Books

This well-researched book highlights the dramatic life of the Merrimack River, from the colorful days of the Native Americans to its current status as one of the most scenic recreational waterways in New England.

Newburyport was once the most dangerous harbor on the East Coast and one of its most prosperous. Local captains and sailors led the nation to battle during the American Revolution and founded the U.S. Coast Guard. They sent vessels to Bombay, the gold rush and the farthest reaches of the world. Author Dyke Hendrickson explores the perfection of the clipper ship, the city's famous Federalist mansions and the bold adventures from the Age of Sail. Follow the men and women of Newburyport into battle, into gales and into fortune--or ruin.

In 1790, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton asked President George Washington to fund a fleet of "revenue cutters" that could halt smuggling and collect taxes in U.S. waters. Today, from northern Maine to southern Connecticut, the Coast Guard provides life-saving service to mariners and anyone who ventures out into the sea.