WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH: The Luminous Island

Soon after crossing the drawbridge from the mainland, you'll reach a fork in the road. Bearing left will take you to the famous Johnnie Mercer's Fishing Pier and near the site where a giant sperm whale named Trouble once washed ashore and refused to leave. Bearing right will take you to the classic downtown and points south, including the Coast Guard station and the site of the late, great Lumina Pavillion. "Wrightsville Beach: The Luminous Island" is Ray McAllister's homage to a special place, a book that captures not only Wrightsville's history but its heart. Along the way, he shares stories of fire and and hurricanes and beach trolleys and Big Bands. Through all the changes, Wrightsville has never forgotten the hospitality that made it such a destination in the first place. Just ask the airplane full of Pennsylvanians who fled here to escape one of America's first man-made disasters. Or the thousands who continue to come for happier reasons today.The award-winning "Wrightsville Beach" has been a continuous seller since its 2007 publication by John F. Blair, Publisher. The 2nd Edition, distributed by Beach Glass Books for the book's 10th anniversary, is 35 percent larger, with double the number of illustrations, further enhancing it as a keepsake or gift. Included is a new foreword by Washington StarNews Book Columnist Ben Steelman and an afterword by the author detailing changes and challenges facing Wrightsville Beach. In addition to this paperback, a signed hardcover edition continues to be available.