Description: Stretching nearly 2,100 miles along the Atlantic Ocean, America's eastern coastline is shared by only fourteen states--New Jersey among them. Of its 564 municipalities, only a select few touch the sea. These shores were once home to the Lenape people, who thrived on the region's fertile rivers, lush woodlands and bountiful ocean.
Brief description: Rich Romano is an author, historian, and photographer with a passion for uncovering the forgotten corners of New Jersey and New York. Known for blending his original photographs with rich historical detail, Romano brings the past to life through both words and images. His first book, Forgotten New Jersey, explored the state's hidden history through a visual lens. In Death Island, he turns his focus to Roosevelt Island--once home to prisons, asylums, and smallpox hospitals--to uncover the chilling and complex layers of one of New York City's most overlooked landmarks. His next project explores the exclusive towns along the fabled Jersey Shore in the Ocean Access: Beachfront Towns series; volume 1 covers Monmouth & Ocean Counties, while volume 2 heads further south for Atlantic and Cape May Counties. When not researching or writing, Romano can be found exploring urban ruins and capturing hauntingly beautiful photos of the places history left behind.