The Windward Shore: A Winter on the Great Lakes, with wood engravings by Glenn Wolff (University of Michigan Press, 2011) -- A chronicle of a season spent living on the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. As part of my continuing project to learn a few places well, I set out with the intention of slowing down and paying closer attention to the world around me. Along the way I met fascinating people, explored some beautiful and little-known places, and learned a thing or two about solitude and time, as well as weather, waves, ice and snow, books, birds, our complex and ever-changing relationship with nature -- both human and wild -- and much more.

See the book trailer produced by Aaron Dennis and Stone Hut Studios here.

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The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas (St. Martin's Press, 2003)
The story of the Great Lakes told from the decks of boats, especially The Malabar, a two-masted schooner the author helped sail from Lake Michigan to Bar Harbor, Maine. Awards include the 2004 Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award, the Best Book of the Year from the Outdoor Writers Association of America, the Stuart D. and Vernice Gross Award for Excellence in Literature, and the Great Lakes Culture Award from Michigan State University. The book was also a finalist for the Great Lakes Booksellers Association’s Book of the Year and was selected as a “2004 Michigan Notable Book” by the Library of Michigan and the Michigan Library Association. A perennial favorite of book clubs, it has been a community reads selection in 17 cities, including 2009 "Traverse City [MI] Reads," and the 2010 "Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads." It is currently in development as a national production of PBS television.

Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor, the best independent bookstore in one of the best book towns in America, recently named The Living Great Lakes the best-selling nonfiction book in their 15-year history.

"Wonderful." -- The Oakland Press
"The most irresistible account yet of the freshwater heart of North America." -- Ann Arbor Current
"A fine guide, borne along with a storyteller's sense of pacing and blend of fact with picaresque….Dennis writes in a polished and alluring style, though its pants aren't fancy; not homespun, but comfortably worn. " -- American Geographical Society
"Simply the finest natural history that I have ever read... [Dennis'] best work to date... you owe it to yourself to read this book." -- Sault Ste. Marie (Michigan) News
"In a skillful blend of solid research and compelling storytelling, Dennis succeeds in giving readers a new appreciation of a resource that's easily
taken for granted. It's a tribute to his ability as a writer that he covers as much ground as he does while keeping the book moving at a brisk
pace." – Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator
"A stirring account of a schooner voyage through some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet." -- Globe and Mail (Canada).

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Winter Walks, signed and numbered edition of 100. Essay by Jerry Dennis, with wood engravings by Glenn Wolff, and design and letterpress by Chad Pastotnik (Deep Wood Press, 2008).
6 5/8" x 10", 44 pages, $125.00
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CONTACT: Deep Wood Press   231.587.0506

Winter Walks, deluxe edition of 20 signed and numbered:
Composed in Baskerville and printed via letterpress on 
100% rag cotton Somerset Book paper. The book is quarter bound in an 
antiqued speckle dyed pale green goatskin with brown Magnani Firenze 
paper over boards with cover title in silver leaf. The deluxe 
edition also contains a page tipped-in of the author's hand-written 
first draft and is enclosed in a cloth-covered slip case.
6 5/8" x 10", 44 pages, $275.00.
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CONTACT: Deep Wood Press   231.587.0506

Leelanau: A Portrait of Place in Photographs and Text (Petunia Press, 2000). A coffee-table book celebrating the spectacular "little finger" of Michigan, with photos by the amazing Ken Scott. With twelve essays by Jerry Dennis on such subjects  as country roads, old trees, abandoned homesteads, beach walking, and a reminiscence of childhood summers spent harvesting cherries on his grandfather's farm. 
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From a Wooden Canoe:  Reflections on Canoeing, Camping, and Classic Equipment  (St. Martin’s, 1999). Essays on some of the finer things in life, from duct tape to Coleman lanterns to long-johns to great moments on the water. 
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The River Home:  An Angler's Explorations (St. Martin’s 1998). Award-winning essays and short stories about life outdoors in Michigan, Montana, Chile and Iceland. Named Best Book of 1998 by the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
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The Bird in the Waterfall: A Natural History of Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes (HarperCollins, 1996). Stunningly illustrated by Glenn Wolff. Essays about the wonders of water, in all its forms. Winner of the 1996 Best Book of the Year Award from the Outdoor Writers Association of America. 
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A Place on the Water: An Angler's Reflections on Home (St. Martin’s Press, 1993). Reflective essays about growing up fishing, canoeing, and exploring the outdoors in northern Michigan and elsewhere. Michigan librarians voted it one of the 25 best books of the 20th century about Michigan or by a Michigan author.  
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It's Raining Frogs and Fishes: Four Seasons of Natural History and Phenomena of the Sky (HarperCollins, 1992). Beautifully illustrated by Glenn Wolff. Everything you ever wanted to know about what goes on above the earth, from the weird to the commonplace in weather, wildlife behavior, and naked-eye astronomy. Named Best Book of 1992 by the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and translated into five languages. National bestseller.
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Canoeing Michigan Rivers: A Comprehensive Guide to 45 Rivers (Friede Publications, 1986; Thunder Bay Press, 2005), co-authored with Craig Date. Michigan’s “bible” of canoeing, completely revised and updated, with detailed descriptions and maps of more than 1,500 miles on 45 of the the state's finest rivers.
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