Cape Cod and the Offshore Islands

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1970. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Good. 9x6x1. First edition. Jacket lightly stained, jacket edges rubbed with some surface tears, jacket spine toned. Light stain on cloth of front board. 1970 Hard Cover. x, 256 pp. Introduction by Joseph Wood Krutch. The outermost of America's outer shores, Cape Cod has traditionally been New England's special lure, attracting not only the curious city dweller, the wealthy and the leisured, but the artist, the writer, the naturalist, the drifter and the beachcomber. Its two offshore islands, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, remain among the last outposts of rich New England traditions, art, and culture. In this intimate volume, Walter Teller explores the lore and legend of the Cape and the islands. Here are dramatic, colorful descriptions of the life cycles of the animals and plants--the lobster, the whale, the oyster, the cranberry bush on which the Cape's economy is based. Here, too, are evocative and touching portraits of some of the unique individuals this region has produced--Nancy Luce, who wrote remarkable poetry on the death of her pet chickens; Captain Slocum, who sailed alone around the world, then made his living by telling the story of his travels and many others. In rhythmic prose, Mr. Teller guides the reader on a round-the-year walking tour, emphasizing the raw beauty of October gales, the slow triumph of spring, the seasonal bloom of tourist traps and the blights of pollution and modern housing. Beautifully illustrated with photographs by Josephine Von Miklos, this charming book gives an off-beat, offseason view encompassing the history, the personalities, the wonders of flora and fauna, the romance, the mystery, and the indefinable magic which have made Cape Cod and its offshore islands America's favorite haunts for whaler and wanderer alike.