Lighthouses [Hardcover]

Philip Plisson (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 2 and up

Beacons of safety shining in the night, alerting sailors to dangers at sea, lighthouses have been a part of the coastal landscape for thousands of years. From the earliest towers, which burned coal and wood to produce fiery signals, to today's computer-automated structures, the world's vast network of lighthouses continues to provide a vital link to safety for those who travel at sea.

The ideal young person's introduction, Lighthouses traces the history of these powerful beacons from the first known structure, built in Alexandria Egypt in 300 BC, through the introduction of the powerful Fresnel lens, and up to today's fully automated behemoths. Readers can also explore the sometimes harrowing job of the lighthouse keeper, both past and present.

Stunning photographs by avid lighthouse photographer Philip Plisson bring these fascinating structures to life.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. Plisson's magnificent color photos will draw young people to this introduction to lighthouses and the work of tending them. Each spread in the oversize volume introduces a different aspect of the history and technology of the structures or the work of maintaining them, from the lighthouses of ancient Egypt to the automated towers of today. Dreyer's engaging text, which makes up a brief column on each spread, will pull readers to the facts through anecdotes about lighthouse keepers' lives, including the danger and drama of storms and accidents and the monotony of the everyday work. But it's the stunning photographs that bring the subject close. Perilous views show lighthouses drowning in waves or perched on cliffs, while close-ups offer a glimpse of the keepers' quarters and the lenses that make up the lantern. Small fact bars and watercolor sketches contributed by Daniel Dufour add more information. There's enough solid information here to support reports, but the largest audience for this will probably be browsers, who may flip through and daydream about life in the stormy, solitary towers. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Philip Plisson is a world famous photographer who has been taking pictures for more than twenty-five years. In 1982, his love for the ocean drew him to the coast from his home in central France. In the past ten years of his career he has taken over 220,000 images and published twenty-six books about the sea, the coast, and the countryside.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 78 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810959585
• ISBN-13: 978-0810959583
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,052,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Plisson's Lighthouses, December 17, 2011

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lighthousephoto "NikonGuy" (Warren, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Lighthouses (Hardcover)

One of my hobbies is photographing lighthouses.... in what most would consider to be absolutely awful stormy weather conditions whenever I get the chance. Plisson's photography of lighthouses is extraordinary to say the least. Living near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan for more than a decade gave me a lot of opportunities to do that as storms blew across Lake Michigan in the late fall and early spring. Plisson has captured the essence of why lighthouses were built where they were... to warn mariners away from navigational hazards along the shores of every continent, and does so in an extraordinary fashion. All too often lighthouses are photographed on bright, clear, sunny days with clear skies.... They're certainly pretty to see on those days but those are hardly the sort of days that lighthouses were built for. Lighthouses are functional structures intended to steer mariners away from navigational hazards or to guide them into port. Plisson's photography captures many lighthouses when they are serving as they were intended. I would highly recommend this volume to lighthouse lovers who enjoy superb photography.