Few people have heard of St. Catherines Island. Only eight or nine people live on the island and visitors are by invitation only.  

A new book by Emory anthropologist George Armelagos entitled "St. Catherines Island: the Untold Story of People and Place" (Colonel Island Press, 2012) introduces the Georgia barrier island and uncovers its rich history.  

Co-written with longtime St. Catherines resident John Woods, the authors show that the island’s current status as a protected and private space is just one of the latest twists in a history that spans plantations to being a playground for the rich.