Mystic Seaport Book Signings

July 20, 2013, 11a.m. - 4 p.m. - Author Vivian Volovar visits to sign copies of her illustrated book Lobster Lady. From Mystic, Conn., Volovar has been lobstering commercially in the waters of Fishers Island Sound and eastern Long Island since 1978. She is known up and down the coast as the "Lobster Lady." Volovar's charming children's book invites young readers to spend a day aboard Andy's Girl with the Lobster Lady and learn all there is to know about lobstering. Copies of the author's book will be available for purchase.

July 21, 2013, from 1-5 p.m. - Author Vivian Volovar is back to sign copies of her charming children's book Lobster Lady.

September 15, 2013, from 1 - 4 p.m. -- A History of Collegiate Rowing in America author Daniella K. Garran will visit during our annual Coastweeks Regatta to sign copies of her book which captures the spirit of the nation's collegiate rowing. Chart the rise in the popularity of rowing from the first collegiate crew founded at Yale University in 1843 to the development of the over 300 programs nationwide today. Relive the prominent races and regattas that various college crews took part in, including the Head of the Charles, the Eastern Sprints, and the Olympics. Interviews with past and present coaches and rowers, as well as 142 beautiful images illustrate the essence of the sport. This nostalgic celebration of the oldest college sport in the country will be a treasured keepsake for all rowers and their families as well as a wonderful resource for historians and sports enthusiasts.

September 21, 2013, from 1-4 p.m. - Francis Carroll, professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba and the prize-winning author of 10 books, visits to sign copies of Athenia Torpedoed: The U-boat Attack That Ignited the Battle of the Atlantic. Carroll's book tells the true story of how just hours after World War II was declared, Germany struck its first blow, firing without warning on the passenger liner Athenia. The British ship was loaded with Americans, Canadians, and Europeans attempting to cross the Atlantic before the outbreak of war. As the ship sank, 1,306 were rescued but 112 people were lost, including 30 Americans. This account of the disaster, based on new research, tells a dramatic story of tragedy and triumph, as historian Francis Carroll chronicles the survivors' experiences and explains how the incident shaped policy in the U.S., UK, and Canada. For Britain, it was seen as a violation of international law and convoys were sent to protect shipping. In Canada, Athenia's sinking rallied support to go to war. In the United States, it exposed Germany as a serious threat and changed public opinion enough to allow the country to sell munitions and supplies to Britain and France.

All signings are held at the Museum Store. Meet more authors at the Maritime Author Series at Mystic Seaport.

Authors who have recently visited the Museum Bookstore:

Winter 2013
Herb McCormick, author of One Island, One Ocean: The Epic Environmental Journey Around the Americas

Fall 2012
Marcus Rediker, author of The Amistad Rebellion
Chipp Reid, author of Intrepid Sailors: The Legacy of Preble's Boys and the Tripoli Campaign
Keith A. Herkalo, author of The Battles at Plattsburgh: September 11, 1814
James Tertius de Kay, author of Roosevelt's Navy: The Education of a Warrior President, 1882-1920
Vivian Volovar, author of Lobster Lady

Summer 2012
Alex Ellison, author of A Star to Sail Her By: A Five Year Odyssey of Coming of Age at Sea
Matthew "Constant Waterman" Goldman, author of MoonWind at Large
Stuart M. Frank, author of Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved: Scrimshaw in the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
James L. Nelson, author of George Washington's Great Gamble.