Climate change is one of the most difficult subjects to tackle, and I admire any writer who attempts it. Though the reality of climate change is not in doubt—repeat, NOT in doubt—so much of its impact is speculative. Scientists can predict the rise of sea levels, the melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice, more powerful … More Overheated: A weak narrative undercuts the urgency of climate change
I visited the first annual Seattle Indie Book Fair today at the A/NT Gallery on Westlake in Seattle. At least two dozen independent authors and small press proprietors packed the gallery with science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and poetry. The gallery is a great space for showcasing some fabulous work by people taking DIY publishing to … More Photos from Seattle Indie Book Fair
What’s in a name? A ton of historical information, especially if all you have is a place name. That’s what Bellevue, Wash., researcher and author Richard W. Blumenthal discovered and documented in his new reference book, Maritime Place Names: Inland Washington Waters, which covers the waters of Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, the Straits … More New Place Names Book
The DeWire Guide to Lighthouses of Alaska, Hawai’i, and the U.S. Pacific Territories, by Elinor DeWire. Paradise Cay Publications, 204 pages, softcover, $19.95. When it comes to lighthouses, most of the country’s attention focuses on the East Coast, particularly New England, where the density of lighthouses per square mile is greater than the population of … More New DeWire Lighthouse Guide
Sea Travels: Memoirs of a 20th Century Master Mariner. J. Holger Christensen, as told to Vaughn Sherman. Patos Island Press, 189 pages, softcover, $15.95. All families share stories around the kitchen table about relatives who experienced adventure or misadventure. Few lives, however, are as packed with tales as Capt. J. Holger Christensen, the son of … More Seattle Sea Captain’s Memoir
Seafarers have called the Columbia River Bar, located at the mouth of Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest, “the world’s most dangerous passage” for more than 200 years. Today, the city of Astoria, Ore., is the home of an elite group of bar pilots. Author Michael E. Haglund and illustrator Eric Baker have combined stories … More Columbia River Danger Detailed
Deck Hand: Life on Freighters of the Great Lakes, by Nelson “Mickey” Haydamacker, with Alan D. Millar. University of Michigan Press, 118 pages, color and black and white photos, softcover, $22.95. So much of maritime history is the stories of great captains, visionary leaders, or risk-taking entrepreneurs. Of course, most of the actual work was … More Great Lakes Ore Freighters
Breaking Ice for Arctic Oil: The Epic Voyage of the SS Manhattan through the Northwest Passage. Ross Coen, University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks, 215 pages with color and black and white photos, soft cover, $24.95. Christopher Columbus sailed west in 1492 hoping to find a new way to the riches of the Orient, but an … More Breaking Ice for Arctic Oil
Sealab: America’s Forgotten Quest to Live and Work on the Ocean Floor, by Ben Hellwarth. Simon & Schuster, 400 pages, hardcover, $28.00. The names of astronaut Neil Armstrong and rocket engineer Werner von Braun are etched forever on the popular mind as pioneers of outer space exploration. But they have eclipsed equally daring and dangerous … More Hidden History of Sealab
The First Leathernecks: A Combat History of the U.S. Marines From Inception to the Halls of Montezuma (1775-1848), by Don Burzynski. Warrior Publishing Group,117 pages. Soft cover: $24.95. Ebook: $9.95. The modern image of the U.S. Marine Corps comes from World War II: young men in green camouflage fatigues storming the beaches of tiny islands … More History of U.S. Marine Corps
America’s Privateer: Lynx and the War of 1812, J. Dennis Robinson. Lynx Educational Foundation, 184 pages, with 190 color photos, paintings and maps, oversize hardcover, $34.95. One of the great things about tall ships is that you can’t go wrong with a good picture. Virtually all large sailing vessels are photogenic to a fault, particularly … More Tall Ship Book Worshipful
Tillamook Passage: Far Side of the Pacific, by Brian D. Ratty. Published by AuthorHouse, 331 pages, hardcover, $29.95. Native Americans rarely take center stage in historical fiction with strong maritime themes, but Tillamook Passage: The Far Side of the Pacific is an exception. And the author, Brian Ratty, adds an even rarer element, the unique … More Rare View of Oregon Coast
Tordenskjold: Boat of the Century, presented by Eat on the Wild Side, produced by John Sabella and Associates. Not rated, but suitable for all ages. Most people think of 100-year-old fishing boats as museum pieces, tied up forever at a dock after a career at sea. But documentary filmmaker John Sabella has discovered a fleet … More Halibut Documentary
J.G. Follansbee 