Fire on the Beach

June 4, 2001
Etheridge, a slave from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, fought in the Civil War before returning to Pea Island to head the first all-black Life-Saving Service unit, the forerunner of the modern Coast Guard. Wright, assistant professor of English at the University of Illinois, and Zoby, who teaches at Caspar College, readily admit they know little about Etheridge himself; though literate, he apparently confined his writing to terse entries in his logbook. So they construct this account of his adventures from his troops' movements in the war and the subsequent development of the Life-Saving Service, whose "surfmen" were important role models since shipwrecks and rescues were pivotal in North Banks culture. Just as black soldiers had to work twice as hard as whites to prove their worth, so Etheridge's rescue unit held itself to extraordinary standards. Yet while the authors studied public records and interviewed locals about this fascinating history, they never hit their stride. In particular, several narrative sequences entitled "The Life of a Surfman" are unconvincingly personal. A straightforward history of Outer Banks black culture or a historical novel would have worked better than this turgid, speculative hybrid, which leans too often on tragic shipwrecks for drama. Details of battle strategy, storm movements and the rescue stations' geography are difficult to follow for lack of maps. Simple diagrams of the two major pieces of rescue technology—the Lyle gun and the surfboat—would also have been helpful. Still, African-American, Civil War and naval history enthusiasts will find this of interest.

July 1, 2001
This true-life story is akin to Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm (LJ 5/15/97), except that the storm here is on shore as well. The story roils with the terrifying racism of slavery's aftermath, as Wright (English, Univ. of Illinois) and Zoby (Caspar Coll.) indicate in this story of the life and times of Richard Etheridge (1842-1900). Born a slave, Etheridge served in the U.S. Colored Troops in the Civil War and in 1880 became captain of Station 17 and the only black man to lead a crew in the U.S. Life-Saving Service (LSS), the forerunner of the Coast Guard. Based at Pea Island, NC, Etheridge and his all-black crew braved the terrors of post-Reconstruction white supremacy and segregation to do rescue duty that, not until 1996, 100 years after the fact, brought them a Gold Life-Saving Medal, the Coast Guard's highest peacetime honor. More than one man's story, this mix of personal and institutional biography brings to life the daily challenges and triumphs of blacks pushed aside, but no less valuable, in a New South. For collections on maritime, local, and African American history. Thomas J. Davis, Arizona State Univ., Tempe

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2001
Wright and Zoby recount an extraordinary story of perseverance, courage, and professionalism in the face of extreme racial prejudice. When former slave, Civil War veteran, and Outer Banks resident Richard Etheridge was appointed keeper of the Pea Island Station of the U.S. Life-Saving Service (the forerunner of the U.S. Coast Guard) in 1880, resentment ran high among the ranks. Though Etheridge was privately acknowledged to be one of the best " surfmen "on the North Carolina coast, the predominantly white crew chose to quit the station rather than work for a black man. Undaunted, Etheridge recruited an African American crew to man one of the most treacherous outposts on the eastern seaboard. Responsible for countless feats of heroism, including the rescue of the entire crew of the E.S." "Newman during a horrific hurricane in 1896, the accomplishments and adventures of the Pea Island Lifesavers have, until recently, been largely overlooked or ignored. The authors have revived a remarkable long-forgotten chapter in the annals of African American history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)