Best Books for the Outer Banks
Nov 20, 2023
The Updated and Expanded List of Best Books for the Outer Banks
Several of these authors have been featured on the podcast, Treasures of the Outer Banks. If you want more insights in to their writing, feel free to take a listen.
1 The Wright Brothers, by David McCullough. Not fully set on the Outer Banks, this book will give you greater appreciation if you tour the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. What these men achieved is practically a miracle. In this book you'll discover how they came to a desolate Outer Banks and were able to experiment with few distractions. Although the locals were very skeptical, they respected these industrious individuals and provided assistance when needed.
2 Between Tides, by Angel Khoury. Loosely based on a story the author stumbled upon, Between Tides is poetically written and weaves a compelling love story on the Outer Banks around the early 20th Century. You'll recognize Outer Banks landmarks as the author takes you on a journey around Manteo and its surrounding waters.
3 The Lost Colony Murder on the Outer Banks: Seeking Justice for Brenda Joyce Holland, by John Railey. This real life, unsolved murder-mystery turned a quiet Manteo upside down in 1967.
4 Logs and Moonshine: Tales of Buffalo City, by Suzanne Tate. A quick read, this is an oral history of a small logging village, now ghost town, in Dare County. Former residents describe what it was like living in this logging camp around 1930.
5 “Everyone Helped His Neighbor”: Memories of Nags Head Woods, by Lu Ann Jones and Amy Glass. A fascinating book using oral history from former residents. From pre-Civil War to the 1950’s Nags Head Woods was home to a tight community of Outer Bankers living off the land. The community's resourcefulness and industriousness were necessary to survive in such a desolate location.
6 The Lost Colony and Hatteras Island, by Scott Dawson. News Flash: The Lost Colony was not lost. More accurately, they were neglected. To survive, they migrated to an island called Croatoan (currently Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras) where they assimilated in with a local tribe of Natives. Dawson proves this through relentless research of writings from explorers of the time. In addition, he and other archaeologists have uncovered piles of evidence from digs in the Hatteras area.
7 Memories of the Currituck Outer Banks: As Told By Ernie Bowden, by Clark Twiddy. The Bowden family has been a part of Currituck County for over six generations. A few years ago Ernie provided an oral history of his family and how they made a living on the beach. Ernie's recordings were organized by Twiddy to create this book.
8 Remarkable Women of the Outer Banks, by Hannah Bunn-West. Several unassuming women have provided direction and leadership by the example they set. Some of these women simply endured during times of duress, while others became activists and preservationists so that others could appreciate the history and landmarks of the Outer Banks.
9 Outer Banks Visionaries: Building North Carolina's Oceanfront, by Clark Twiddy. Twiddy re-creates the blueprint used around 1980 that turned a sleepy, sliver of sand on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in to thriving travel destination. He researches and talks to the people who were in the right place with a forward-thinking mindset to create this amazing machine.
10 Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: Dramatic Rescues and Fantastic Wrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic, by James D. Charlet. Charlet has researched copious records from the United States Life-Saving Stations. In this book he has curated some of the most incredible stories, many including bravery and heroism from normal people who put their own lives on the line to save strangers. Charlet does a great job of re-telling these stories and bringing awareness to an often forgotten group of heroes.
Small Print: Should you use any of the links to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. Cheers!
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