“Island Beach” is the barrier island state park that borders the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay at the central Jersey Shore. It preserves almost ten miles of New Jersey’s coastline in its natural state before human development. The park’s beauty is unsurpassed, and it has been aptly called “the crown jewel of the Jersey Shore.”
This limited-edition, oversized volume by Gordon Hesse, author of All Summer Long - Tales and Lore of Lifeguarding on the Atlantic, tells the story of the park from the time before Europeans arrived to present day.
Part One, “A Sonnet in the Sands,” features the park’s plant and animal life as well as its history. Chapters include early visitors, whaling, pirate legends and lore, mysterious inlets, the Revolutionary War, the first owners and caretakers, early settlements, the beginnings of commerce and transportation, shipwrecks, and the creation of the U.S. Life-Saving Service. Also explored are the early resorts, the creation of “the Sedge House,” and fishing and hunting on Barnegat Bay. In addition, the sportsmen’s shacks and beach buggies are presented as well as WWII and secret experiments at Island Beach, the state’s purchase, the Governor’s Mansion, the creation of a Marine Conservation Zone, historic storms, and the evolution of the park today.
Part Two, “The Lure and Lore of Island Beach,” features memories and stories of the good gone days at Island Beach from people who spent much of their lives there.
Part Three, “Images of Island Beach,” presents numerous unique historic and current photographs of the park.
Throughout the book are more than 385 exquisite photographs. These stunning images capture every aspect of the park in all four seasons—from the dunes and maritime forests, to the beaches, to the park’s historic and current buildings, and to the sportsmen’s shacks, past and present. Numerous historic photographs reveal the ultimate view into the park’s past as well. These incredible images of the park’s natural beauty, combined with the folio’s oversized format and highest quality production standards, have rendered this volume one of the most beautiful books about the Jersey Shore ever published.
Island Beach - A Sonnet In The Sands captures the beauty of the park second only to the park itself. It is a window into its past and present, a vision now preserved for future generations. Gorgeously printed and bound to the highest standards, “Island Beach” is an experience that you, your family, and friends will treasure for years to come.
