Customer Reviews

The Lighthouse Encyclopedia: The Definitive Reference

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Lighthouses have fascinated me for over 60 years. Although never seriously smitten by these structures,I will always go out of my way to visit one whenever I get the chance. I grew up in Nova Scotia which seemed to have a lighthouse around every bend in the roads along the coast.They are always an excellent place to stop for a picnic lunch. I lived in New Jersey for a few years and again many lighthouses were nearby.My favorite was the Highlands Twin Lights in Navesink,which I visited often.I now live near Toronto,and my Birding trips often lead me to lighthouses which ring lakes Ontario,Erie and Huron.Other Birding trips along the East Coast ,Cape Hatteras,Southern Florida and California are continually providing new and exciting lighthouses. I have never made a list of all I've seen;but the total must be well over 100.I often thought it would be fun to photograph,or maybe even draw them as a hobby;but just never get around to getting serious about it.
So,when I come across a "Lighthouse" book,I am always interested;and there are many around.
This book is very different for several reasons.It is more than just a bunch of pretty pictures.As its title says,it is an encyclopedia.It covers many aspects of lighthouses,including,history,preservation,lots of technical information,examples from many countries,hints on photographing them as well as their present status.Of course, any one of those subjects could fill numerous books. This author alone,has written 14 books on lighthouses, so one can't expect everything about all lighthouses to be found in this one book
With that in mind,I have the following comments;
The quality of the paper,printing and overall construction of the book is top of the line.
The photographs range from mundane to excellent.This hit me as surprising.For instance Robert's photo of the Crisp Point Light on page 174 pales in comparison with his supurb photograph of the Dunkirk Light on page 177 .Again, we see the same thing with the Pigeon Point Light on page 222 and the Point Area Light on page 223.Then, we get those amazing photographs by Jean Guichard.You gotta wonder if he ever took a poor or average snapshot.Then again,I must admit ,the photo of the Peggy's Cove Light left me cold.Is this the best of the millions of photos taken of this super-famous lighthouse? Quite a few photos are attributed to magazines,the Coast Guard,Harbour Lights,etc.,which are very average.Again,there is the excellent photograph of the Port Bill Light,England ,courtesy Harbour Lights on page 235.The otherwise great shot of the Portland Head Light,on page 236, by Roberts,makes one wonder if it was Roberts or someone in the editing room who lost the top of the lighthouse.
I was also somewhat disappointed over the part on "Lighthouses around the world".There were none that I can recall from such coastline countries as Russia,China,India,Japan .

In spite of my comments,this book is an excellent resource for anyone with an interest in lighthouses. It would be a good companion to "Lighthouse Spotter's Guide" by Michael Rhein which I have already reviewed.

An impressively organized and presented 288-page compendium of information, "The Lighthouse Encyclopedia: The Definitive Reference" by lighthouse enthusiast and expert Ray Jones provides a wealth of information and trivia that will be especially appreciated by lighthouse fans and students of maritime history. Offering answers to hundreds of questions about lighthouses, their history, key people associated with them, lighthouse technology, lighthouse organizations, as well as specific lighthouses, "The Lighthouse Encyclopedia" truly lives up to its title. Enhanced with a literally hundreds of full-color photographs and archival images of lighthouses, sidebars addressing light house preservation, lighthouse collectibles, and tips for photographing lighthouses, "The Lighthouse Encyclopedia" is a superb contribution to the growing library of lighthouse literature and a core addition to any personal, academic, or community library reference collection on the subject.

Colorful & informative. If you like or love lighthouses this book should be in your collection. If you don't, buy it, place it on your coffee table (if you don't have young children) - and let others that visit your home enjoy it.

I bought this book as a gift for my Father-in-law, whose family were lighthouse keepers in New Hampshire. Imagine my embarassment when he told me that at least one of the NH lighthouses that is listed in the table of contents (Isle of Shoals)is missing. The entire page is AWOL!

There is such good info in this book about lighthouses around the world and their history. Excellent!!!

Wonderful photos, lots of information. Loved it
I make clay sculptures and I created a lighthouse so this book came in handy for details needed.

I don't know what happened, but I have never reive the book, so I cannot write any review it, sorry. The Lighthouse Encyclopedia: The Definitive Reference (Lighthouse Series) (Paperback)