Don Parks has written five previous nonfiction books on the history and heritage of the Chesapeake Bay. Two of them--Chesapeake Splendor and Chesapeake Winds and Tides--recount his travels on the Bay in the 25-foot Yankee Rover. He is the descendant of several generations of watermen who lived on Holland Island, since abandoned to rising water levels. With the exception of a brief departure for military service, he spent his entire career on the Eastern Shore, working as a professional educator.