Anthony Bailey.

Four hundred years after the first English colonists struggled to gain a foothold on the coast of North Carolina, British writer Anthony Bailey made a journey along these same barrier islands. In this popular book, highly acclaimed since 1989, he combines keen observations of the Outer Banks' natural splendor with a genuine appreciation of the people who live there.

Whether describing his experience waiting out a hurricane in a Wanchese restaurant, his mosquito-plagued visit to an abandoned village on Portsmouth Island, or his trip to the top of Cape Hatteras lighthouse with a Coast Guard lieutenant, Bailey captures the spirit of a unique and much-loved region, its history, and especially its people.

Anthony Bailey wrote for many years for the New Yorker and is author of numerous books, including Major Andre, The Thousand Dollar Yacht, and Standing in the Sun.