Ribbon of Sand

“Leaves the reader with a clear sense of place and an understanding of the forces of wind and water.” — Publishers Weekly

“This is a guidebook to be taken along when exploring this fragile place that deserves to be preserved.” — Booklist

“A fascinating look at the Outer Banks. . . . [The authors] appreciate the vital importance of the Outer Banks as a unique, living, changing ecosystem. By the end of Ribbon of Sand, so do we.” — Islands

“[A] chronicle of the inextricable connections between the natural history and human history of this ecosystem. . . . This book provides gentle yet informative reading to round out a portrait of the Outer Banks.” — Audubon Naturalist News

“Whether describing Nature’s part in Blackbeard’s dramatic last battle or explaining the environmental issues of today’s coast, this fine book paints a distinct portrait of a delicate ecosystem and how humans have forever affected it.” — In Southern Words

“A beautifully drawn picture of 'the resiliency and self-correcting mechanism of the natural order' at work on the Outer Banks.” — Outer Banks Magazine

“Full of solid scientific lore but also very much attuned to the human element in interaction with the wonderful outdoors.” — Roy Parker Jr., Fayetteville Observer-Times

“A book to awaken wonder yet also apprehension. . . . Ribbon of Sand is superb.” — Sewanee Review

“With a scientist’s eye for the hidden complexities of the natural world and a historian’s knowledge of how human undertakings are shaped by — and shape — that world, Alexander and Lazell examine the lessons that the Outer Banks have to teach anyone seeking to understand the natural and human dynamics of America’s threatened barrier islands.” — NC Home