Long Beach Island Chronicles

In this curated selection of great writing, the shared experience that is Long Beach Island is a delight for locals and visitors alike.

More than 70 stories capture quintessential experiences on the water and on the beach, during the joy of a Shore summer and in our dramatically different seasons. There is humor, history and nature, the terror of great storms, environmental warnings from the past, and timeless Island pleasures that continue from one generation to the next.

From stories about landmarks to ice cream; from fishing, sailing, and surfing to rescues, beachcombing, and entertainment, this collection is a salty sampler of authentic Long Beach Island life, curated by Margaret Thomas Buchholz from the archives of The SandPaper, The Beachcomber, and other publications. There are personal accounts of summer jobs, surfing history, rumrunners, beachcombings, a threatened lighthouse, the flooded island, music and clubs, terrifying storms, the joy of summer crowds, and more.

Five sections — Up and Down the Island, On the Water, Night Beat, Island Storms, The Environment, and Way Back When — explore the full spectrum of LBI life.