Nantucket: Photo tour of Nantucket’s shingled cottages, harbor views, and relaxed coastal style.

by Leslie Linsley, Terry Pommett (Photographs)

In this handsomely illustrated book, longtime Nantucket residents Leslie Linsley and Terry Pommett give you an insider’s look at the on-island the restored historic homes of Nantucket town and ‘Sconset Village, the appealingly humble beachfront cottages that dot the island’s shoreline, and the beautifully tended gardens—formal and informal—that grace Nantucket’s private houses and public buildings.

Imagine a place of unspoiled beaches, windswept dunes, and dramatic natural beauty. A place free of traffic lights and blaring commercial come-ons. A place whose rich historical heritage is visible everywhere—from the antiques-shop windows filled with handmade baskets and scrimshawed ivories to the spare, shingle-clad houses that coexist harmoniously with the surrounding land- and seascapes. Imagine a place designed, by man and nature, to relax and restore you.

Nantucket Island is that place. Thirty miles off Cape Cod, Nantucket is both geographically isolated and—as an internationally regarded vacation resort—culturally sophisticated. Nantucketers are rightly proud of a manner of living that couples the casual comforts of small-town life with an urbane sense of glamour, taste, and style.

Island Living features more than 200 color photos that document the other attractions—panoramic views, home-grown handicrafts, seasonal celebrations—that make Nantucket such a rewarding place to spend a day, a summer, or a lifetime.

Genres: Travel

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Leslie Linsley has published more than 70 books on crafts and decorating. Her articles have appeared in Family Circle, where she was the contributing craft editor for 15 years, Woman’s Day, Victoria, Country Living, Redbook, House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Good Housekeeping, Martha Stewart Living, O, and HGTV online. Her newspaper column, “At Home With Leslie Linsley,” appears weekly in the Nantucket Inquirer & Mirror and The Key West Citizen.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book!!!

[Karen Funfgeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever wanted to visit -- or revisit -- Nantucket but can't travel right now, this book might be the ticket. With beautiful photographs and a focus on architecture and interior design, this coffee table book also gives the reader a sense of the whaling history, natural beauty and traditions that make this island 30 miles off of Cape Cod so special. After admiring many of these homes, built in the 1700s and 1800s, from the outside during summer vacations, I finally get to peek inside.

"Nantucket is more than a place -- it is a state of mind. First-time visitors to the island are often struck by its physical quaintness and the charm and plainness of its Quaker-influenced buildings. Gray and weathered shingles, fences defining close-set yards, railed entrances, and twelve-over-twelve paned windows typify island architecture. Everything is in harmony and of a piece, and this has a calming effect on the visitor, who may have left a more hectic world behind."

"No other community of this size has had such an impact on the world as this isolated island. And the mere mention of its name evokes images of romance and mystery, a place to go to get away from the real world, a town that has been likened to Brigadoon.

[LOVEROFBOOKS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs!

Checked this out at the library but now I have to buy it. The photographs are just gorgeous and so unique to Nantucket's style of living. There is just enough information to not overload you in the text and the font is not too small either.

A perfect coffee table book and one to look at repeatedly. It's relaxing, comforting and in my opinion, just equals happiness.