Bøger af Amy Waters Yarsinske

Yorktown's position of first rank in the annals of American history, earned with the British defeat there in the fall of 1781 that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War in favor of the American colonies, also effectively ended the war. Though Yorktown no longer appears as it did when it was an important eighteenth-century port city or when the British were trapped within its boundaries during that fateful siege, it is still a place of national importance--a place where independence for the United States of America was won. In the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: "I like to dwell not on the surrender of an army under a brave leader but rather on the genesis, as a result of this conflict, of a new concept of liberty for the human race--an ideal," he continued, "which quickly made itself felt among our allies of France and our mother peoples of the British Isles, and spread at last throughout the greater part of the civilized world." The changing fortunes of time and place, to include a world often turned upside down, has not diminished these words, offered by the nation's future thirty-second president during the sesquicentennial celebration of the British surrender.

Berthed today at NAUTICUS, the National Maritime Center, the USS Wisconsin (BB-64) was the last authorized of the four Iowa-class battleships, the largest American dreadnoughts ever built. Wisconsin saw action in World War II and the Korean Conflict for which the Big Wisky earned a collective six battle stars. Brought out of mothballs and recommissioned a second time on October 22, 1988, the Wisconsin saw action again during the Persian Gulf War but was decommissioned a third time on September 30, 1991. But this great piece of American history was not destined for a lengthy slumber. Resurrected by the city of Norfolk and USS Wisconsin Foundation, working in lockstep with the Navy, it has become a museum ship and Navy heritage site that continues the legacy of duty, honor, and country that was the calling card of Wisconsin's crew, and to inspire future generations of Americans.

Photographs chosen for this volume are testament to the power of a picture is worth a thousand words. Each photograph tells a story of Norfolk through time, starting with the city center--the downtown--before going down to the river, revisiting the significance of the streetcar and the horseless carriage on the city's development, moving into the wards, and, finally, a journey to the Chesapeake Bay on the city's north shore. In this fascinating selection of photographs Amy Waters Yarsinske traces some of the many ways in which Norfolk has changed and developed over the last century. With over three centuries of rich history, and with so little intact of the city's historic built environment, photographs are a priceless record of Norfolk, the sunrise city by the sea.

Few would guess from looking at the resplendent Virginia Beach shoreline-its stretches of fine sand, sloping dunes, and rolling waves-that the city has experienced anything but peace and tranquility since the history of its native Chesapeake tribe collided with the ambition and vision of new European settlers on the colonial coastline. But turmoil and conflict, as well as progress and achievement, are all a part of the area''s unique story.Virginia Beach: A History of Virginia''s Golden Shore brings to life the people, places, and events that contributed to the city''s celebrated reputation. Through stories and memories, readers are introduced to the varied citizens who called this land home, including such characters as Sarah Offley who married three of early Virginia''s most powerful settlers, and to the city''s illustrious visitors. This volume also details, in both word and image, the influential resort age, which began in 1880 and saw the community flourish as people flocked to the Atlantic shore to dance, picnic, and enjoy the surf at the Princess Anne Hotel. Everyday vacationers mingled with notables such as Alexander Graham Bell and John, Lionel, and Ethel Barrymore at the landmark hotel with the railroad at its front door. Although little of the golden shore remains unchanged, modern residents continue to preserve what they can-especially their memories, pride, and love for the city.