- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Pimlico; New edition edition (1 July 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 071266596X
- ISBN-13: 978-0712665964
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,355,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In The Beach: The History of Paradise on Earth, Lena Lencek and Gideon Bosker chart the history of beaches from the time of their formation to the present, examining the shifting significance of beaches to Western cultures through the centuries. Lencek and Bosker are capable historians whose love of beaches shines through in their writing. They assert that the way people approach the beach reflects their culture's current beliefs about sexuality, class divisions, aesthetics and leisure. At times, the authors go a bit overboard in proving how important beaches are to society, but it is easy to forgive them because this book is crammed with interesting titbits and choice sentences, such as, "The sands of Oregon's Florence Beach squeak with the high-pitched bark of distant chihuahuas." Great old movie posters, photographs and odd tourist brochures are sprinkled throughout the book, enlivening the text.
After a chapter on the geological makeup of sand and beaches, the authors chronicle the waxing and waning popularity of beaches through the ages. It seems that people did not always think of the beach as a good place to kick back, get a tan and leaf through a book with lots of pictures. During the Middle Ages many Europeans avoided the sea, in part because they believed water was connected to the horrible plagues that occasionally devastated the region. Later, an entrepreneur convinced the British upper class that drinking saltwater was a good way to cure "windiness of the spirit" and other ailments. Gradually, the rich figured out that the beach is not only healthful, it's fun! Technological innovations made it easier to get to the beach, and so more people of all classes went there. Swimsuit styles changed as textiles, sexual mores and ideals of beauty evolved. This book should appeal to many readers because it is packed with plenty to ponder between naps on the beach, such as the origins of suntan lotion, the development of the Australian crawl and the singing dunes of Kauai, Hawaii. -- Jill Marquis --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
The beach is the favourite getaway destination for most of us. Using paintings, photographs and advertisements, this book charts the evolution of the seaside, from ancient societies, to the present-day quest for the luxurious and unspoiled.
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
small print, great read,
By
This review is from: The Beach: A History of Paradise on Earth (Paperback)
I saw this book in hardback in a local store and knew I'd enjoy reading it but wanted the papercover version as easier to hold. The font is quite small and the fascinating illustrations all in black and white but the attention to detail in the text really draws you in as it charts the history of how we came to favour the beach as a destination for holidays, healthy pursuits and hedonisim.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.4 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews) 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good 'beach book' on the beach,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Beach: The History of Paradise on Earth (Hardcover)
Lencek and Bosker describe themselves as specialists in popular culture and that they are. Their book on the history of the beach should be properly be described as history lite. The central theme of the work is what people have and are doing on it and in it, what do they wear to the beach and not wear to it, etc. In short this is a social history of the beach with only passing references to its many other aspects such as geology, economics, politics, history, ecology, etc. The book also looks at the beach at length only in the U.S., the U.K. and on the northern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The social history of the beach in the rest of the world, were in fact most beaches are located, is never discussed other than in passing. For those going to the beach with time to spend reading this is a fine book. For those looking for serious history you may wish to look elsewere. 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best history of the evolution of beach vacations!,
By Mandy Schmitt - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Beach: The History of Paradise on Earth (Paperback)
I finally found a book that takes the reader through the history of society's love for the beach! It is a wonderfully light and easy read that reveals tons of interesting information about beach going. As a sand dune ecologist, I was very impressed with the representation of the present problems facing beach development. The historical trace enables the reader to understand why we keep pouring money into a disappearing shoreline!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
First Do Your Homework,
By David F. Mcginnis - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Beach: The History of Paradise on Earth (Paperback)
The authors love their work! That is, they love the beach. They want to cover the topic completely so they start at the beginning, at the birth of the oceans. Their scenario for the formation of the world ocean is that the water originated in the planet's interior. I think that today's idea is that the water is mostly extra-terrestrial, and came with comets etc. Once the surface cooled below 374K, liquid water precipitated out and accumulated.
They speculate on early man's being dazzled and terrified by the beach, yet in the next paragraph they have men venturing out to sea for various reasons. Evidently they were able to bypass the beach in this enterprise. They have the odd idea that it is warm at the equator because "...the earth lies closer to the sun..." The biggest howler is their discussion of meteorology and the Atacama Desert in Chile. I am a meteorologist. I happen to have spent four months in Coquimbo on a field project, and I can tell you that their ideas on why this desert exists next to the ocean are nonsense. The facts are simple -- the air is descending here. It is part of the descending branch of a Hadley Cell which is a semi-permanent planetary-scale circulation feature. Descending air compresses, warms and dries. This occurs above the surface-based mixed layer or marine layer. The shallow mixed layer easily saturates over the ocean and forms extensive stratus clouds or fog, just like it does off California. This cool stable air comes ashore, warms and mixes out; the fog/stratus dissipates yielding sunny skies. There are places where it has not rained in a thousand years, it is so stable. When I got this far, I quit. What I wanted was a discussion of the geophysical features of beaches, something to go along with Waves and Beaches, and maybe some cultural considerations. Read this if you want a completely subjective personal reminiscence. Otherwise, forget it. Too bad. |
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