Book Reviews
Western Lights
Phares Ouest: les Phares majeurs de l'arc Atlantique
-photographs by Philip Plisson & Guillaume Plisson;
French text by Daniel Charles (Éditions du Chêre, France 1999); Large format (34 x 24 cm), hardback, 240 pages with more than 680 photographs; no price given.
PHILIP PLISSON is a renowned marine photographer whose lighthouse photographs are truly magnificent. Some of them were reproduced in last year's Beam, and in the 1999 Irish Lights calendar.
In this book he takes us on a tour of the major lighthouses of Western Europe, starting at Muckle Flugga, north of the Shetland Islands-down the west coast of Scotland, via the Hebrides-the west and south coasts of Ireland from Inishtrahull to Tuskar-South Wales and Cornwall-then across the Channel to the Channel Islands, Brittany, the west coast of France, Spain, Portugal-ending at Europa Point, Gibraltar.
The variety and similarity of all these lighthouses, down the western edge of Europe, is fascinating.
As we travel from north to south we notice a gradual change in the climate, and in the architecture of the lighthouses. Internally the French lighthouses are the most lavishly decorated and fitted out, while-to Irish eyes anyway-the Spanish ones are the most exotic externally.
One of the most beautiful aspects of Plisson's photographs is the way he captures the light, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Irish Lighthouses, portrayed in a variety of weather and sea conditions. There are pictures of Irish Lights Attendants: Donal O'Sullivan, Seán Doherty, Donal Coyle, Noel Gaughan, Seán Faherty, Ciarán Powell, Dick O'Driscoll, and Tucks Tweedy.
Daniel Charles's text (in French) outlines the history, structure, and operation of the lighthouse services of the countries, together with details of the lighthouses featured.
The publishers hope to bring out an English edition in the near future.
Holiday Lights
Lighthouse Accommodation Britain and Worldwide
-written and published by Joy Adcock, 2 Ansell Close, Hatherley, Cheltenham, GL51 5JS, England; paperback, 72 pp, monochrome photos; no price given.
JOY ADCOCK, is Membership Secretary of The Association of Lighthouse Keepers. In this booklet she provides details of 24 lighthouses in Great Britain (including Orkney, Shetland, and the Isle of Man) at which holiday accommodation is available. A brief description of the locality, history of the station, and details of the accommodation is given.
An Appendix lists lighthouse holiday accommodation in the rest of the world (including Clare Island and Wicklow Head). There is also a list of lighthouse-related museums in Great Britain and elsewhere (not comprehensive for countries outside Great Britain), addresses, a short bibliography (all British books, no publication details) and an index.
Polish Lights
Polish Lighthouses-
by Apoloniusz Lysejko;
English translation by Peter Senn (Society of Friends of the Polish Maritime Museum, Gdansk); paperback, 48 pages; 17 colour photos, 11 monochrome photos; no price given.
THIS BOOKLET describes the 15 lighthouses at present operating on Poland's Baltic coast, and the lighthouse at the Polish Antarctic station on King George Island in the South Shetlands. A photograph of a lighthouse with penguins in the foreground was not what I expected to see in a book about Polish lighthouses.
Eight of the Polish lighthouses were built in the nineteenth century. The remainder are twentieth century though some have earlier origins. Several were damaged or destroyed in the Second World War and have subsequently been rebuilt. Their architecture is very varied.
Some are very beautiful but in others a utilitarian approach is evident. In a number of cases lighthouses are incorporated into pilot stations or harbour offices. Apparently only one of these lighthouses is fully automatic.
Apoloniusz Lysejko is Director of Aids to Navigation at the Maritime Office in Gdynia, so it can be assumed that the technical and historical details in the booklet are reliable.
The booklet is nicely designed and the photographs are good.
-books reviewed by the Editor-
Phares Ouest: les Phares majeurs de l'arc Atlantique
-photographs by Philip Plisson & Guillaume Plisson;
French text by Daniel Charles (Éditions du Chêre, France 1999); Large format (34 x 24 cm), hardback, 240 pages with more than 680 photographs; no price given.
PHILIP PLISSON is a renowned marine photographer whose lighthouse photographs are truly magnificent. Some of them were reproduced in last year's Beam, and in the 1999 Irish Lights calendar.
In this book he takes us on a tour of the major lighthouses of Western Europe, starting at Muckle Flugga, north of the Shetland Islands-down the west coast of Scotland, via the Hebrides-the west and south coasts of Ireland from Inishtrahull to Tuskar-South Wales and Cornwall-then across the Channel to the Channel Islands, Brittany, the west coast of France, Spain, Portugal-ending at Europa Point, Gibraltar.
The variety and similarity of all these lighthouses, down the western edge of Europe, is fascinating.
As we travel from north to south we notice a gradual change in the climate, and in the architecture of the lighthouses. Internally the French lighthouses are the most lavishly decorated and fitted out, while-to Irish eyes anyway-the Spanish ones are the most exotic externally.
One of the most beautiful aspects of Plisson's photographs is the way he captures the light, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Irish Lighthouses, portrayed in a variety of weather and sea conditions. There are pictures of Irish Lights Attendants: Donal O'Sullivan, Seán Doherty, Donal Coyle, Noel Gaughan, Seán Faherty, Ciarán Powell, Dick O'Driscoll, and Tucks Tweedy.
Daniel Charles's text (in French) outlines the history, structure, and operation of the lighthouse services of the countries, together with details of the lighthouses featured.
The publishers hope to bring out an English edition in the near future.
Holiday Lights
Lighthouse Accommodation Britain and Worldwide
-written and published by Joy Adcock, 2 Ansell Close, Hatherley, Cheltenham, GL51 5JS, England; paperback, 72 pp, monochrome photos; no price given.
JOY ADCOCK, is Membership Secretary of The Association of Lighthouse Keepers. In this booklet she provides details of 24 lighthouses in Great Britain (including Orkney, Shetland, and the Isle of Man) at which holiday accommodation is available. A brief description of the locality, history of the station, and details of the accommodation is given.
An Appendix lists lighthouse holiday accommodation in the rest of the world (including Clare Island and Wicklow Head). There is also a list of lighthouse-related museums in Great Britain and elsewhere (not comprehensive for countries outside Great Britain), addresses, a short bibliography (all British books, no publication details) and an index.
Polish Lights
Polish Lighthouses-
by Apoloniusz Lysejko;
English translation by Peter Senn (Society of Friends of the Polish Maritime Museum, Gdansk); paperback, 48 pages; 17 colour photos, 11 monochrome photos; no price given.
THIS BOOKLET describes the 15 lighthouses at present operating on Poland's Baltic coast, and the lighthouse at the Polish Antarctic station on King George Island in the South Shetlands. A photograph of a lighthouse with penguins in the foreground was not what I expected to see in a book about Polish lighthouses.
Eight of the Polish lighthouses were built in the nineteenth century. The remainder are twentieth century though some have earlier origins. Several were damaged or destroyed in the Second World War and have subsequently been rebuilt. Their architecture is very varied.
Some are very beautiful but in others a utilitarian approach is evident. In a number of cases lighthouses are incorporated into pilot stations or harbour offices. Apparently only one of these lighthouses is fully automatic.
Apoloniusz Lysejko is Director of Aids to Navigation at the Maritime Office in Gdynia, so it can be assumed that the technical and historical details in the booklet are reliable.
The booklet is nicely designed and the photographs are good.
-books reviewed by the Editor-