eishiya reviewed Lighthouse by R. G. Grant
Great collection of visual lighthouse references
4 stars
"Lighthouse" is a brief history of lighthouses - from the earliest known examples, to how the golden age lighthouses were built, often in inaccessible places, how the lights in them evolved, how their keepers fared, to how they largely fell into disuse with the spread of radio and GPS. The text is interesting and very readable, but I'd have liked a bit more detail, particularly in the shortest chapter, the one on lights and lenses. For example, it mentions Fresnel lenses and the great amplifying effect they had on the weak light sources of the time, and mechanisms to rotate and change the colours of the lights, but it doesn't explain how either of these worked. This felt at odds with its focus elsewhere on how clever these structures and their designers could be.
Between the chapters is a timeline of lighthouses from 1685 (well, technically from 100!) to 1908 …
"Lighthouse" is a brief history of lighthouses - from the earliest known examples, to how the golden age lighthouses were built, often in inaccessible places, how the lights in them evolved, how their keepers fared, to how they largely fell into disuse with the spread of radio and GPS. The text is interesting and very readable, but I'd have liked a bit more detail, particularly in the shortest chapter, the one on lights and lenses. For example, it mentions Fresnel lenses and the great amplifying effect they had on the weak light sources of the time, and mechanisms to rotate and change the colours of the lights, but it doesn't explain how either of these worked. This felt at odds with its focus elsewhere on how clever these structures and their designers could be.
Between the chapters is a timeline of lighthouses from 1685 (well, technically from 100!) to 1908 presented via architectural drawings. This will probably be what I'll go back to the book for repeatedly. The drawings are presented very well, most at full- or half-page size, and cover a range of designs: many of the classic tapering stone towers are represented, but so are stubby land-based lighthouses and iron skeletons. In addition to elevations, many have sections and plans, and keepers' cottages are included for some. Each lighthouse has a brief description. Unfortunately, those lighthouses for which a lot of material beyond elevations is available don't get much extra space, instead the drawings are crammed as many as ten to a page, making them unreadable. Some of the explanatory text is black on a dark grey background, making it difficult to read as well. Still, it's hard to rate this book poorly despite its flaws, because what it does show well is so good.
As is often the case, if you're looking to write or illustrate a story about a lighthouse, you'll probably want a book that goes into more detail about a specific lighthouse or region, but I think this one is worth having as an overview and to put your more specific research into wider context. And if you just want to write about or draw lighthouses as a non-focal feature without making very silly mistakes and without having to dig for references every time, then I think "Lighthouse" would serve you well with its varied examples.