The Long Island Sound: A History of Its People, Places, and Environment

First published in 1974 as The American Mediterranean, this volume has been revised and updated with a new preface and a new last chapter. Extensively researched and accessibly written, this book is rich in information, providing detailed data on everything from battles fought in the area (Battle of Long Island, August 1776) to the development of railroads and resort communities, to the overcrowding of the region's beaches and coastal lands--already an issue in the early 1970s. This revised volume also addresses the current concern about PCB contamination in Sound fish. More than 40 photographs and illustrations capture the feel of the Sound and render a visual history of its transformation; ultimately, the book shows that despite the over-development of much of the Sound, there are still places that remain pristine and untouched.