Long hailed as a classic of American nature writing, Henry Beston's eloquent chronicle of a solitary year spent on a Cape Cod beach was written in longhand at the kitchen table, in a little room overlooking the North Atlantic and the dunes. In 1926 Beston retreated to the outer beach at Eastham in search of peace and solitude. What began as a two-week stay lengthened into a year spent keenly observing the rhythm of the seasons and life on the Great Beach. The Outermost House played a part in establishing the Cape Code National Seashore and has profoundly influenced subsequent nature writers, including Rachel Carson, Joseph Wood Krutch, Annie Dillard, and Barry Lopez. This Warbler Classics edition includes an essay by Allan Burns on the art and legacy of The Outermost House as well as a detailed biographical timeline.

Contents

Chapter I. The Beach

Chapter II. Autumn, Ocean, and Birds

Chapter III. The Headlong Wave

Chapter IV. Midwinter

Chapter V. Winter Visitors

Chapter VI. Lanterns on the Beach

Chapter VII. An Inland Stroll in Spring

Chapter VIII. Night on the Great Beach

Chapter IX. The Year at High Tide

Chapter X. Orion Rises on the Dunes

The Art and Legacy of Henry Beston's The Outermost House by Allan Burns

Biographical Timeline