Jones Beach looms large in the hearts and lives of millions of New Yorkers. From its windswept beginnings on the far edge of an empire to its twentieth-century status as America's greatest public beachfront resort, it has been home to countless memories. In this evocative book, John Hanc explores the traditions, institutions, controversies, and characters of this beloved seaside resort, now a state historic landmark. He tells the stories of those who have shaped Jones Beach into a cultural icon?including public planning giant Robert Moses and beloved entertainer Guy Lombardo. The foreword is by ?Mr. Long Island,? former Newsday columnist Ed Lowe.

John Hanc teaches journalism and writing at the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury. A writer specializing in fitness, active sports and history, he is the author of eight books, most recently, The Coolest Race on Earth: Mud, Madmen, Glaciers and Grannies at the Antarctica Marathon.

Ed Lowe (foreword), affectionately known as "Mr. Long Island," was a reporter for Newsday from 1969, and from 1976 until 2004 he was a columnist for the paper. Since 2005, he has been writing a weekly column for The Long Island Press and The Neighbor Newspapers.

Introduction by Ed Lowe

1: The Battle for the Beach

2: Pirate Jones

3: An Island Unto Itself

4: "The Beach Is Apparently Endless"
5: The Girls (and Boys) From Jones Beach
6: King of All Beaches

7: The Guy Who Loved the Beach
8: Esprit de Corps: The Jones Beach Lifeguards
9: Endless Summer