Archipelago - New York

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. From the publisher ---

This mesmerizing photographic and literary log book unravels the mysteries of more than seventy islands dotting the sea from New York Harbor at the mouth of the Hudson to Fishers Island Sound. This magical island world, hiding in plain sight, is revealed aboard documentary filmmaker and writer Thomas Halaczinsky's thirty-foot sailboat. His course follows the route of Adriaen Block, the first European who in 1614 sailed and mapped this area. On old marine charts, these islands have curious-sounding names such as Money Island, Pot Island, and Rats Island, while names such as Rockaway, Jamaica Bay, and Montauk speak of the indigenous people who once inhabited the land. Rooted in history, local tales are interwoven with current themes such as climate change and wrapped in the narrative of sailing in quest of a sense of place.

I do not like sailboats but this book made me want to go on a sea voyage! I loved the stories behind the place names and the photos were beautiful: it’s hard to believe that some were taken just a stone’s throw from one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas! A must for water lovers and photography freaks as it will neatly slide into your bookshelves without too much of a complaint.