Around America: A Tour of Our Magnificent Coastline

by Walter Cronkite, David Canright (Illustrator)

America has nearly five thousand miles of coastline. What would it be like to travel from the islands of Maine to the stepping-stones of the Florida Keys; from the cliffs of the Pacific Northwest to the beaches of southern California; and around the Gulf Coast, where our major rivers reach the sea?

Here we travel with Walter Cronkite, our trusted guide. At Maine's eastern tip, we find a British warship captured during the Revolution by the citizens of Machias, wielding pitchforks because they had no muskets. We visit islands along Texas's coastline, exploring a sanctuary for migratory birds. And we visit Fort Ross, on California's Redwood Coast, a replica of the 1812 Russian settlement begun as a fur trading post, with dreams of expanding the Russian empire.

In this compelling travelogue we can almost hear Cronkite talking, his smooth cadences spinning stories about the coastline he loves.

Genres: Travel

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an iconic American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for The CBS Evening News for 19 years (1962–81). During the heyday of CBS News in the 1970s and 1980s he was often cited in viewer opinion polls as "the most trusted man in America," because of his professional experience and avuncular demeanor. Cronkite died on July 17, 2009, at the age of 92 from cerebrovascular disease, described by his son as complications from dementia.

Reviews

[Rob Pettus · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is written from a sailor’s perspective
I enjoyed following along his route using google map
There were some errors I noted as he covered my home cruising area (Chesapeake Bay)
His writing style is conversational and entertaining
I want to visit the Channel Islands after reading of his experience there

[Kelly K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very monotone. Instead of the seafaring adventure I was expecting, I was given a textbook description of seaside towns. Some of the bits of history were interesting but otherwise this was a very dry book.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Around America: A Tour of Our Magnificent Coastline" by Walter Cronkite
(from the back cover)
America has nearly five thousand miles of coastline, and almost half of all Americans live within a half-day drive of it. A large part of our prosperity depends on it, and much of our history belongs to it. In this wonderfully written volume, Walter Cronkite becomes our trusted and erudite guide to the places and people, past and present, that shape our country. From the islands of rock-ribbed Maine to the stepping stones of the Florida Keys; from the spectacular cliffs of the pacific Northwest down to the enticing beaches of Southern California; and around the Gulf Coast, where the nation's great rivers drain to the sea, we can almost her Cronkite's voice spinning stories about the coastline he loves.

MY THOUGHTS: Little did I know when I picked this book out way back at the beginning of the year, that Walter Cronkite would leave us. I grew up with Walter Cronkite at our home. Then a round screened black and white t.v. Every evening we would watch the evening news and there he was as big as life.
This book takes you on a wonderful journey around the United States by way of sailing. Mr. Cronkite is sailing his ship Wyntje and stopping at a lot of ports, filling you in with history and stories told. In the Forward of the book there is a paragraph that I really liked and will put it here.

"One of the great mysteries, unsolved as far as I know, is the answer to that question of when a boat is a yacht. The best answer that has crossed my ken is the one delivered to me by a salty Yacht salsman on the Annapolis harbor.
"If a man thinks his boat is a yacht, it's a yacht," said he."

As he takes you through the different ports he tells some of the stores from the folks that live there along with the history of the place. I hear him in my mind telling these stories, and see all these places with my eyes. This is a very visual book. It's like I made this trip with him. I will end this review with his now famous quote that most people know Mr. Cronkite by. "And that's the way it is." If you would like to know some more about Walter Cronkite you can go here to read some more about his amazing life and work.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried to read this book a few years ago. I couldn't do it at the time. I must have been not in the mood or it didn't catch my interest. So I decided to try again. I've read several of Cronkite's other books and enjoyed them. I grew up listening to Cronkite on the nightly news with my family. His voice is very soothing and his stories take you right where he's talking about. The same can be said for his books. I felt like I was in the boat with him on his travels around our coast line. A few of the places he talked about, I have visited, but most I haven't, so this was a good book to read. You like to read about the travels of other people this a good book to read.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly dull travelogue of the coastlines around America, by the famous TV anchorman. It is a fairly short book and tries to describe the entire coastline of America--geography and history--so it becomes sort of a Reader's Digest-type description. No depth, and very little character in the writing--surprisingly--and I was a bit disappointed by that.

[Barb Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It told about the coastlines , harbors, and islands around the USA. Walter C has sailed all of therm and included several humrous stories about his own wonder and sometimes slightly hair raising experiences. I could relate to this book bc I have been to many of these coastline places myself.

[Michael Harris · Rating 1 out of 5]

An APL Recycled Reads find. The book held promise, a narrative by Walter Cronkite of his sailing along the three Coasts. It include some history, some antidotal stories but over all it left me wanting a sailing narrative that was interesting. This was just boring.

[Mark Luongo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the geography, the history and the anecdotes. The author himself was an accomplished sailor. Made me want to get out and travel a bit.