Description

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In The Jersey Shore, Dominick Mazzagetti provides a modern re-telling of the history, culture, and landscapes of this famous region, from the 1600s to the present. The Shore, from Sandy Hook to Cape May, became a national resort in the late 1800s and contributes enormously to New Jersey’s economy today. The devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 underscored the area’s central place in the state’s identity and the rebuilding efforts after the storm restored its economic health. 

Divided into chronological and thematic sections, this book will attract general readers interested in the history of the Shore: how it appeared to early European explorers; how the earliest settlers came to the beaches for the whaling trade; the first attractions for tourists in the nineteenth century; and how the coming of railroads, and ultimately automobiles, transformed the Shore into a major vacation destination over a century later. Mazzagetti also explores how the impact of changing national mores on development, race relations, and the environment, impacted the Shore in recent decades and will into the future. Ultimately, this book is an enthusiastic and comprehensive portrait by a native son, whose passion for the region is shared by millions of beachgoers throughout the Northeast.   
 

About the Author

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DOMINICK MAZZAGETTI is the author of Charles Lee: Self Before Country (Rutgers University Press), which received an Honorable Mention for the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond’s 2014 Book Award. Mazzagetti is a lawyer and banker with a fervent interest in American history. He has served as law secretary to the chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and was Acting Commissioner of Banking in the administration of New Jersey Governor Tom Kean. 

Praise For…

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“This engaging and impressively documented work captures the distinctive cultures of shore areas that make the Jersey shore important to U.S. history and to families who live and play there.”
— Karen M. O’Neill

"It's about time that someone wrote this book! Mazzagetti makes the Shore come alive to anyone who wants to explore these places. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in a readable but detailed overview of the history of the Shore."
— Diane Bates

The Jersey Shore by Dominick Mazzagetti event listing
— Gloucester City News

"Shifting Sands" by Tom Wilk
— New Jersey Monthly

"​Don’t Miss Out on These 2018 Summer Must-Haves" by Heather DiNuzzo
— Girl Gone Mom

"An enlightening history of a popular vacation spot and a revealing probe into how it came to be seen as a national treasure. Both regional collections and those interested in American development will find The Jersey Shore well-detailed and nicely integrated with broader American issues and developments."
— Donovan's Literary Services

"Mazzagetti has taken a sprawling, complicated topic and presented it in an intelligent, eminently readable book. Highly recommended."
— Choice

Excerpt of The Jersey Shore by Dominick Mazzagetti
— The History Girl

"With its statewide appeal and treatment of current-day issues facing New Jersey beaches and coastal settlements, those researching the development of the shore will find the book to be a useful reference and guidebook. The book is certainly a welcome addition to New Jersey collections at public and academic libraries, as well as for those readers interested in the history of and problems facing their favorite Jersey Shore community."
— New Jersey Studies

"Author Pens History of the Jersey Shore," by Kara Sibilia
— Elegant Lifestyles Magazine