Ocracoke: The Pearl of the Outer Banks, 2nd Edition, by award-winning coastal author Ray McAllister, is available from Beach Glass Books. Each copy of the $33.00 hardcover edition is signed by the author.
Ocracoke Island is a vacation paradise, beautiful and often serene. It has rarely been entirely safe, however. Treacherous storms, pirates and even German submarines have taken down ships offshore and made the onshore lives of islanders uncertain. It was at Ocracoke that America’s most famous pirate, the ruthless Blackbeard, met his end in a ferocious battle with naval authorities. The pirate was shot or wounded 25 times before finally dying of a throat slashing.
There is, of course, a gentler side to Ocracoke, as well. The island is home to the iconic 1823 lighthjouse that is only 75 feet tall and a photographer’s favorite. Here, too, are ferries full of visitors and throngs of bicycle riders, a legendary herd of once-wild ponies and miles upon miles of national honored beaches, the charmingly unpaved Howard Street and the poignantly serene British Cemetery.
Author Ray McAllister explores them all, then goes further in search of the soul of Ocracoke, discovering what it is that pulls visitors back year after year.
NOW IN THE UPDATED AND EXPANDED 2ND EDITION, the author continues the story, from the shocking devastation of Hurricane Dorian to the joyful 200th anniversary of the lighthouse, from glimpses of famous visitors to the secluded beauty of Springer’s Point, from the moving of structures around the island to the moving of structures upward on pilings, from concerns about the future to the forgotten past of Ocracoke’s sister island.
Ocracoke: The Pearl of the Outer Banks is a delightful look at what makes Ocracoke special – and, despite an uncertain future, likely always will.
“A casual, chatty introduction to Ocracoke Island and its storied history, with plenty of entertaining tales. McAllister talks about Blackbeard, of course, and has a lifeboat full of shipwreck yards, but there is also material on the Outer Banks ponies, the unique “hoi toide” accent of the Banks natives and details about the Ocracoke lighthouse.”
–THE WILMINGTON STARNEWS
–THE WILMINGTON STARNEWS
“McAllister captures the essence of this island with anecdotes, personal reflections, informal interviews with Ocracokers, and intriguing histories. … Ocracoke: The Pearl of the Outer Banks is part history, part guide book, but mainly it’s a loving tribute.”
–NORTH OF THE JAMES MAGAZINE
–NORTH OF THE JAMES MAGAZINE
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