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Topsail Island: Mayberry by the Sea
As if caught in a time warp, Topsail resembles resorts of decades past. It has the small-town feel of a family beach, a place with few commercial trappings whose devotees return generation after generation. McAllister blends interviews with the people who know the island with stories of early pirates, devastating hurricanes, a 1940s dig in search of a 1630 Spanish galleon's treasure, the U.S. government's secret rocket program, a modern-day sea-turtle preservation project, and a black bear that came to stroll the beach. McAllister tells the many stories of Topsail with the help of those who love the island best.
228 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 12, 2015
Topsail Island is a barrier island off the North Carolina coast north of Wilmington. The atmosphere is different from Cape Cod, my fond retreat for 3 decades during the 50’s 60’s and 70’s. I miss the Cape’s weathered shingle cottages with white picket fences, hedges and rambling roses, but Topsail has its own unique features that I would not trade.
Topsail is 15 square miles, 26 miles long but in some areas only 200 feet wide. Similar to the Cape’s Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, which is 11.88 square miles and 8 miles long, Topsail should have remained a natural habitat. Decades ago the fishing shacks on Topsail transitioned to permanent houses and development began. The barrier island just east of the Intercoastal Waterway is accessible by automobile via a permanent northern bridge or a mid-way draw bridge in Surf City. Lee Island referred to as “Old Topsail” is in sight on the southern tip of Topsail Island and just a 5 minute ride by powerboat. The unpopulated island is a good day excursion similar to Monomoy.
Topsail has chosen to remain family oriented with little commercialization. The summer season extends beyond the Memorial Day to Labor Day period due to warm air and water temperature. The barrier island is so narrow one can easily witness both the sunrise and sunset. Topsail has been my favorite summer destination for the past 3 decades because when it comes to relaxation and family memories it’s tough to beat.
Topsail is 15 square miles, 26 miles long but in some areas only 200 feet wide. Similar to the Cape’s Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, which is 11.88 square miles and 8 miles long, Topsail should have remained a natural habitat. Decades ago the fishing shacks on Topsail transitioned to permanent houses and development began. The barrier island just east of the Intercoastal Waterway is accessible by automobile via a permanent northern bridge or a mid-way draw bridge in Surf City. Lee Island referred to as “Old Topsail” is in sight on the southern tip of Topsail Island and just a 5 minute ride by powerboat. The unpopulated island is a good day excursion similar to Monomoy.
Topsail has chosen to remain family oriented with little commercialization. The summer season extends beyond the Memorial Day to Labor Day period due to warm air and water temperature. The barrier island is so narrow one can easily witness both the sunrise and sunset. Topsail has been my favorite summer destination for the past 3 decades because when it comes to relaxation and family memories it’s tough to beat.
April 26, 2018
This book has been in my library for about 3 years so I finally decided to read it.
It was a nostalgic and enjoyable read. If you have never been to Topsail (pronounced Top-sul) and want a beach vacation without all the noise, then this is the place for you. The book details the mainly modern history of the island (20th century forward) with sections devoted to each of the three towns on the island: N. Topsail, Surf City and Topsail Beach. The island was the site of Operation Bumblebee in post WWII years and there are still standing structures on the island from this era.
The author is from Virginia so he spends a lot of time quoting locals and gathering oral history. When I spoke to the locals, they had mixed opinions on the book. Most generally liked it but would have preferred that someone from the island or closer had written it.
It was a nostalgic and enjoyable read. If you have never been to Topsail (pronounced Top-sul) and want a beach vacation without all the noise, then this is the place for you. The book details the mainly modern history of the island (20th century forward) with sections devoted to each of the three towns on the island: N. Topsail, Surf City and Topsail Beach. The island was the site of Operation Bumblebee in post WWII years and there are still standing structures on the island from this era.
The author is from Virginia so he spends a lot of time quoting locals and gathering oral history. When I spoke to the locals, they had mixed opinions on the book. Most generally liked it but would have preferred that someone from the island or closer had written it.
December 14, 2016
Received book from the Giveaways, imagine my surprise to find a hand written note from the author inside the book. I travel by RV 4-6 months at time always looking for new places, Topsail Island is on my list. Ray McAllister brought the island alive with its rich history. The people portrayed in the book are real people who have been a part of the islands development. Looking forward to a weekend trip to Topsail Island with book in hand. Thank you Ray for bringing to light a hidden gem.
December 6, 2016
I loved this book for some reason. I've never even been to the USA, let alone Topsail island, but this is a really interesting history of some random place I'd never heard of until I picked this up. If you've ever lived in a small town you'll probably love this book, I kept seeing parallels of my town as I was reading this. Great writer, great book.
I won this from a Goodreads giveaway
I won this from a Goodreads giveaway
November 10, 2016
This is a Goodreads win review. I really liked this book because I have never lived on the East coast so learning about this special small island was a nice read for me. I knew almost nothing about North Carolina before so I read to learn.
October 5, 2015
This was a wonderful story about a secluded special place.We are given a tour of Topsail Island by a man that has spent time there and other places,Topsail is his favorite.Told wonderfully by John Witt,we fall in love with a place that reminds us of old times in a beach town,the people who people it and the possible future that we can not control."I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast or MalarHouse dot com"
March 22, 2017
Really enjoyed the history of Topsail Island, I love any beach so it was an interesting read. I had never known about operation bumblebee until reading about it in this novel. So much rich history in this area and it made me want to visit this beautiful area one day. Also would love to visit the great turtle rescue and see all magnificent beaches and nature. The novel covers everything from the people to hurricanes and pirates. It's an interesting read.
February 28, 2016
Very well researched, with plenty of local color and stories from all types of people. I have been vacationing at the island as often as I can since I was a child. The book captured the essence of Topsail. In fact, several times I grew teary eyed as something would trigger a fond memory. Great book about a wonderful place.
August 26, 2018
What makes the North and South Carolina beaches special? Read this book and find out. Although this book is about one island Topsail Beach, the topics covered parallel many other islands along this beautiful coastline.
August 21, 2018
I enjoyed this book especially while I was on vacation at Topsail Island.
July 24, 2022
I picked this book up at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center while on a family vacation on Topsail Island. It was the perfect beach/vacation book; easy reading and informative. The book provides some basic history, including legend & lore, a hardy dose of nostalgia and contemporary perspective such as pirates (including the legendary Blackbeard), the fascinating Gold Hole, indestructible missile towers, small Town politics, development pressures and insight into the 26-mile long barrier island’s institutions and traditions. I do wish I had picked up the book at the beginning of my vacation. Nonetheless, it was a quick and enjoyable read. Yes, there were some grammatical errors, but no reason to worry while on a beach vacation.
October 1, 2020
I found this book at the Quarter Moon bookstore in Topsail Beach, NC and loved discovering more about Topsail Island, especially the history and people. This book would probably have limited appeal to anyone without a connection to the island, and at 14 years out from publication, it's outdated. Some of the businesses mentioned are gone, references to the turtle hospital refer to the old location, and the unique swing bridge was replaced in 2019. Nice to have this snapshot of Topsail in the early 2000's, though.
May 8, 2017
This book is fine if you visited Topsail Island and wanted to know more about it. Otherwise, it would not be in my list of recommended titles. I would also think this book could have used a few rounds of editing before being published in its current form. The metaphors, symbols and tropes were a bit labored; but the information will be useful for someone interested in the island.
July 15, 2022
Having vacationed on topsail island for many years now, this book was a fun read. It is not really a history nor is it super informative. Rather, it is just a collections of stories about things that have happened on the island, loosely grouped together into topics/chapters. I would recommend it if you’re already familiar with the island.
September 30, 2015
Topsail Sounds Like a Beautiful Island...if nothing else, you will walk away with that.
The narrator did a wonderful job. His accent is southern without being slow. It has the feel of an older relative telling a story, which I really appreciate.
I'm sure there will be people that disagree with me, but if you're looking for a book about an extremely interesting place- this isn't it. I feel like an editor could cut out so much information (and add an index) and quite possibly give the book potential. I will let a sampling of the story speak for itself below my review.
I think this book would be perfect for someone who lives on Topsail or has had occasion to visit the island to notice some of the island's peculiarities and know some of the population. If someone I knew was going to visit there, I'd probably recommend that they listen to this.
I received a copy of this book for free from the author, narrator or publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Except (verbatim):
Chapter Five- Piers
It is 6:40 on an October morning. Sunrise is approaching. the waves crash on the beach, louder, it seems, than during daylight hours. The air is cooler, damper, the breeze seemingly stiffer. Later in the day, shirts and shorts will be fine. But for now, this is jacket weather.
The only light comes from the Surf City Pier, stretching out over the Atlantic. Lights atop poles send small, dim glows into the mist. The lighting is enough only to suggest shapes. There seem to be people on the pier already.
A red-yellow glow appears across the horizon, muted at first, then more commanding. It is a scene of serenity: waves rolling onto the beach, a pier extending into the mist, the awakening sun illuminating it with more artistry than a lighting-effects expert ever could.
The first rays of the day also bring the shapes out of hiding. Dozens of people, perhaps scores, are on the pier. Their faces are still unclear. But their fishing poles extend upward against the railing. A thin line trips from each into the surf. Some have been here for hours already. Some will be here all day.
There are few better places than a fishing pier.
Commercial and individual fisherman mined the waters of Topsail from boats or the beach except when the military controlled the island in the 1930s and 1940s. Fishing resumed after the military left in 1948 and was made easier by the pontoon bridge it left behind. Most of the early postwar fishermen were content to stand on the beach and cast their lines into the surf or drop them from boats into the sound or ocean.
But they were happier when the piers showed up.
There have been as many as nine piers on Topsail at one time-eight on the ocean and one on Topsail Sound. Piers come and go on Topsail, battered by storms, rebuilt, given new names, let go. Even the start-up dates have been debated. An article in the June 1967 issue of The State magazine said Topsail had the largest concentration of fishing piers on the North Carolina coast, including the Surf City Pier (built in 1952; actually in 1953), New Topsail Ocean Pier (1953; actually 1954), Barnacle Bill's Pier (1956), Paradise Pier (1958), Dolphin Pier (1960), McKee's New River Inlet Pier (1960), and Scotch Bonnet Pier (1967). The black-owned Ocean City Pier, not mentioned, opened in 1959.
The narrator did a wonderful job. His accent is southern without being slow. It has the feel of an older relative telling a story, which I really appreciate.
I'm sure there will be people that disagree with me, but if you're looking for a book about an extremely interesting place- this isn't it. I feel like an editor could cut out so much information (and add an index) and quite possibly give the book potential. I will let a sampling of the story speak for itself below my review.
I think this book would be perfect for someone who lives on Topsail or has had occasion to visit the island to notice some of the island's peculiarities and know some of the population. If someone I knew was going to visit there, I'd probably recommend that they listen to this.
I received a copy of this book for free from the author, narrator or publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Except (verbatim):
Chapter Five- Piers
It is 6:40 on an October morning. Sunrise is approaching. the waves crash on the beach, louder, it seems, than during daylight hours. The air is cooler, damper, the breeze seemingly stiffer. Later in the day, shirts and shorts will be fine. But for now, this is jacket weather.
The only light comes from the Surf City Pier, stretching out over the Atlantic. Lights atop poles send small, dim glows into the mist. The lighting is enough only to suggest shapes. There seem to be people on the pier already.
A red-yellow glow appears across the horizon, muted at first, then more commanding. It is a scene of serenity: waves rolling onto the beach, a pier extending into the mist, the awakening sun illuminating it with more artistry than a lighting-effects expert ever could.
The first rays of the day also bring the shapes out of hiding. Dozens of people, perhaps scores, are on the pier. Their faces are still unclear. But their fishing poles extend upward against the railing. A thin line trips from each into the surf. Some have been here for hours already. Some will be here all day.
There are few better places than a fishing pier.
Commercial and individual fisherman mined the waters of Topsail from boats or the beach except when the military controlled the island in the 1930s and 1940s. Fishing resumed after the military left in 1948 and was made easier by the pontoon bridge it left behind. Most of the early postwar fishermen were content to stand on the beach and cast their lines into the surf or drop them from boats into the sound or ocean.
But they were happier when the piers showed up.
There have been as many as nine piers on Topsail at one time-eight on the ocean and one on Topsail Sound. Piers come and go on Topsail, battered by storms, rebuilt, given new names, let go. Even the start-up dates have been debated. An article in the June 1967 issue of The State magazine said Topsail had the largest concentration of fishing piers on the North Carolina coast, including the Surf City Pier (built in 1952; actually in 1953), New Topsail Ocean Pier (1953; actually 1954), Barnacle Bill's Pier (1956), Paradise Pier (1958), Dolphin Pier (1960), McKee's New River Inlet Pier (1960), and Scotch Bonnet Pier (1967). The black-owned Ocean City Pier, not mentioned, opened in 1959.
August 4, 2017
What a delightful book. One of my favorite places to visit in the entire world is Oak Island, NC which isn't too far from Topsail Island. I have frequented several beaches near Topsail including Kure and Wrightsville beaches. It's insightful to get a little history of the area and to hear some of the local stories. I am definitely going to have to make my way to Topsail the next time I am in the area.
I won this book as part of a giveaway on goodreads, the author included a personalized note with the book. Very thoughtful.
I won this book as part of a giveaway on goodreads, the author included a personalized note with the book. Very thoughtful.
December 28, 2013
A good read for anyone interested in the history of Topsail Island.
May 31, 2017
We were going to Topsail on vacation and I found this book at my library it was an interesting read but ended up flipping through the last few chapters in the end. The island is very lovely.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews