W. Jeffrey Bolster

On October 16, 2013, the Stephen B. Luce Library as part of its Library Lecture series welcomed W. Jeffrey Bolster, author of The Mortal Sea: Fishing the Atlantic in the Age of Sail.  Bolster, a Professor of History at the University of New Hampshire, has published extensively on the human relationship with the sea.  He is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, notably the highly distinguished 2013 Bancroft Prize for the aforementioned book. His lecture chronicled man’s devastating impact on the population of the Atlantic waters off the New England shoreline from the 1800s and thereafter.

An engaging speaker, Bolster provided the audience with fascinating historical documents to illustrate the challenge that generations have faced and subsequent will continue to face with regard to the depleting marine stocks of the Atlantic waters and beyond. The well attended event culminated with a question and answer session, followed by a brief book signing.