About the book
Reframing the American story from the vantage point of the nation’s watery edges, Jamin Wells shows that disasters have not only bedeviled the American beach — they created it. Though the American beach is now one of the most commercialized, contested, and engineered places on the planet, few people visited it or called it home at the beginning of the nineteenth century. By the twentieth century, the American beach had become the summer encampment of presidents, a common destination for millions of citizens, and the site of rapidly growing beachfront communities. Shipwrecked tells the story of this epic transformation, arguing that coastal shipwrecks themselves changed how Americans viewed, used, and inhabited the shoreline.
Drawing on a broad range of archival material — including logbooks, court cases, personal papers, government records, and cultural ephemera — Wells examines how shipwrecks laid the groundwork for the beach tourism industry that would transform the American beach from coastal frontier to oceanfront playspace, spur substantial state and private investment alongshore, reshape popular ideas about the coast, and turn the beach into a touchstone of the American experience.
Editions of Shipwrecked
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469660899
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469660905
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469660929
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890860262
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469660912
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890860255
Read an Excerpt
Reframing the American story from the vantage point of the nation’s watery edges, Jamin Wells shows that disasters have not only bedeviled the American beach — they created it. Though the American beach is now one of the most commercialized, contested, and engineered places on the planet, few people visited it or called it home at the beginning of the nineteenth century. By the twentieth century, the American beach had become the summer encampment of presidents, a common destination for millions of citizens, and the site of rapidly growing beachfront communities. Shipwrecked tells the story of this epic transformation, arguing that coastal shipwrecks themselves changed how Americans viewed, used, and inhabited the shoreline.
Drawing on a broad range of archival material — including logbooks, court cases, personal papers, government records, and cultural ephemera — Wells examines how shipwrecks laid the groundwork for the beach tourism industry that would transform the American beach from coastal frontier to oceanfront playspace, spur substantial state and private investment alongshore, reshape popular ideas about the coast, and turn the beach into a touchstone of the American experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shipwrecked about?
Reframing the American story from the vantage point of the nation’s watery edges, Jamin Wells shows that disasters have not only bedeviled the American beach — they created it. Though the American beach is now one of the most commercialized, contested, and engineered places on the planet, few people visited it or called it home at the beginning of the nineteenth century. By the twentieth century, the American beach had become the summer encampment of presidents, a common destination for millions of citizens, and the site of rapidly growing beachfront communities. Shipwrecked tells the story of this epic transformation, arguing that coastal shipwrecks themselves changed how Americans viewed, used, and inhabited the shoreline.
Drawing on a broad range of archival material — including logbooks, court cases, personal papers, government records, and cultural ephemera — Wells examines how shipwrecks laid the groundwork for the beach tourism industry that would transform the American beach from coastal frontier to oceanfront playspace, spur substantial state and private investment alongshore, reshape popular ideas about the coast, and turn the beach into a touchstone of the American experience.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Shipwrecked?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social and ethical issues > Social impact of disasters / accidents (natural or man-made)
Where can I read a sample of Shipwrecked?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469660899
How long is Shipwrecked and how many pages does it have?
Shipwrecked has 258 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Shipwrecked?
Jamin Wells
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Shipwrecked is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469660899) and paperback(ISBN 9781469660905) and ebook(ISBN 9781469660929) and ebook(ISBN 9798890860262) and ebook(ISBN 9781469660912) and pdf(ISBN 9798890860255)
Where can I buy Shipwrecked online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Shipwrecked from below
Where can I buy Shipwrecked?