The Outer Banks (Chapel Hill Books) [Paperback]

Anthony Bailey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1999 | Series: Chapel Hill Books

Four hundred years after the first English colonists struggled to gain a foothold on the coast of North Carolina, British writer Anthony Bailey made a journey along these same barrier islands. In this popular book, highly acclaimed since 1989, he combines keen observations of the Outer Banks' natural splendor with a genuine appreciation of the people who live there.

Whether describing his experience waiting out a hurricane in a Wanchese restaurant, his mosquito-plagued visit to an abandoned village on Portsmouth Island, or his trip to the top of Cape Hatteras lighthouse with a Coast Guard lieutenant, Bailey captures the spirit of a unique and much-loved region, its history, and especially its people.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Englishman, author, and New Yorker staff writer Bailey has written a classic travel book: he has lived with the people, observed carefully, entered their way of life, yet preserved his own awareness. He presents this ambience with little personal judgment, but considerable cultural and historical context. He visited the Banks just before, during, and after hurricane Gloria in 1985. He spoke to natives and visitors, developers and Park Service staff. A solitary traveler open to the suggestions of those he meets, he "flings himself boldly into encounters with strangers" and seems to have absorbed the 400 years of Banks history and nature as they have intermingled. He must be wonderful company: he certainly is a fine writer. Highly recommended to anyone who has visited or may wish to visit the Outer Banks.
- Roland Person, Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Bailey captures the mundane and sublime details of daily life on the Outer Banks.

North Carolina Historical Review

An irresistible combination of personal experience, natural and local history and people.

Publishers Weekly

Highly recommended to anyone who has visited or may wish to visit the Outer Banks.

Library Journal

Bailey has a sharp eye for detail and an unflappable ability to deal with the incongruous or the just plain awful.

Booklist

[W]ell worth our reading.

Michael McFee, WUNC Radio

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (March 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807848204
• ISBN-13: 978-0807848203
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,414,320 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 A Brit Ponders the Banks, March 1, 2005

By 

Joseph S. Lamountain (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Outer Banks (Chapel Hill Books) (Paperback)

Anthony Bailey admired the Outer Banks from his native Britain, but was sorely disappointed upon first arrival. No bucolic, unspoiled nature spots, but strip malls, traffic jams and houses built to the ocean edge. But he gave the Banks a chance and over the next few weeks traveled from Corolla to Nag's Head to Ocracoke to Harker's Island. While doing so he gained an appreciation for the region's unique natural beauty, culture and history. Bailey effortlessly weaves nature writing and adventure with history and resident profiles to document the broad social trends affecting Outer Banks culture. Recommended for anyone with an interest in the area.

5.0 out of 5 stars Imagination, August 31, 2010

By 

Mary E. Sibley (Carneys Point, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Outer Banks (Chapel Hill Books) (Paperback)

The words Outer Banks appealed to the writer's imagination. North Carolina was celebrating its four hundred year anniversary, 1984-1987. He determined to visit and write of his findings. Facts he discovered lace his observations. The seat of Dare County is Manteo. The coast is called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Nags Head Woods, managed by the Nature Conservancy, has been preserved at the edge of the Roanoke Sound. There is a unique ecosystem, a blending of Southern and Northern species.

There are conflicts between the forces of development and conservation. The Wright Brothers tried out gliders during their first three seasons at Kill Devil Hills. The memorial was built in the 30's. David Stick's father had the idea of establishing the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. THE LOST COLONY began performances in 1937.

Anthony Bailey stayed in Manteo during Hurricane Gloria. The Outer Banks is inlet prone. The National Seashore is eighty miles long. It occupies the better part of Bodie, Pea, Hatteras and Okracoke Islands. A number of people are employed by the Park Service. The National Seashore was opened in 1958. It was believed that tourism was needed to save the Outer Banks from poverty. (The Civilian Conservation Corps had done dune building in the 30's.) There are over two hundred species of water fowl.

All in all this is a temperate, level appreciation of the joys of the Outer Banks. The author's treatment of his subject is both comprehensive and endearing.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars outer banks by bailey, January 8, 2004

By 

D.S. Miller (Rawlings, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Outer Banks (Hardcover)

Although Bailey states the facts in his book THE OUTER BANKS,
He should not have constructed this GEM on his first trip to the banks. Some of the places are not described well, as a tourist would who just rode by in a speeding car at dusk. Love and knowlege for the banks is deep. Alot deeper than one can jot down, or interview locals, or record in one trip. David Stick
or Charles Whedbee are true BANKERS. If you want to know the banks read theirs. You would be as well off to grab the latest

week long, first time visiting tourist to tell you about his vacation as to buy this. Bailey writes well, but, needs more expertise on this subject. I'm not an expert on the BANKS, but more than once during this read I found my head shaking, thinking "What is he thinking". But this book is largely his opinion on foods, state of government, and people of the banks.
But then again, I love OBX, and when there, I do not want to go home. I say STICK WITH STICK OR WHEDBEE!!