Guardians of the Lights: Stories of US Lighthouse Keepers [Paperback]

Elinor De Wire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 2007

Stories of the heroism and fortitude of the men and women of the U.S. Lighthouse Service, who kept vital shipping lanes safe from 1716 until the early 20th century. Vivid tales about the daily work; coping with fog, storms, and other catastrophes; women's and families' roles; lighthouse children and pets; the natural world around lighthouses; and the diverse characters of those who held the job.

Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Pineapple Pr; Revised edition (April 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561641197
• ISBN-13: 978-1561641192
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #541,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elinor DeWire has been researching, photographing, and writing about lighthouses since 1972. She has visited more than eight hundred sentinels in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and Australia and is the author of fifteen books and more than 250 articles on the subject. Former Coast Guard historian, Dr. Robert Scheina, calls her "America's most prolific lighthouse author and a driving force behind the recent upsurge in interest in preserving lighthouses and the history and nostalgia surrounding them." DeWire has been honored for her work by the U.S. Lighthouse Society, the American Lighthouse Foundation, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National League of American Pen Women. Two of her books have won the coveted Ben Franklin Award and the Coast Guard Book Award. DeWire also has written three books on amateur astronomy. She lives in the Puget Sound area of Washington and teaches at Olympic College.

Lighthouse Books by Elinor DeWire:

Guide to Florida Lighthouses
Guardians of the Lights: Stories of U.S. Lighthouse Keepers
The Lighthouse Keeper's Scrapbook
The Lightkeepers' Menagerie: Stories of Animals at Lighthouses
Lighthouses: Sentinels of the American Coast
Lighthouses of the Mid-Atlantic
Lighthouses of the South
Lighthouse Victuals & Verse
The Lighthouse Almanac
Sentries along the Shore
Field Guide to the Lighthouses of the New England Coast
The Lighthouses of Greece
The Lighthouse Activity Book for Kids
Florida Lighthouses for Kids
The DeWire Guide to Lighthouses of California, Oregon, & Washington

Astronomy/Sky Books:

Activities for Young Astronomers
Reach for the Sky
The Florida Night

Author Website:

www.ElinorDeWire.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative, enlightening, well-written, July 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Guardians of the Lights: Stories of US Lighthouse Keepers (Paperback)

Elinor DeWire's book is a page turner, and that's saying something for non-fiction! As an author researching lighthouses for my next novel, I found this work to be a pot of gold. It got the creative juices flowing. Elinor's writing style is very readable and fast paced. She doesn't bog you down with gory, technical details you'd just rather not read about. It is the first work I've read so far in my research, and certainly not the last thanks to the interest this book sparked. I was sucked headfirst into the waters of the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Gulf, the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay, and Guardians of the Lights never failed to illumine my mind with fascinating facts and tenderhearted tales of real people that took their jobs seriously. It's obvious Elinor does the same. You won't be disappointed with this one.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched and written. Lots of photos, mostly B&W., January 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Guardians of the Lights: Stories of US Lighthouse Keepers (Paperback)

This is a great book for lighthouse lovers. The accounts of the brave keepers of U.S. lighthouses will inspire respect for all the men and women who took up the service. I enjoyed reading this book and appreciated the photographs throughout

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well organized lighthouse keeper facts, September 28, 2000

By 

B. Blayney (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guardians of the Lights: Stories of US Lighthouse Keepers (Paperback)

While this book may remove the romantic notions we have of lighthouse living it will educate and entertain and make you much more appreciative of the keepers of lights. You may even wish to dig in your pockets to help save and restore some of the remaining lights.

The book is very well organized and an easy enjoyable read. It includes useful resources as well. A must buy for lighthouse lovers.