than two hours before launching a rescue mission? Using official documents, numerous interviews and insight as a search and rescue commander, maritime historian Captain W. Russell Webster, USCG (Ret.), expertly documents the tragedy of the Patriot, with startling findings. He deftly explores the condition of “normalcy bias” linked to this heartbreaking case, which can cause people—including Coast Guard personnel—to deny and sometimes over-deliberate threats to human life.

With interviews from key witnesses, authors Dave Shampine and Daniel Boyer recount the grisly story of this New Year's Eve North Country nightmare, which is still shrouded in mystery today.

The names Peter, Barbara Ann and Gerald Egan were familiar to Watertown police before December 31, 1964. The police suspected the trio in a long string of burglaries, and they were under investigation by the FBI for grand theft auto. But on that New Year's night, the Egans were shot execution style at a rest stop off Interstate 81. The gruesome gangland-style killings puzzled local and state police. Theories ranged from a simple confrontation gone awry to a premeditated act of retribution by hardened criminals who feared the Egans would turn state's witness.

A revealing account of the tensions that embroiled Wisconsinites as Alabama Governor Wallace took his struggle north of the Mason-Dixon Line

George Wallace ran for president four times between 1964 and 1976. In the Badger State, his campaigns fueled a debate over constitutional principles and values. Wallace weaponized states' rights, arguing that the federal government should stay out of school segregation, promote law and order, restrict forced busing, and reduce burdensome taxation. White working-class Wisconsinites armed themselves with Wallace's rhetoric, pushing back on changes that threatened the status quo. Civil rights activists and the Black community in Wisconsin armed themselves with a different constitutional principle, equal protection, to push for strong federal protection of their civil rights. This clash of ideals nearly became literal as protests and counter-protests erupted until gradually diminishing as Wallace's political fortunes waned.

Historian Ben Hubing explores the tumult surrounding the so-called little man with the big mouth.

No trip to the Jersey Shore would be complete without indulging in the cuisine that helps make it famous.

These foods we enjoy today are part of a long tradition beginning in the Victorian era, when big oceanfront hotels served elaborate meals. Diverse dishes and restaurants emerged during prohibition and the Great Depression, when fast food appeared and iconic boardwalk treats developed. Predating the farm to table movement, fancy and fast eateries have been supplied by local fishermen and farmers for decades. So whether you indulge in a tomato pie, pork roll or salt water taffy, take a mouthwatering historical tour and discover timeless treats from Sandy Hook to Cape May.

Immerse yourself in the visual language of the Wabanaki tribe and learn about how the art was---and continues to be--preserved and celebrated.

For centuries, the people of the Wabanaki Nations of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada used signs, symbols and designs to communicate with one another. As Native Peoples became victims of European expansion, the Wabanaki were separated by war, the search for work and intermarriage, as well as by hiding their identities to avoid persecution. In this diaspora, their visual language helped them keep their teachings and culture alive. Their designs have evolved over time and taken on different meanings, and they are now used on objects that are considered art. While their beauty is undeniable, these pieces cannot be fully appreciated without understanding their context. Tribal member Jeanne Morningstar Kent sheds light on this language, from the work of ancient Wabanaki to today's artists--like David Moses Bridges, Donna Sanipass and Jennifer Neptune--once again using their medium to connect with their fellow Wabanaki.

Jerry Davich explores the remnants of Gary's glory days, from Union Station to City Methodist Church.

A poster child for our nation's urban experimentation a century ago, Gary was forged with hype and hope, dreams and sweat, political agendas and tons of steel. The hardscrabble city attracted all kinds, from shady scoundrels and famous architects to hardworking immigrants and brilliant entrepreneurs. Boasting 180,000 residents at its peak, the booming melting pot eventually faded away under the afflictions of urban decay, racial unrest and political upheaval.  Revisit the Sheraton Hotel's demise, Emerson High School's hard lessons, Vee-Jay Records' last release and a devastated downtown filled only with façades and fond memories.

Join author and historian James C. Clark as he chronicles the history of the Sunshine State in this concise and captivating history.

In 1513, Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon first set foot on Florida's east coast. The land he discovered was a geographic anomaly so distinctive that astronaut Neil Armstrong said Florida was the first shape on earth he recognized on his return from a visit to the moon 456 years later. This unique state witnessed momentous events from the 1959 arrival of the first Cuban exiles under Fidel Castro to the 1981 launch of the Columbia, the first space shuttle.

Tragically, relatively little of this flourishing nation and its rich culture has survived. Its stories, however, live on today.

In this priceless and engaging collection, native Cherokee and professional storyteller Lloyd Arneach recounts tales such as how the bear lost his long bushy tail and how the first strawberry came to be.

Organized in 1819, Meigs County rests in the Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio along the beautiful Ohio River.

The land’s deep reservoirs of coal and salt provided early residents work in mines and in shipping the goods via steamboat and railroad. Local communities also nurtured talented scholars like James McHenry Jones and poets and writers such as James Edwin Campbell and Ambrose Bierce, as well as Dr. Brewster Higley VI, whose poetry inspired the American classic “Home on the Range.” The county is home to Ohio’s oldest standing courthouse in Chester and to Pomeroy, the only town in America with no cross streets. Join historians Jordan and Calee Pickens as they recount times of prosperity and hardship that have been engrained on the timeline of Meigs County.

The state of Iowa is just as well known for prominent wrestlers as it is acres of corn and beans.

That gives Iowa the mighty distinction of feeding the world and defeating it on the mat. Men like Dan Gable, Tom Brands, Harold Nichols, Jim Miller, Nick Mitchell and Chuck Patten led Iowa colleges to forty-four of an astounding sixty-nine national team championships. In 1954, Simon Roberts of Davenport was the first African American to win a state wrestling title and later the first African American NCAA wrestling champion. Wrestler Norman Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize and is credited with preventing more than one billion deaths from starvation. Author Dan McCool details the long history of hard work and dedication from the fields to the mat.

For over two centuries, Arlington County has been a steadfast center for government institutions and a vibrant part of the Washington, D.C., community.

Many notable figures made their home in the area, like Supreme Court chief justice Warren Burger, General George Blood 'n' Guts Patton and a beauty queen who almost married crooner Dean Martin. The drama of Virginia's first school integration unfolded in Arlington beginning in the late 1950s. In the 1960s, two motorcycle gangs clashed in public at a suburban shopping center. Local author, historian and Our Man in Arlington Charlie Clark uncovers the vivid, and hidden, history of a capital community.

The stories, legends, and lore surrounding New England’s most haunted places. A must-read for fans of the supernatural and New England history.

New England's history is marked with witch executions, curses and an untold number of cemeteries hiding mysteries beneath their stones. In this sometimes harsh landscape, the truth is often stranger than fiction. Examine the footprints burned into the ledge of Devil's Foot Rock in Rhode Island. Spend a night at the Kennebunk Inn in Maine, where the mischievous specter of Silas Perkins still resides. Traverse an old dirt road near Sterling, Connecticut, where the Darn Man's frozen body was uncovered in 1863.

Authors Thomas D'Agostino and Arlene Nicholson uncover the history behind the region's best-kept secrets and lore. As you flip through these pages of New England's legends, tread lightly--you just might find a story that will follow you home.