The heart of coastal Maine
Where else could Franklin D. Roosevelt convince everyone he was going fishing while secretly meeting with Winston Churchill? That anecdote and many other local stories help bring Penobscot Bay to life in a compact, thoughtfully organized history.
Penobscot Bay: People, Ports and Pastimes (The History Press, 2009) by Harry Gratwick is a concise, engaging look at midcoast Maine and the ways this coastal region has influenced both local communities and broader national events. Written in an accessible style, the book collects stories about the bay’s maritime heritage and the people who lived, worked and traveled there. It blends narrative history with visual material—black-and-white drawings and photographs—that help readers imagine life on and around the water.
Gratwick’s approach is both local and wide-ranging. Rather than offering a dry chronicle, he highlights human-scale stories, from sailors and shipbuilders to islands’ seasonal rhythms, and he connects them to larger themes in American history. The book touches on naval activity, commercial shipping, and the social life of towns and islands that dot the bay. It also points out notable submarines, vessels and ports that have shaped the local maritime landscape, while remaining readable for nonexperts and attractive to visitors planning a trip to the region.
The paperback edition includes illustrations and historical photographs that amplify the text. These images provide visual context for the chapters and serve as useful reference material for anyone curious about the bay’s built environment, boats and harbors. For travelers, boaters and residents, the book functions as a compact guide to the people and places that define Penobscot Bay—useful background reading before a summer visit or a way for locals to deepen their knowledge of community history.
Author Harry Gratwick brings personal ties to the subject. A longtime summer resident of Vinalhaven, one of the islands in Penobscot Bay, Gratwick recently retired from a career as a history teacher, coach and school administrator. He and his wife, Tita, spend winters in Philadelphia. Penobscot Bay: People, Ports and Pastimes is Gratwick’s first book, and his experience as an educator shows in the clear organization and approachable tone of the chapters.
The volume is particularly well suited for readers who appreciate regional histories that blend anecdote, civic memory and maritime context. History enthusiasts, boaters planning to cruise the bay, local residents wanting a better sense of place, and teachers looking for concise material on New England coastal history will find the book helpful. Its structure makes it easy to read in short sittings or to consult as a reference when visiting specific ports, islands or historic sites.
Although compact, the book emphasizes the enduring connection between Penobscot Bay’s communities and the sea. Gratwick highlights how small ports and island settlements developed around fishing, shipbuilding and navigation, and he shows how those economic and social patterns influenced daily life across generations. Readers will come away with a clearer sense of how maritime industry, seasonal residency, and historical events shaped the character of midcoast Maine.
For those seeking further information about the publisher or additional regional titles, the publisher’s website is listed as www.historypress.net in the original publication details.
This article originally appeared in the Home Waters section of the July 2010 issue.