Down East

An Illustrated History of Maritime Maine

From the Red Paint people who hunted swordfish from dugouts more than four thousand years ago, to the Androscoggin, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and other peoples who occupied the land and coastal islands before European fishermen and colonists arrived, to the century of ships, to our modern fisheries and maritime diversification, Paine has produced an engaging and detailed narrative of Maine’s maritime history that relates the people and landscape of today to their historic foundations.

Enlivened by more than 220 illustrations, Paine’s overview of Maine’s maritime history ranges from early Native American travel and fishing to pre-Plymouth European settlements, wars, international trade, shipbuilding, boom-and-bust fisheries, immigrant quarrymen, the international trade in ice, quick-lime production, yachting, and modern port facilities, all unfolding against one of the most dramatic seascapes on the planet.

Down East is an enjoyable read that will be referred to again and again. When the first edition was published in 2000, veteran newscaster Walter Cronkite―seasoned Maine coast sailor as well as The Most Trusted Man in America―wrote that “Paine’s economy of phrase and clarity of purpose make this book a delight.”

The new edition is printed in a large, full-color format with a stunning complement of color illustrations—paintings, historical photos, charts, and ephemera—that makes Down East a stunning visual journey along a storied coast.