A lively look at the Chesapeake Bay and what has happened to it over the last five centuries. Noted Maryland author and historian John R. Wennersten has gathered and distilled vast amounts of evidence from historical and scientific records to understand the reasons behind the declining health of Maryland's crown jewel. Wennersten's eye is clear, his prose direct, and his conclusions illuminating. This book for the general audience is the first complete environmental history of the bay and the starting point from which scientific work and public policy must proceed. Indispensable for all who would preserve the bay.