Nantucket: A Natural History

by Peter B. Brace

In the mere 6,000 years of their existence, the Nantucket islands have become home to a unique and constantly changing collection of living things, from the Muskeget Vole to deer ticks, the delicate Shadbush to precious Harbor Scallops. As this book makes plain, Peter B. Brace is on intimate terms with most of these species. The author of Walking Nantucket, a guidebook to the trails and byways of the island, Brace is also a veteran environmental writer for Nantucket newspapers and a long time observer of the way local government, businesses, and non-profit organizations affect the flow and fortunes of living things in their 47.8 square mile universe.

344 pages, Hardcover

First published June 8, 2012

Reviews

[Teagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My main complaint is that this book was definitely tailored to people familiar with Nantucket geography. Without already knowing the places discussed (or being able to physically go to these places), a more general audience misses out on a lot. Some more maps (beyond the basic ones at the beginning) or more detailed descriptions could’ve gone a long way to help. I also caught some instances where the information presented was incorrect. I’m not sure if this is due to a lack of fact checking or just that the book is somewhat outdated at this point (10+ years old).