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

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.