From land pirates to the Algonquins to the Revolutionary War, hardly an inch of the Fire Island coast is without a legend. Historians may be skeptical regarding the tales that make up coastal folklore, but these pages contain more than a collection of barrier beach legends--they offer a fresh approach to Fire Island's past. Weaving documents and maps left behind by ordinary people of the time into a dramatic historical narrative, each chapter contributes to a remarkably vivid and exciting portrait Fire Island's heritage.Warren McDowell is a historian and folklorist with a deep interest in the legend, lore, and authenticity of Fire Island--how it got its name, its truth, myths, and legends from the Vikings, Dutch, English, and the accounts of modern-day counterparts. Fire Island Saga passes to a new generation of scholars the opportunity to study the events that took place so many years ago and made Fire Island the destination it is today.