The Turtle, The Mitten, and An Epic History of Michigan

Description

Part travel, part history, part adventure, and 100% Pure Michigan, The Turtle, The Mitten, and An Epic History of Michigan tells the irresistible story of the Wolverine State from the receding glaciers to the indigenous tribes to the European colonialists to the lumber kings, auto barons, and culture shapers who helped create the America we recognize today.

This honest and unvarnished account travels through the history of the glorious and gritty parts of Detroit, the ancient forests decimated and then regrown, dozens of charming lakeside tourist towns, and the battlefields that made Michigan a theater in international wars.

Discover the lost town of Singapore, buried beneath the sand dunes 150 years ago. Visit the beaches that once belonged to the Union Pier Nudist Club, a collection of Chicago writers who reshaped the western canon. Pause at the intersection at Phillips Corners where Michigan and Ohio went to war over Toledo. Linger in the beating heart of Detroit, the most American city there ever was.

Aaron Helman is a historian, storyteller, writer, and podcaster. He is the author of four acclaimed history books, including Ride the Jack Rabbit and An Incomplete History of St. Joseph County, Indiana.

Binding Type: Paperback
Author: Aaron Helman
Published: 04/01/2025
Publisher: Aaron Helman Books
ISBN: 9798314940532
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.76lbs
Size: 0.54″ H x 9.00″ L x 6.00″ W

About the Author
Helman, Aaron: – “Aaron Helman is a Midwestern historian, storyteller, and the author of several acclaimed regional books, including The Turtle, The Mitten, and An Epic History of Michigan, Ride the Jack Rabbit, and An Incomplete History of St. Joseph County, Indiana. His work explores the surprising, forgotten, and fascinating corners of American history – often with a focus on the Great Lakes and the communities that grew around them.​His latest book, The Turtle, has become a regional bestseller in Michigan and has been featured on NPR, in museum gift shops, and on history podcasts across the Midwest.​When he’s not writing or researching, Aaron is probably wandering through a local museum, hiking a lakeside trail, or drinking too much coffee while planning his next historical deep dive.”