There is absolutely no shortage of books, literature and travel guides out there chronicling the history, points of interest, color and natural wonders of Maryland.
The following are eight of our favorites.
“Maryland: A New Guide to the Old Line State”
(Johns Hopkins University Press)
By Earl Arnett, Robert J. Brugger and Edward C. Papenfuse
This acclaimed guidebook is a comprehensive, readable and highly informative companion to the natural and historic sites of Maryland, from Antietam National Battlefield to the Hooper Islands, from Deep Creek Lake to Charles County’s Tobacco Road. The authors combine firsthand experience with scholarly research to tell Maryland’s history, from the well-known (Fort McHenry) to the obscure (the Piscataway Indian trails). With more than 120 archival and contemporary images, readers will learn about John Wilkes Booth’s escape route through Southern Maryland; the homes of abolitionist movement leaders Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman; the historic and opulent mansions of Annapolis and Hampton; and the sites of the Crisfield oyster boom and Georges Creek coal rush.
“Maryland Bucket List Adventure Guide”
(Canyon Press)
By Kathy Reed
Part of a national state tourism series, “Maryland Bucket List” offers more than 100 must-see destinations for the adventurous at heart. Among the sites in this book are the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, the Harriet Tubman Museum & Education Center, the Crystal Grottoes Caverns and the Edgar Allan Poe House. “Welcome to your very own adventure guide to exploring the many wonders of the state of Maryland,” writes the author. “Not only does this book lay out the most wonderful places to visit and sights to see in this vast state, but it also provides driving instructions and GPS Coordinates for Google Maps to make exploring that much easier.” A great guide for family-friendly locations to explore without needing to hop on a plane.
“Backroads & Byways of Maryland: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions”
(Countryman Press)
By Leslie Atkins
With Northwest Baltimore’s Cylburn Mansion and Arboretum gracing its cover, “Backroads & Byways of Maryland” offers an insider’s view for residents and travelers alike to the state’s wealth of small towns, scenic beaches, majestic lighthouses and historic landmarks, with an array of maps, color photography and thoroughly updated information from this Maryland-born seasoned travel writer. The recommended drives include the historic and nautical Annapolis, the waterways of the Chesapeake region, Southern Maryland’s tobacco country and the hidden neighborhoods of Baltimore.
“Hiking, Cycling & Canoeing in Maryland: A Family Guide”
(Johns Hopkins University Press)
By Bryan MacKay
From Montgomery County’s Billy Goat Trail to Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County to the Assateague Island barrier island off the eastern coast of the Delmarva Peninsula, “Hiking, Cycling & Canoeing” offers a surplus of recreational opportunities in Maryland. MacKay’s book is arguably the essential guide to outdoor recreation in the state’s parks, preserves and waterways, featuring 23 walks, 16 bicycle rides and 19 canoe trips demonstrating why Maryland is often called “America in Miniature.” The book also features beautiful pen-and-ink drawings by Sandy Glover of the Irvine Natural Science Center.
“Your Maryland: Little-Known Histories from the Shores of the Chesapeake to the Foothills of the Allegheny Mountains”
(Johns University Hopkins Press)
By Ric Cottom
Ric Cottom is the host of WYPR’s program “Your Maryland.” Collected here are 72 of his favorite on-air pieces, with papercut illustrations by Baltimore artist Annie Howe. From accused witches and the murderous career of gunsmith John Dandy through tales of Johnny Unitas and “the Greatest Game Ever Played,” “Your Maryland” offers fascinating glimpses into nearly four centuries of the Free State’s heroes and scoundrels. Cottom plumbs the depths of regional history with stories about beautiful spies, brilliant writers, misunderstood pirates and paranormal beings.
“Weird Maryland: Your Travel Guide to Maryland’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets”
(Union Square & Co.)
By Matt Lake
This compendium to all things unique, quirky and downright bizarre about the “Old Line State” offers an intriguing guide for the perplexed and curious. Among the offbeat places chronicled are Baltimore’s Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry; the Crybaby Bridge near Annapolis where a murder-suicide reportedly took place in the 1970s (and you can supposedly hear the wail of an infant at night); the bucolic and oddly named Devil’s Backbone County Park near Boonsboro in Washington County; and the allegedly haunted Camp Conowingo in Harford County and its creepy Chimney Trail. “Weird Maryland” is chock full of fascinating tidbits, folklore, legends and secrets about the state.
“The Chesapeake Book of the Dead”
(Johns Hopkins University Press)
By Helen Chappell
Granted, this one may be a bit morbid or too melancholy for some folks. But for those who frequently find themselves strolling through cemeteries to learn more about history and those notables who once graced our world, Chappell’s book is essential reading. The Chesapeake Bay region offers a rich assortment of final resting places, many of them dating back to the early 1600s. With photographer Starke Jett, Chappell visits the graveyards of the celebrated and the obscure, Among the weather-beaten headstones and abandoned graveyards are some truly fascinating stories and elegiac looks at love and tragedy. With its lively prose and haunting black-and-white images, “The Chesapeake Book of the Dead” offers a sense of nostalgia and comfort.
“On Middle Ground: A History of the Jews of Baltimore”
(Johns Hopkins University Press)
By Eric L. Goldstein and Deborah R. Weiner
“On Middle Ground” is the first truly comprehensive history of Charm City’s Jewish community, full of absorbing stories about the Jewish experience here and Baltimore Jewry’s evolution into such a unique culture. The authors detail how the city began to attract enterprising merchants during the American Revolution when it thrived as one of the few ports remaining free of British blockade. They trace Baltimore’s meteoric rise as a commercial center and explore the important role of Jewish entrepreneurs. “On Middle Ground” is essential for all scholars and enthusiasts of local Jewish history and lore.
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