St. Michaels, Maryland, is a town of shipbuilders whose reputation for crafting powerful schooners carries far beyond the shores of young America. And once the War of 1812 starts, that's not necessarily a good thing. For the British have targeted the town as part of their campaign to defeat America in its fight to maintain its independence. And now, in August of 1813 the British fleet is sailing up the Chesapeake River to St. Michaels. The town's militia is assembled but no one expects they can win the fight against the powerful British cannons. Citizens are being evacuated and the town is in turmoil. All young Henry Middle wants to do is find his father amid the chaos of the coming attack. The lanterns he carries will be of use to the militia. As Henry works to conquer his rising fear, he realizes he may hold the answer to outsmarting the British in his very hands. Lisa Papp studied at Iowa State University College of Design and at Du Cret School for the Arts. The Town that Fooled the British marks her authorial debut. Lisa illustrated the Pennsylvania number book, One for All, and collaborated with husband Rob on P is for Princess: A Royal Alphabet. Robert Papp's award-winning artwork includes hundreds of illustrations for major publishers. His first children's book, The Scarlet Stockings Spy, was named an IRA Teachers' Choice. His other books include The Last Brother and M is for Meow: A Cat Alphabet. Rob and Lisa live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Images of America: Around St. Michaels is a visual journey of a town and surrounding countryside through two centuries of life on the water, at work, and at leisure. Known as "the town that fooled the British" during the War of 1812, St. Michaels has continued to inspire independent spirits such as abolitionist Frederick Douglass, novelist James Michener, and the Victorian-era poetess Amelia Welby, whose work was admired by Edgar Allan Poe. These vintage photographs and postcards, featuring everything from antebellum mansions to the skipjacks on the Miles River, were compiled from the St. Michaels Museum at St. Mary's Square, Talbot County Historical Society, Talbot County Library, and private collections. This volume documents the women and men of African, West Indian, and European descent who shaped the history of this landmark scenic town on the Chesapeake Bay.

In the two hundred years following the War of 1812, the Chesapeake Campaign became romanticized in tall tales and local legends. St. Michael's on the Eastern Shore of Maryland was famously cast as the town that fooled the British, and in Baltimore, the defenders of Fort McHenry were reputably rallied by a remarkably patriotic pet rooster. In Virginia, the only casualty in a raid on Cape Henry was reportedly the lighthouse keeper's smokehouse larder, while Admiral Cockburn was said to have supped by the light of the burning Federal buildings in Washington, D.C. Newspaper stories, ordinary citizens and even military personnel embellished events, and two hundred years later, those embellishments have become regional lore. Join historians Ralph E. Eshelman and Scott S. Sheads as they search for the history behind the legends of the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake.

Wilshire, Maryland, a quaint shore town on the Chesapeake, promises Darrell Henshaw a new start in life and a second chance at love. That is, until he learns the town hides an ugly secret. A thirty-year-old murder in the high school. And a frightening ghost stalking his new office. Burned by an earlier encounter with the spirit world, Darrell doesn't want to get involved, but when the desperate ghost hounds him, he concedes. Assisted by his new love, he follows a trail that leads to the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and even the Klu Klux Klan. Then, when two locals who try to help are murdered, Darrell is forced to decide if he's willing to risk his life—and the life of the woman he loves—to expose the killers of a young man he never knew.

Noelle Vincent may have led a wild and scandalous life, but really, isn't every woman entitled to a few secrets? Now the former party girl is gambling on her future when she's tapped to get a new casino off the ground. Suddenly she's upping the ante when she gets her first eye-opening glimpse of gorgeous developer Brock Remington. Ever since he was adopted, Brock has followed a simple law of the Donovan clan: always play your cards close to your chest. But all bets are off when he falls for the sexy, free-spirited new site manager. They're both consenting adults, but Brock wants more. Is Noelle willing to roll the dice on their future, even if it means defying the odds and playing for the highest stakes of all?

There is an otherworldly quality to the Mid-Shore--ghosts seem to rise up from the Chesapeake, and quaint towns hold the spirits of their historic pasts. Oxford's Robert Morris Inn is still home to its colonial namesake, while the Kemp House in St. Michael's is host to the restless specter of Robert E. Lee. Murdered actress Marguerite rides the elevator of the Avalon Theater, and Wish Sheppard stalks the halls of the Denton Jail. Near the witching hour, the eerie sound of the swinging body of "Bloody" Henny Insley can be heard on the grounds of the Dorchester Courthouse. Author and ghost tour guide Mindie Burgoyne takes a chilling journey into the supernatural lore of Maryland's Mid-Shore.

The mysteries and lore of Delmarva in Maryland are revealed here. Between the waters of the Atlantic and the Chesapeake is Delmarva, a storied land that was once the hunting ground of Blackbeard, where ancient sea monsters lurk and wild ponies gallop along the beaches. Local author David Healey explores the lore of Delmarva, from the legends of St. Michaels--the town that escaped British cannons with a clever trick--to stories of Assateague's cannibalistic colonists and the all but forgotten history of Anna Carroll, President Lincoln's "Dear Lady," who is rumored to have brilliantly advised him on strategy during the Civil War. Join Healey as he reveals the secret history and remarkable legends of Delmarva.