Bay Country

Must reading in a city that reinvented itself by seeking its harbor roots.

Mr. Horton—a Baltimore journalist who has developed a devoted but hitherto local following—ventures into a small, distinguished circle of nature writers. Fans of Aldo Leopold, John McPhee, and Sigurd Olson won't be disappointed.

Sailing down the Chesapeake in this book is bracing, for Horton is knowledgeable, thoughtful, full of wonder about the natural world and outspoken... As Smith Islanders might say, it's a 'right smart' book.

This is not merely a book for those who already know the Chesapeake, although they will be enchanted by Tom Horton's vast knowledge, narrative skills and eye for detail. Like the true bay native he is, Mr. Horton uses the Chesapeake as a limitless resource from which to harvest a great bounty of observations about politics, nature, and human beings.

Must reading in a city that reinvented itself by seeking its harbor roots.