A history of America as reflected by the nation's lighthouses combines maritime lore with original details to trace coastal political, military, and technological expansions, citing the roles of key contributors.

"The Confederacy extinguished the lights in all the lighthouses it controlled long before any shots were fired at Fort Sumter. When the Southern Lights Went Dark: The Lighthouse Establishment During the Civil War tells the story of the men who assumed the daunting task of finding the lenses and lamps, repairing deliberate destruction to the towers and lightships, and relighting them as soon as the Navy could afford them protection. From Cape Hatteras...