An Outer Banks Reader

by David Stick

For half a century, David Stick has been writing books about the fragile chain of barrier islands off the North Carolina coast known as the Outer Banks. Two of his earliest, Graveyard of the Atlantic and The Outer Banks of North Carolina , were published by the UNC Press in the 1950s, and continue to be best-sellers.

More recently, Stick embarked on another project, searching for the most captivating and best-written examples of what others have said about his beloved Outer Banks. In the process, more than 1,000 books, pamphlets, periodicals, historical documents, and other writings were reviewed.

The result is a rich and fascinating anthology. The selections in An Outer Banks Reader span the course of more than four and a half centuries, from the first known record of a meeting between Europeans and Native Americans in the region in 1524 to modern-day accounts of life on the Outer Banks. Together, Stick hopes, the sixty-four entries may provide both "outlanders" and natives with an understanding of why the Outer Banks are home to a rapidly growing number of people who would rather spend the rest of their lives there than any place else on earth.

Genres: Nonfiction

317 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1998

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This close is hovering on the smaller side of 3 stars. I really liked some of the stories (especially of the crab picker and Theodosia Burr) but some were totally lost on me. While David Stick did a pretty good job selecting, grouping, and introducing the stories, some were a little too complex to understand without context. The middle sections with the sailing and war stories were confusing if you didn't have much knowledge of boats, like myself.

I got to read it at the Outer banks, which was a treat. It probably also boosted my rating a bit as this book would likely not be interesting to anyone not connect with the area.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Outer Banks Reader certainly merits more appreciation than my solitary review can give it, and I heartily recommend it to any of the thousands of tourists who flock there in the summer as I did. At the very least, it will be a more substantial souvenir than a magnet, and could be prominently displayed on a bookshelf to impress visitors.

Assembled by reknowned Outer Banks historian David Stick, this an intriguing collection of primary sources describing the history and culture of the Outer Banks. The excerpts average a few pages at most, making each easily-read in a single sitting. They address topics ranging from the first contact between Europeans and the indigenous Outer Banks inhabitants to modern political disputes over what should be done about the Oregon Inlet. Personally, I think my favorite was a witty excerpt from William Byrd, a colonial era Virginia surveyor, who had nothing but elegantly catty remarks about the Bankers and the mosquitoes that preyed on them. I also loved pretty much every selection that dealt with the natural history of the Outer Banks, particularly their ever-shifting nature and how the various inlets have tended to appear and disappear periodically throughout their recorded history.

I bought this at Buxton Village Books while visiting Hatteras last summer, keen to learn more Outer Banks history. My travel companions should be thankful I didn't read it before we visited ... I probably would have tried dragging them around much more than I did, to go experience first hand all the places I read about! (Knowing my tendency to dash about, they did casually mention beforehand that they mostly wanted to just spend the vacation relaxing on the beach.)

Of course, like so many works, this collection could absolutely be improved by adding more diverse voices. What I mostly missed was anything written by one of the original indigenous habitants or their descendants, and I similarly would have liked a primary source written by one of the freedmen who lived in the Roanoke "contraband" colony during and immediately after the Civil War. I think a new edition could easily be merited, with another editor coming on board to add additional excerpts and context. But what is included now is still well worth reading.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine collection of stories featuring a variety of genres dealing with the Outer Banks. If you love OBX you should own this collection.

[Laura Ballance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and informative!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories/articles about the Outer Banks.
As a transplant in NC, I enjoyed learning history and getting a feel for the Outer Banks and all their fun, yet challenges.