Ocracoke Pearl of the Outer Banks (2nd Ed) - Ray McAllister

Ocracoke Island is a vacation paradise, beautiful and often serene. It has rarely been entirely safe, however. Treacherous storms, pirates and even German submarines have taken down ships offshore and made the onshore lives of islanders uncertain. It was at Ocracoke that America’s most famous pirate, the ruthless Blackbeard, met his end in a ferocious battle with naval authorities. The pirate was shot or wounded 25 times before finally dying of a throat slashing.
 
 
There is, of course, a gentler side to Ocracoke, as well. The island is home to the iconic 1823 lighthjouse that is only 75 feet tall and a photographer’s favorite. Here, too, are ferries full of visitors and throngs of bicycle riders, a legendary herd of once-wild ponies and miles upon miles of national honored beaches, the charmingly unpaved Howard Street and the poignantly serene British Cemetery.
 
 
Author Ray McAllister explores them all, then goes further in search of the soul of Ocracoke, discovering what it is that pulls visitors back year after year.