The author's detailed account of his walking tour of the Atlantic coast captures the beauty of the region but also reveals that more than ninety percent of the shoreline is privately owned and that pollution and development have taken a heavy toll. This is a loving, literate journey along the Atlantic coastline from Maine to Florida. Thorndike infuses his personal observations with historical data, geographical and meteorological details, current events, and the like. This curious mixture introduces us to everything from a picture of Hurricane Hugo's impact on Charleston, South Carolina, to the location of Murder Inc.'s notorious watery dumping ground. The cameos of local residents are sharply descriptive--from the "captain" of Maine's wild blueberry industry to the husband-wife team who organized a "save the reef" effort in Florida. Make no mistake, this is not a travel guide but a poetic journey for those who want to savor vicariously the rich coastal landscape. Recommended for circulating libraries. - Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, N.J. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.