The Boston Harbor Islands:: A History of an Urban Wilderness

The Boston Harbor Islands:: A History of an Urban Wilderness

by David Kales
The Boston Harbor Islands:: A History of an Urban Wilderness

The Boston Harbor Islands:: A History of an Urban Wilderness

by David Kales

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Overview

Despite the relentless development of the past two centuries, Boston's coastal geography is still defined by its Harbor Islands. Carved and sculpted by massive glaciers from millennia past, this constellation of thirty-odd isles—notorious for swirling currents, surging tides, and treacherous submerged hazards—has played an outsized role in the city's history and growth.

In The Boston Harbor Islands: The History of An Urban Wilderness, David Kales examines the astonishing range of uses Bostonians have found for their neighboring archipelago. From pirates' havens to military fortifications, the Harbor Islands have undergone innumerable transformations. Now, as Kales describes, conservation agencies hope to revitalize the oft-neglected islands, which were recently designated as a National Park Area. Filled with fascinating stories, The Boston Harbor Islands is the perfect primer for readers seeking to learn more about a unique maritime landscape located just a ferry ride away from Boston.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781596292901
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date: 07/31/2007
Series: Brief History
Pages: 160
Sales rank: 1,041,127
Product dimensions: 6.88(w) x 9.75(h) x 0.31(d)

About the Author

David Kales has been a journalist, editor, and freelance writer for over forty years. His journalist experience includes Newsweek, Forbes, INC magazine, and foreign correspondent for the Hearst Newspapers, covering the Vietnam War and Southeast Asia. He has published several books, including one previous title on the Boston Harbor Islands.

Table of Contents


Acknowledgements     7
Introduction     9
Prehistory     11
European Discovery     15
Colonial Expansion     21
Boston Looks Seaward     26
The Pirates of Boston     31
The "Speckled Monster" of Boston     36
The Gathering Storm     40
The Miracle of Dorchester Heights     43
War and Peace     52
Yankee Traders     58
New Boston     62
The Great Famine     65
The Cultural Hub     68
Taming the Wilderness     70
The Civil War     75
Transformation     87
Prisons and Sewage Treatment Plants     90
Maritime Tradition     93
Urban Nature     97
The Twentieth Century     108
Between the World Wars     116
World War II     123
Remnants and Renaissance     129
The Twenty-first Century     137
Bibliography     146
Index     155
About the Author     159
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