Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse by Eric Jay Dolin

In this magnificent compendium (New Republic), best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin presents the definitive history of American lighthouses, and in so doing illuminate[s] the history of America itself (Entertainment Weekly). Treating readers to a memorable cast of characters and fascinating anecdotes (New York Review of Books), Dolin shows how the story of the nation, from a regional backwater colony to global industrial power, can be illustrated through its lighthouses--from New England to the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes, the Pacific Coast, and all the way to Alaska and Hawaii.

A Captain and Classic Boat Best Nautical Book of 2016