Since achieving statehood in 1820, Maine has developed into a sometimes mythical vacationland of moose and lobsters and lighthouses set against breathtaking vistas and endless natural beauty. But the state's history is more real than postcards; replete with tragedy and triumph, and boasting powerful politicians, brilliant inventors, successful athletes, and talented creative professionals. Although a small state, it has often touched the world in an outsized way, from the heroics of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at Little Round Top during the Civil War to the inspiration and sadness of young Samantha Smith during the Cold War. Along the way, Margaret Chase Smith has inspired, Stephen King has scared, and the Ice Storm challenged. This fascinating book from Joseph Owen, a long-time newspaperman, chronicles day-by-day, from January 1 to December 31, the highlights and lowlights, the famous and infamous, and the big and small of everyday life in Maine. Perfect for history buffs, lovers of Maine, and those looking to learn more about the state during its bicentennial.

It Happened in Maine takes readers on a rollicking, behind-the-scenes look at some of the characters and episodes from the Pine Tree State's storied past. Including both famous tales, and famous names--and little-known heroes, heroines, and happenings.

It Happened in Maine takes readers on a rollicking, behind-the-scenes look at some of the characters and episodes from the Pine Tree State's storied past. Including both famous tales, and famous names--and little-known heroes, heroines, and happenings.

Discover 400 years of New England history you won’t find in guidebooks in this collection of true stories and colorful characters from The Pine Tree State. Maine wouldn’t be the magical place it is today without the contributions of little-known individuals whose inspiring and adventuresome lives make up the story of Maine's "hidden history." Journalist and Maine historian Harry Gratwick presents vividly detailed portraits of these Mainers, from the controversial missionary Sebastien Rale to Woolwich native William Phips, whose seafaring attacks against French Canada earned him the first governorship of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Gratwick also profiles inventors such as Robert Benjamin Lewis, an African American from Gardiner who patented a hair growth product in the 1830s, and Margaret Knight, a York native who defied nineteenth-century sexism to earn the nickname "the female Edison." From soprano Lillian Nordica, who left Farmington to become the most glamorous American opera singer of her day, to slugger George "Piano Legs" Gore, the only Mainer to ever win a Major League Baseball batting championship, Hidden History of Maine reveals the men and women who made history without making it into history books.

This breakout New York Times bestseller from the celebrated author of Commencement and The Engagements, introduces four unforgettable women and the abiding, often irrational love that keeps them coming back, every summer, to Maine and to each other. For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. As three generations of Kelleher women arrive at the family's beach house, each brings her own hopes and fears. Maggie is thirty-two and pregnant, waiting for the perfect moment to tell her imperfect boyfriend the news; Ann Marie, a Kelleher by marriage, is channeling her domestic frustration into a dollhouse obsession and an ill-advised crush; Kathleen, the black sheep, never wanted to set foot in the cottage again; and Alice, the matriarch at the center of it all, would trade every floorboard for a chance to undo the events of one night, long ago.

The dark woods of Maine have been the setting for many eerie and unexplained events, none more captivating than sightings of a giant hominid known as Bigfoot. But what makes this corner of New England such a perfect place for this cryptid to live? Learn about the ecology and geography that support the legend and meet the people forever changed by close encounters with it. From previously unpublished eyewitness accounts to modern-day media portrayals, author and illustrator Michelle Souliere presents this detailed history of the phenomenon and folklore that has lurked in shadows for generations.

Stories From Maine is a collection of incredible and interesting stories, which include the lore and legends usually omitted from history all told in narrative form.