Curtis Memorial Library will host author Frederic Hill on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. in an illustrated author talk as Hill discusses his newest book, “Ships, Swindlers, and Scalded Hogs: The Shipbuilding Crooker Brothers of Bath, Maine.”

“Ships, Swindlers, and Scalded Hogs” is an account of a significant local family in the ship-building industry during a crucial period in the history of the United States. At the 19th century’s midpoint, Hill’s forbears owned the most successful ship-building business in Bath, the firm of C & WD Crooker. William Donnell Crooker (W.D.) was the author’s great-great grandfather.

Hill is a former foreign correspondent for the Baltimore Sun and served as Director of the Office of Special Programs at the Foreign Service Institute in the U.S. Department of State from 1986 to 2006. His office conducted policy planning exercises (wargames) and roundtable discussions on a wide range of security, political, economic and global issues for the Department and key national security agencies.

Hill was Legislative Director for Foreign Affairs for Senator Charles McC. Mathias, Jr. (R., Md.) in 1985 and 1986 — and as the senator’s principal foreign policy adviser played a major role in passage of the South Africa sanctions, arms control legislation and other measures.

From 1965-1985, he was a correspondent and editorial writer for The Baltimore Sun, including tours as Bureau Chief in London and Paris, covering Europe, southern Africa and parts of the Middle East. His award-winning articles on corruption in Maryland led to major reforms and convictions of several top government officials.

Since retiring in 2006, he has played an active role in Maine’s First Ship — the non-profit effort to build a reconstruction of the first ship built by English settlers at Popham Beach in 1607-08, is a member of the Camden Conference and an occasional columnist on foreign affairs for The Sun, Bangor Daily News and other newspapers. He is co-editor, with Stephens Broening, of “The Life of Kings; The Baltimore Sun in the Golden Age of the American Newspaper.”

This is a free event. Refreshments will be provided and Gulf of Maine Books will have copies of the author’s book at the event, available for purchase and signing. For more information, call (207) 725-5242, email [email protected] or visit curtislibrary.com.