Closed Sea: From the Manasquan to the Mullica - A History of Barnegat Bay [Paperback]

Kent Mountford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2002

A history of New Jersey's Barnegat Bay region, Closed Sea weaves a colorful tale of whalers and pirates, Revolutionary patriots and loyalists, fishermen and loggers, iron masters and life saving crews, sportsmen and holiday makers. Filled with historical anecdote and keen observations of sea and shore, it is a compelling portrait of this place and its history. With a naturalist's eye and a sailor's experience, environmental historian Kent Mountford describes the history of the Bay and its people, from the Lenni Lenape to 20th century summer vacationers. He opens our eyes to the Shore's past, its shifting inlets, disappearing islands, dangerous tides and shoals. Moving inland, he documents the Pinelands environment and the industries it has supported over the centuries. Closed Sea tells the remarkable history of a fascinating place, a place of great beauty, danger and opportunity, a place that has cast its spell on generations of people.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is a masterful guide, before its time in many ways." --Asbury Park Press

"Ecologist and environmental historian Kent Mountford, chronicles the history of this important body of water from the days of the Leni-Lenape and the earliest European explorers." --New Jersey Monthly

"Kent Mountford, estuarine ecologist and environmental historian, has had a fascination with Barnegat Bay since his college days; an affair of the heart, which blossomed into a book belonging in the library of anyone who has ever dipped a foot into this salt water. Closed Sea… is a kind of historical, social, ecological and certainly in-depth Baedeker of the vast bay… and the shores it touches." --The Beachcomber

From the Inside Flap

Pirates and whalers, Revolutionary patriots and loyalists, fishermen, iron masters and vacationers ‹ all are part of the colorful history of New Jersey¹s Barnegat Bay region. Filled with historical anecdote and keen observations of sea and shore, Closed Sea is a compelling portrait of this unique environment and its history.

You will learn of the Lenni Lenape, follow the earliest explorers as they first set eyes on the pristine bay, the Dutch and British settlers who came after them and the intrigues and battles of the ³Colonial Rebellion.² You will meet the whalers who migrated from New England to New Jersey¹s coastal waters, and the many others who harvested the sea¹s bounty. You will go with the men of the U.S. Life Saving Service into the icy, treacherous surf of a winter storm. Tales of shipwrecks and of pirate treasure buried on barrier beaches alternate with tales of the Pine Barrens, a place you will visit when it was a thriving center of 18th century industry. And, finally, you will join early summer vacationers for rollicking times in the first guest houses of the Jersey Shore.

With a naturalist¹s eye and a sailor¹s experience, Kent Mountford describes the Shore¹s past, its shifting inlets, disappearing islands, dangerous tides and shoals. Moving inland, he documents the Pinelands environment and the industries it has supported over the centuries. As the coast and the forest have shaped the lives of their inhabitants, so people have influenced the land and the waters.

Closed Sea tells the remarkable history of a fascinating place, a place of great beauty, danger and opportunity, a place that has cast its spell on generations of people ‹ those who came to make a living and those who came to play. Both have brought enormous changes to a sensitive ecosystem ‹ a coastal environment that today is under more pressure than ever.

Begun in 1956, Closed Sea was well ahead of its time. In was environmental history before that discipline had a name or a following. Published now for the first time, the book has tremendous relevance for today¹s residents and visitors to the Jersey Shore. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Down The Shore Publishing (June 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593220278
• ISBN-13: 978-1593220273
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting, October 30, 2007

By 

D. J. Mote "Striper Addict" (Midwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Closed Sea: From the Manasquan to the Mullica; a History of Barnegat Bay (Hardcover)

This is a very interesting work if you live or vacation on the Barnegat Bay. It doesnt read easily, but if you can overlook the writing style, there is a lot of interesting local history.

5.0 out of 5 stars Jersey Shore Enthuasiasts Take Note, June 2, 2008

By 

L. Caldwell (Burbank, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Closed Sea: From the Manasquan to the Mullica - A History of Barnegat Bay (Paperback)

An excellent history of Barnegat Bay. A good reference for history buffs and a must for anyone who spends time at the Jersey Shore and wonders what it was like before mass-development took it over.