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"This volume has to be regarded as the ultimate book on the lighthouses of England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibralta."--"The Mariner's Mirror"
Product Description
This book is a wonderful celebration of the traditional lighthouses of England and Wales which are all administered by Trinity House. Fascinating personal reminiscences of some of Britain's last lighthouse keepers are included, together with individual portraits of all the Trinity House Lighthouses and light vessels in service today.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
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At first glance it looks like the average coffee table book (large format, some whole page photographs etc.) and I was prepared to be disappointed. HOWEVER, once you get past the cover and Foreword you are in for a treat as this must be one of the most comprehensive modern books on the subject of UK lighthouses.
Chapters include: The History of Trinity House, Lighthouse Construction and Equipment, The Lighthouse Keepers, The Lighthouses. There is also a postscript a bibliography and a very good index.
The quality of reproduction of the photographs, engineering drawings and paintings is superb with not a single out of focus or irrelevant view. There are many engineering drawings in the volume which have not been printed elsewhere.
The text is detailed enough to give you a thorough understanding of all aspects of lighthouses without getting overly technical. For those who want more depth there is a useful bibliography at the rear of the book.
The real star of this volume is the chapter on The Lighthouse Keepers. So many volumes on lighthouses are just dry accounts of each lighthouse and its construction history and I always wanted to know more about the people who operated and maintained them and their families. After an introduction to their role the lighthouse keepers then get to speak for themselves on all aspects of lighthouse keeping via a series of individual portraits based on interviews. This is an excellent chapter.
Just over half of the book is then taken up with a more traditional UK coastal tour of the lighthouses. It is comprehensive and has excellent photographs, but the text is short and a number of the photographs have not been captioned at all which really leaves you gasping for a bit more information.
If I had one gripe it is that we do not really get to meet the lighthouse keepers families to see the story from their point of view. Also there is very little information on the development and use of the coastguard/lighthouse keepers cottages which often form a substantial part of onshore lighthouse installations. A bit more social history would have gone a long way.
Don't let that minor gripe dissuade you from getting this excellent volume though. It is probably the best single modern volume you could get on UK lighthouses and deserves to be on the shelf of everyone who loves the sea and lighthouses.
Chapters include: The History of Trinity House, Lighthouse Construction and Equipment, The Lighthouse Keepers, The Lighthouses. There is also a postscript a bibliography and a very good index.
The quality of reproduction of the photographs, engineering drawings and paintings is superb with not a single out of focus or irrelevant view. There are many engineering drawings in the volume which have not been printed elsewhere.
The text is detailed enough to give you a thorough understanding of all aspects of lighthouses without getting overly technical. For those who want more depth there is a useful bibliography at the rear of the book.
The real star of this volume is the chapter on The Lighthouse Keepers. So many volumes on lighthouses are just dry accounts of each lighthouse and its construction history and I always wanted to know more about the people who operated and maintained them and their families. After an introduction to their role the lighthouse keepers then get to speak for themselves on all aspects of lighthouse keeping via a series of individual portraits based on interviews. This is an excellent chapter.
Just over half of the book is then taken up with a more traditional UK coastal tour of the lighthouses. It is comprehensive and has excellent photographs, but the text is short and a number of the photographs have not been captioned at all which really leaves you gasping for a bit more information.
If I had one gripe it is that we do not really get to meet the lighthouse keepers families to see the story from their point of view. Also there is very little information on the development and use of the coastguard/lighthouse keepers cottages which often form a substantial part of onshore lighthouse installations. A bit more social history would have gone a long way.
Don't let that minor gripe dissuade you from getting this excellent volume though. It is probably the best single modern volume you could get on UK lighthouses and deserves to be on the shelf of everyone who loves the sea and lighthouses.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
This is a sumptuously presented and illustrated book reflecting on a way of life - sadly gone for ever.
The romance of the lonely vigils of the keepers is personalised by anecdotes and comments by the last holders of these posts. Nostalgic without being maudling and factual without being dry, the keepers quotes cover many of the aspects of life and work on the lighthouses around the shores of England and Wales.
This book is not just a biographical compendium, however, as there is a history of lighthouses from the earliest days and a history of Trinity House and its role in the maritime life of the country.
There are exquisite photographs and illustrations throughout the book which offers a guided tour of the coast and its lights. Richard Woodman and Jane Wilson must surely find themselves being compared favourably with Jean Guichard and Philip Plisson as a result of this superb publication.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Excellent very good pictures especially the drawings of the old lighthouses and how they managed in the old days when they were lived in.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Lovely book!
If you are fascinated by lighthouses and want to buy one for yourself or a present I would highly recommend this book. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Ms. G. Darwent
The Bible of English and Welsh Lighthouses!
Fantastic book with wonderful picutres - proud to display on coffee table!
Published on 12 May 2005 by "eskimoie"
A little disappointing
Although a fascinating book with some excellent photos I was just a bit disappointed that they didn't include lighthouses that are no longer in service, such as Withernsea... Read more
Published on 15 Mar 2004
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