Take a literary tour of Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Originally published in 1944 as part of the prestigious Rivers of America series, this second edition brings an American classic back into print and into the hands of a new generation.

Author Hulbert Footner tells the story of Maryland’s Eastern Shore through his colorful narratives of 17 fascinating rivers. His story begins from the day European settlers landed and encountered the Indigenous peoples and continues to the early 20th century. Each river has its own story, character, and beauty, lovingly described during his travels. Footner writes in vivid, glowing prose about the Eastern Shore's people, customs, towns, and houses. He speaks of its politics and economics. The region is rich with American history, from the Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War to the trade of enslaved Africans and the oyster wars over its great natural resource. And Footner captures it all.

Text and illustrations are faithfully reproduced from the original edition, augmented by a biographical sketch written by Footner’s granddaughter and a foreword by noted nature writer Tom Horton. This book is a must-have for those devoted to the character and culture of this coastal region, with its eclectic small towns and pristine natural beauty.

Tom Horton was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland; he grew up hunting, fishing, and consorting with watermen. As a reporter on Chesapeake Bay for the Baltimore Sun (1972–87), he won numerous local and national awards, including the National Wildlife Federation's Conservation Communicator of the Year, the Scripps-Howard Meeman award for best conservation series (on the Amazon jungle), and the Kenny Rogers national award for hunger reporting (on the Ethiopian famine). He is the author of Turning the Tide: Saving the Chesapeake Bay and Bay Country, a series of essays on the Chesapeake environment, which won the John Burroughs Medal. 

Tom Horton's profile page

Hulbert Footner's literary career earned him international stature from the early 1900s until his death in 1944. Canadian by birth, he is honored in his adoptive state of Maryland, which he sensitively portrayed in historical narratives about its tidewater hardiness and spirit of toleration. His most enduring book, Rivers of the Eastern Shore, is beloved by those devoted to the character and culture of this bountiful region.

Hulbert Footner's profile page