The Chesapeake Bay region is littered with historical relics dating from the 1607 Jamestown settlement through the American Revolution and the Civil War. This author's knowledge of Bay area history is astonishing and his photographs of its notable features are extraordinary; had it not been for Earle's skill with the camera, some of these historical places would have been lost to history. The shoreline of Chesapeake Bay covers between four and five thousand miles and an effort has been made to treat each of the counties touched by it. The country falls into five sections, designated as follows: Western Tidewater Virginia, Upper Bay Counties, Southern Maryland, Eastern Shore of Maryland, and Eastern Shore of Virginia. Each of these five divisions has a separate history. Dozens of wonderful old homes and estates are photographed and documented here, complete with the histories of those places and the people who lived there. From the earliest settlements in Jamestown and Williamsburg in Virginia, to St. Mary's and Annapolis in Maryland, not a road or a river is left unexplored by this book. Approximately 250 illustrations bring out the charm and beauty of historic Chesapeake Bay. A comprehensive index of names and locations, and, maps of Chesapeake Bay and St. Mary's City add to the value of this work.