OCRACOKE ISLAND, tucked away on North Carolina's Outer Banks, is one of the true gems of America's coastlines.In Ocracoke Lighthouse and The Old Salts, award-winning historian Ellen Fulcher Cloud shares the story of both the iconic lighthouse and the men who worked Ocracoke's waters for generations. Her unparalleled research, little-known stories and own family tradition make this a must-read for any lover of the Outer Banks. First published 25 years ago as Ocracoke Lighthouse, Part 1 shares the story of the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina and the second oldest on the East Coast. Cloud unearths original details of the 1823 construction, as well as maintenance and logbook records kept by the keepers of the lighthouse. Then she tells her personal story and that of a few other public-spirited friends who engaged in the rollicking "Great Window Heist" to keep the historic lighthouse from being unalterably damaged by government officials.Part 2, first published as Old Salt, introduces the men of the sea ¿men who made their living working the water and risked their lives every day in doing so. From 1715, when pilots first were assigned to Ocracoke, until the 1960s, almost every man on the island ¿went down to the sea.¿ Cloud lets us know these seafaring men, pilots, fishermen and shrimpers, men of war, ship builders, surfmen of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, and even her own father.LONG ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to find, the two books comprising Ocracoke Lighthouse and The Old Salts are presented in an enhanced edition with more pages and photographs, additional material, computer-enhanced photo resolution and a keepsake hardcover binding.

PORTSMOUTH ISLAND, THE GHOST VILLAGE OF THE OUTER BANKS, attracts curiosity seekers and history lovers, both. A small, now uninhabited island southwest of Ocracoke Island, Portsmouth was once a thriving seaport serving the North Carolina coast.Ellen Fulcher Cloud's Portsmouth: The Way It Was shares the island's early history, based on information never before documented: records of storms, wars, and Federal occupation during the Civil War (and claims to the government for losses), along with numerous personal letters and photographs. War activities from the Spanish Invasion through the Civil War are documented, as is the story of America's first marine hospital, established on Portsmouth in 1820, and of Dr. Samuel Dudley, the wealthy second physician in charge. We meet John Wallace, the businessman "Governor of Shell Castle," and the brave members of the Life-Saving Service. We learn of the integral role of the island's one black family, listen in on a daylong interview with Mrs. Mattie Gilgo (1885-1976) about Portsmouth life a century ago, and get an inside look at the village school and postal service. And we learn of Portsmouth's eventual transition to an oddity -- a village of empty homes, church and post office, maintained today by the National Park Service.The book depicts a way of life on the Outer Banks that is all but forgotten.Long almost impossible to find, Portsmouth: The Way It Was is back in an enhanced second edition, with more pages and photographs, computer-enhanced photo resolution and, for the first time, a keepsake, hardcover binding.It is a book that should find its way onto the shelf of every Outer Banks lover.

As many visitors to Ocracoke will attest, the island's vibrant dialect is one of its most distinctive cultural features. In Hoi Toide on the Outer Banks, Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling-Estes present a fascinating account of the Ocracoke brogue. They trace its development, identify the elements of pronunciation, vocabulary, and syntax that make it unique, and even provide a glossary and quiz to enhance the reader's knowledge of 'Ocracokisms.' In the process, they offer an intriguing look at the role language plays in a culture's efforts to define and maintain itself. But Hoi Toide on the Outer Banks is more than a linguistic study. Based on extensive interviews with more than seventy Ocracoke residents of all ages and illustrated with captivating photographs by Ann Ehringhaus and Herman Lankford, the book offers valuable insight on what makes Ocracoke special. In short, by tracing the history of island speech, the authors succeed in opening a window on the history of the islanders themselves.

Are ghosts real? Are there truly haunted places, only haunted people, or both? And how can we know? Taking neither a credulous nor a dismissive approach, this first-of-its-kind book solves those perplexing mysteries and more--even answering the question of why we care so very much. Putting aside purely romantic tales, this book examines the actual evidence for ghosts--from eyewitness accounts to mediumistic productions (such as diaphanous forms materializing in dim light), spirit photographs, ghost-detection phenomena, and even CSI-type trace evidence. Offering numerous exciting case studies, this book engages in serious investigation rather than breathless mystifying. Pseudoscience, folk legends, and outright hoaxes are challenged and exposed, while the historical, cultural, and scientific aspects of ghost experiences and haunting reports are carefully explored. The author--the world's only professional paranormal investigator--brings his skills as a stage magician, private detective, folklorist, and forensic science writer to bear on a topic that demands serious study.

Seven years ago, suspense novelist Andrew Thomas's life was shattered when he was framed for a series of murders. The killer's victims were unearthed on Andrew's lakefront property, and since he was wanted by the FBI, Andrew had no choice but to flee and to create a new identity. Andrew does just that in a cabin tucked away in the remote wilderness near Haines Junction, Yukon. His only link to society is by e-mail, through which he learns that all the people he ever loved are being stalked and murdered. Culminating in the spooky and secluded Outer Banks of North Carolina, the paths of Andrew Thomas, a psychotic named Luther Kite, and a young female detective collide. Locked Doors is a novel of blistering suspense that will scare you to death.

Keywords: Ocracoke, Outer Banks, Lighthouse, Blackbeard, shipwrecks, beaches, British Cemetery, Howard Street.2ND EDITION, ENHANCED WITH MORE PHOTOS, AUTHOR SIGNATURE.OCRACOKE, that magical name that refers to both island and village, has always meant something special. It may have been derived from a Native American word for ?enclosed place,? fitting for the village of Ocracoke is indeed an enclosed place on the island of Ocracoke, at least as much as possible on North Carolina's OUTER BANKS. It is tucked away from the Atlantic Ocean on the Pamlico Sound ? like a pearl. It is a vacation paradise. Ocracoke, though beautiful and often serene, has rarely been entirely safe. TREACHEROUS STORMS, PIRATES AND EVEN GERMAN SUBMARINES HAVE TAKEN DOWN SHIPS offshore and made the onshore lives of islanders uncertain. It was at Ocracoke that America's most famous pirate, the ruthless BLACKBEARD, met his end in a ferocious battle with naval authorities. The pirate was shot or wounded 25 times before finally dying of a throat slashing. There is, of course, a gentler side to Ocracoke, as well. The island is home to the iconic 1823 LIGHTHOUSE that is only 75 feet tall and a photographer's favorite. Here, too, are ferries full of visitors and throngs of bicycle riders, a legendary herd of once-wild PONIES and miles upon miles of nationally honored BEACHES, the charmingly unpaved HOWARD STREET and the poignantly serene BRITISH CEMETERY. Award-winning author Ray McAllister explores them all, then goes further in search of the soul of Ocracoke, discovering what it is that pulls visitors back year after year. Along the way, he teams with Dr. Stephen Leatherman, the world-famous Dr. Beach, to advance an audacious and compelling new proposal for the island. Ocracoke: The Pearl of the Outer Banks is a delightful look at what has made Ocracoke special ? and likely always will.