Cape Cod Collected: A Selection of the Cape's Greatest Stories

by Jim Coogan, Jack Sheedy

Cape Cod Collected is a compilation of some of Jim Coogan's and Jack Sheedy's best previously published tales, edited and updated for a new generation of readers. This collection is their fifth collaborative effort and represents for them, a sort of "Cape Cod's Greatest Hits." The 144 page paperback with over 30 pictures, showcases many of the most popular subjects the two award-winning authors have written about over the years. Readers will find stories about shipwrecks and sea captains, interesting local characters and forgotten places, some enterprising Cape Codders, a few witches and even a story about the revenge by a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright on a Provincetown librarian. These collected tales bring the Cape Cod of old back to life once again for readers to explore. Cape Cod Collected is an entertaining and enlightening return trip through the Cape's storied past, presented by Cape Cod's most prolific and respected writing teams.

Genres: History

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 16, 2015

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a book I would have picked, but a couple months ago my wife reunited with two college roommates on Cape Cod and one gave her this book as a souvenir. She, as is her wont, handed it to me with instructions to provide her with "the Cliff Notes" version. So I read it and although I found it interesting, it would have been far more interesting if I had gone to Cape Cod or knew anything about it. No doubt this book would be awarded 4 to 5 stars by people who live there and/or are more familiar than I.

The book includes chapters on things like how the Cape was formed geologically to the shipwrecks that occurred to the number and location of what I can only assume is every lighthouse on Cape Cod (including where and when each was originally constructed, and when one was moved, where and when that happened). For too much information for me.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors provided some very interesting stories that cast a unique perspective of the Cape's history. All the stories were presented in a concise manner with just enough detail to keep the reader interested without getting bogged down. Many of the stories are of the "Down Cape" region of Provincetown, Eastham and Mid-Cape region, perhaps influenced by the fact that the authors live in the Mid-Cape area of Brewster and Dennis. Since I grew up in the Woods Hole / Falmouth - "Upper Cape", I was hoping to read more stories set in that area which might have included the Elizabeth Islands and Cuttyhunk. Of course, the Cape has a lot of history and if you include the islands it must have been a difficult task to select a reasonable assortment of stories. Each island, harbor and village of the Cape deserve their own book, so I fully appreciate the difficult task that the authors pursued. So for anyone interested in the history of the Cape, this may not be the ultimate collection of "Greatest Stories" but they are some great stories.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the recommendation of the clerk at Herridge Books in Wellfleet, I purchased this book. It is packed with information and stories of Cape Cod shipwrecks, lighthouse keepers, Independence, smallpox, and more. I appreciate the extensive research that was done to get this published.

[Carolyn Deboer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting historical references around the Cape. When we go I'll see how many references I'll appreciate.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant reading about interesting, often little known tales of Cape Cod and the people who lived there.