Maryland Blood – An American Family in War and Peace, the Hambletons 1657 to the Present

Martha Sanger's history of the Hambletons combines scrupulous research in primary sources with a lively narrative style. The result is an outstanding family biography that covers four centuries. An enjoyable read, Maryland Blood is also a model generational history. Sanger shows how the story of specific Hambletons illustrates larger general themes in our past. This book is a must-read contribution to Maryland and the nation's history. -- Jean Harvey Baker, Goucher College, author of Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography and Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion The story of the Hambletons is not just a Chesapeake saga but an American saga, following a single family from the primeval forests of the 17th century to the battlefields of the Civil War and the era of jet aviation. Martha Sanger's book is a prodigious feat of research and storytelling, a true-life version of Michener's Chesapeake. -- Adam Goodheart, Washington College, author of 1861: The Civil War Awakening In this marvelously written, informative, and entertaining epic by Martha Frick Symington Sanger, the notable Hambleton family is the prism through which 358 years of Maryland history can be viewed. The grand sweep of this compelling page turner owes much to its author, who has a scholar's penchant for details, an eye and ear for anecdotes, and a great appreciation for the many noble and fascinating characters who fill its pages. -- Fred Rasmussen, The Baltimore Sun

The blood of the Hambletons is the blood of Maryland, a rich land stretching from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the tidal basins of the mighty Chesapeake to the mountains of the west, a poetic framework that illuminates one truly American family that continues its legacy of building new generations of strong Americans.At the dawn of the seventeenth century, immigrants to this country arrived with dreams of conquering a new frontier. Families were willing to embrace a life of strife and hardship but with great hopes of achieving prominence and wealth. Such is the case with the Hambleton family. From William Hambleton's arrival on the Eastern Shore in 1657 and through every major conflict on land, sea, and air since, a member of the Hambleton clan has participated and made a lasting contribution to this nation. Their achievements are not only in war but in civic leadership as well. Among its members are bankers, business leaders, government officials, and visionaries. Not only is the Hambleton family extraordinary by American standards, it is also remarkable in that their base for four centuries has been and continues to be Maryland. The blood of the Hambletons is also the blood of Maryland, a rich land stretching from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the tidal basins of the mighty Chesapeake to the mountains of the west, a poetic framework that illuminates one truly American family that continues its legacy of building new generations of strong Americans.