Penobscot Bay is the jewel of mid-coast Maine, a landscape of close-knit communities and picturesque ports whose scenery is matched only by its rich history. Granite from the quarries on Vinalhaven has built bridges, banks and monuments in twenty-three states. Ships launched in Searsport and Belfast have traveled the world. Harry Gratwick explores these and other episodes in Penobscot Bay''s past, from the first recorded solar eclipse in Islesboro in 1780 to a covert meeting between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in 1941. He also recalls some of the region''s most indelible characters and traditions, including South Orrington''s Earl ''on the River'' Morrill and the Vinalhaven North Haven basketball rivalry. Describing war, sport, industry and tragedy, he captures the essence of Penobscot Bay.