A longtime coast watcher tells the story of the beautiful and ever-changing coast of North Carolina—rich in culture, history, and landscape—with words and photographs.  This gorgeous, richly illustrated book for visitors and residents alike details the charms and controversies of the “banks” of North Carolina. Hatcher highlights the current wonders of the famous coast, as well as an intriguing history that includes the familiar Outer Banks legendary Wright Brothers flight, the Graveyard of the Atlantic, and the picturesque lighthouses, as well as the lesser known Chitlin’ Circuit beach resort, a 1898 coup d’etat, and a controversial sea bird. Told with an ear for the native language and local lore, with a taste for the water and its riches, and above all, with an eye toward the preservation of a vanishing environment and culture, this will be the go-to book for readers who want an overview of the North Carolina coastal region.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction   Chapter 1: “The Goodliest Land”  A Long and Diverse Coast Line: From the Outer Banks to Down East and Beyond  The Inner Banks, Southern Banks, and the Crystal Coast  Sand: Forever Shifting  The Landscape for The First Flight  Move of the Millennium: Rescuing the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse  Pocosins, Swamps, Quagmires, and Refuges   Chapter 2: Aqua Vita Est, Water is Life The Shapes of Water: Sounds, Inlets, and Rivers America’s Intracoastal Waterway: Safe Passage for Mariners The Gulf Stream: The Great Blue Engine of NC’s Coast The Atlantic Ocean: Architect and Matriarch of Coastal NC   Chapter 3: The Weather, "Red Sky at Night"  A Weather of Wind and Change  A Fisherman’s Nightmare  Storms Through History in North Carolina  Rating Storms  Hurricanes in the Busy 1950s and 1960s  1970s and 1980s: Relative Quiet  The Active 1990s  A New Century Brings More Storms  Most Recent Storms   Chapter 4 - Shaping a Culture  A Different Way of Life  The Allure of the Ocean   Chapter 5: The Past Shapes the Future  Early Inhabitants: The Coast's First People  Europeans’ First Explorations of the North Carolina Coast  From First Contact to First Colony   Privateers, Pirates, or Pyrates?   Chapter 6: Saving Lives in Dangerous Water  Danger, Destruction, and Death: The Graveyard of the Atlantic  Saving Lives on a Treacherous Coast  Saving Lives with Light: Lighthouse Keepers   Chapter 7: Commerce and Tourism  "Red and White" Commerce: 155 Years and Counting  The “Flipper” Factory   Beach Cottages of Old Nags Head: Unpainted Upper Crust  More Old Houses and Old Money: Wilmington and Beyond  Portsmouth Island: Bugs, Fish, and Heathens  Buffalo City: Good Water, Good Wood, Good Whiskey, Good-Bye   Chapter 8: Planes, Piers, and Boats  More than Sand and Wind: The Bankers’ Connection to the Wright Brothers  The North Carolina Ferry System: Lifeline for Thousands  The Carolina Flare and the Long Tradition of Boatbuilding  Liberty City: Ugly Ducklings and the Mothball Fleet  Piers: Another Legacy Lost   Chapter 9 – Controversy, Conflict, and Water Access   Disputed Lands and Waters  Water Access: Drawing Lines in the Sand   Chapter 10 – Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Recreation Area: The Long (Winding,  Confusing, and Difficult) Road from Idea to Reality  Early Concepts and Initial Government Involvement  Establishment of the Park and the First Seashore Commission  World War II-Era Developments  A New Social Contract  The Seashore Park Becomes a Reality   Chapter 11 – Trying to Fish  Bluefish, Bluefin, and the Blues  The Unwinnable Battle for the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna  North Carolina’s Menhaden: The Unsavory Smell of Success   Chapter 12 – Plovers, Politics, and Plutocrats  Surf Fishers  Little Birds on the Beach  Plover Politics  Mixed Results   Chapter 13 – Legacy of Black North Carolinians on the Coast   The Roanoke Freedman’s Colony  The 1898 Wilmington Coup d’Etat  Black Resorts, Beaches, and New Music  Beaufort’s 21st Century Land Grab   Chapter 14 – To Build or Not to Build  The Saga of the Bonner and Mid-Currituck Bridges  The Megaport Project: Unveil or Unload?  Nutmeg: A Tasty Spice or a Just a Bad Idea?  Rockets, Fuel, Oil, and Gas: Odd Coastal Cousins  Beach “Nourishment”   Chapter 15: On the Horizon  Global Warming and Sea Level Rise  Scientific Initiatives to Measure Sea Level and Coastal Changes  The Horizon   Appendix: NC DOT Maps of the North Carolina Coast Bibliography Acknowledgements