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    "A great read for a day in the sun ... enhanced by mystical tales of pirates and search for buried treasure ..."

    WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT
    Topsail Island: Mayberry By The Sea
    by Ray McAllister

    "(In setting out to create) a good 'beach read', ... a light, breezy, 200+ page book addressing the appeal of the island today, ... McAllister captures the island's unusual history and small-town charm."
  • Sounds magazine
    "A great read for a day in the sun that stretches into an island night, complete with pounding waves and soft sea breezes, enhanced by mystical tales of pirates and search for buried treasure. ... 'Everybody needs a little sand in their soul,' McAllister quotes from an interview. Topsail Island: Mayberry by the Sea helps put it there and can make the reader who is not on the island want to cross that swing bridge and experience that little bit of magic."
  • The Pender Post
    "Wanting to capture the small town charm of Topsail Island and its interesting history, McAllister felt it was important to write a book as a way of preserving what he feels is truly unique and special about the island before it is too late. "I'm an enchanted visitor who's mesmerized by this place; it's not perfect, it has issues like weather (hurricanes), development, beach erosion, but it's really a special place," said McAllister at his premier book signing June 29. ... "What amazed me is how well people on this island describe it, they don't take it for granted, and they spoke to me about what was unique about it."'
  • The Topsail Voice
    "McAllister, a longtime columnist for the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch whose parents live in Wilmington, visited here last summer and was struck by all the building since Hurricane Fran. "So I was taken by the notion that Topsail needed to be written about," he wrote, "and soon, while it was still Topsail." ... Amazon.com claims that Mayberry by the Sea isn't available until July 30, but McAllister has been signing copies right and left on the island."
  • The (Wilmington) Star-News

    (NOTE: Topsail Island: Mayberry by the Sea was made available on Topsail Island one month in advance of national publication.)

    "Ray McAllister, who recently published "Topsail Island: Mayberry by the Sea," came and launched his new book and did book signings at various locations around the island the entire (Fourth of July) week. "I liked it, and we have had to re-order books twice, so people really liked it," said (Grier) Fleishauer (co-owner of The Gift Basket in Topsail Beach). He said he felt it brought people into the store and that his other sales increased as a direct result."
  • The Topsail Voice
    "Ray's probably in trouble with (those who want to keep Topsail secret), but not with those of us unfamiliar with Topsail's allure, though both groups will like his book. ... It is a valuable oral history, considering all the people Ray got to talk about the island. And there's plenty to talk about: pirates, buried treasure, a secret rocket-testing program, pier fishing, the ocean, turtles and hurricanes, a fact of life in these parts. ... The place is far away from the outside world, with an innocence that allows people to leave their doors unlocked and parents to let their children go outside and play unattended. Ray's research for this book -- he interviewed more than 50 people -- took him back to Topsail four times in summer, fall and early winter. This summer, he spent a couple of weeks down there on a book tour, where folks waited in hour-long lines to talk to him."
  • The Richmond Times-Dispatch
    "McAllister, a columnist for the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, takes loving and telling recollections of Topsail -- his and others' -- and mixes in history and vacation tips for this slim new volume. It's a prime blend of information (not too many statistics) and straightforward feature writing. A worthy companion to take on your trip to the coast."
  • The Charlotte Observer
    "Fascinating stories and tales ... (in) a beautiful book."
  • WAAV Radio, 680 AM, Wilmington
    "An entertaining book blending current day interviews with a dollop of island history."
  • Topsail Magazine
    "The book’s 20 chapters hit on the history, hurricanes, towns, vacations, homes, stories, sea turtles and even the future of Topsail Island. Local shops say it has been a bestseller in the store mostly due to word of mouth, he said. “It’s been very popular; we’ve had a lot of interest,” said Grier Fleischhauer, owner of the Gift Basket in Topsail Beach. “It’s a little different than the other books concerning the area. We’ve had historic books, but this one is more anecdotal on stories over the years.” ... McAllister hopes his book will “reinforce what people know about how special” the island is. “I hope it will give them a little ammunition in how to keep it this way because there are development issues coming,” he said. “I hope that it will reinforce what they feel about (the island) and how special it is and how it needs to be fought for.” McAllister plans to continue writing books, and even “some years later” do a sequel. “This to me was a very personal book,” he said. “I think I’d like to do another Topsail book and see how the island has reacted to the changes, how well they’ve done in maintaining the Mayberry of the island."
  • Jacksonville Daily News
    "Topsail Island is a North Carolina barrier island lying between the Outer Banks and Wilmington. Though 26 miles long, it is but 200 yards wide in places, leading residents and visitors to call it a stretch of paradise. Columnist Ray McAllister captures the island's unusual history and charm while comparing it to another small town that only exists today in television reruns."
  • Virginia Living magazine
    "Is it the idyllic beaches, Blackbeard's stomping grounds, or the unique swing bridge that gives Topsail Island its magic? Dubbing the area 'Mayberry by the Sea,' author Ray McAllister believes that the barrier island's allure resonates from its continuing small-town atmosphere in which passers-by drive 10 miles per hour under the speed limit, and the community police force takes an active role in community involvement.
         "Drawing on historical research and numerous interviews with residents and longtime vacationers, McAllister captures the spirit of Topsail Island in 20 story-like chapters. Part island history and lore, the book depicts notable events like pirates' glory days and devastating hurricanes, particularly Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and Hurricane Fran in 1996. It also describes Operation Bumblebee, the U.S. Navy's secret rocket program; Ocean City, the first coastal property development in the state available to African-Americans; the Gold Hole, a mysterious dig in search of a Spanish galleon's treasure in the 1930s and '40s; and other lesser-known yet equally interesting island events.
         "In addition to covering Topsail's history, the book reveals the flavor of the island, from the waters that draw in beachcombers, divers, surfers, and sunset watchers, to the piers, turtle hospital, and family vacations that bring back generation after generation. Although it only stretches 15 square miles, Topsail Island comprises three towns: Topsail Beach, Surf City, and North Topsail Beach. McAllister dedicates chapters to each town, showing their distinctions and attractions, which add to the overall mystique of the island. He does recognize the island's problems -- including managing its rapid growth, ousted fishermen, and beach preservation -- but remains hopeful that Topsail will maintain its Mayberry-like charm. While its 'magic is different things to different people,' according to the author, there's no doubt that this island is magical indeed.
         "McAllister, a columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch for 18 years, first wrote about Topsail Island following a family vacation. He was prompted to write the book after readers in both Virginia and North Carolina began telling him their own island stories."
  • Our State North Carolina magazine

    In the News

    Miss North Carolina 2006,
    Elizabeth Horton, shows off
    the book. "Lizzie" Horton
    is a lifelong Topsail visitor.         		News events about "Topsail Island: Mayberry by the Sea" in 2006:
  • Topsail Voice "Sounds" magazine, Summer volume, article, Wed., June 22
  • Pender Post, interview article/review, Wed., June 29
  • Topsail Advertiser, interview article, Wed., June 29
  • WTKF Radio, Morehead City, N.C., live interview, 8:30 a.m., Thurs., June 30
  • Topsail Voice, interview article, Wed., July 5
  • The Star-News, Wilmington, book section column, Sun., July 9
  • Topsail Voice, news article, Wed., July 12
  • radio, Winston-Salem, live interview
  • Cox radio stations, Richmond, interviewed taped for later play, Thurs., July 13
  • The Richmond Times-Dispatch, column in book section, Sun., July 23
  • WTVR-TV, Channel 6, Richmond, interview on noon news program, Wed., July 26
  • The Star-News, Wilmington, book section column, Sun., July 30
  • WAAY radio, 980 AM, Wilmington, live interview, 6:40 a.m., Mon., July 31. Named WAAV "Book of the Month" for August 2006
  • WECT-TV, Channel 6, Wilmington, live interview, 6:10 a.m., Thurs., Aug. 3
  • Lite-98 FM, Richmond, live interview, 8:15 a.m. Thurs., Aug.18
  • Our State North Carolina magazine, November 2006, review
  • Virginia Living magazine, December 2006
  • Topsail Magazine, Winter 2006
  • Jacksonville Daily News, feature article, Fri., Nov. 24
  • "Virginia This Morning" live interview, WTVR- CBS 6, Richmond, VA, 10:50 a.m., Tues., Nov. 28
  • "Carolina in the Morning," Vicki McAllister, live interview on Topsail, WECT-TV, Channel 6, NBC, Wilmington, 6 a.m., Fri., May 11, 2007
  • Lumina News, Wrightsville Beach, article
  • Wilmington Star-News article
  • Wilmington Star-News note
  • WWAY TV, 6:20 a.m. Friday, June 29
  • WAAV radio, 7:45 a.m. Friday, June 29
  • WECT TV 7:20 a.m., "Carolina in the Morning," Monday, July 2
  • WTVR-TV, TV-6, "Virginia This Morning," Richmond, 9:30 a.m., Fri., Sept. 14

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