Seashaken Houses

Lighthouses are striking totems of our relationship to the sea. For many, they encapsulate a romantic vision of solitary homes amongst the waves, but their original purpose was much more utilitarian than that. Today we still depend upon their guiding lights for the safe passage of ships. Nowhere is this truer than in the rock lighthouses of Great Britain and Ireland which form a ring of twenty towers built between 1811 and 1904, so-called because they were constructed on desolate rock formations in the middle of the sea, and made of granite to withstand the power of its waves. Seashaken Housesis a lyrical exploration of these singular towers, the people who risked their lives building and rebuilding them, those that inhabited their circular rooms, and the ways in which we value emblems of our history in a changing world.

If Britain's maritime history were embodied in a single ship, she would have a prehistoric prow, a mast plucked from a Victorian steamship, the hull of a modest fishing vessel, the propeller of an ocean liner and an anchor made of stone. We might call her Asunder, and, fantastical though she is, we could in fact find her today, scattered in fragments across the country's creeks and coastlines. This extraordinary book collects those fragments for a profound and haunting exploration of our seafaring past. In his moving and original new history, Tom Nancollas goes in search of eleven relics that together tell the story of Britain at sea. From the swallowtail prow of a Bronze Age vessel to a stone ship moored at a Baroque quayside, each one illuminates a distinct phase of our adventures upon the waves; each brings us close to the people, places and vessels that made a maritime nation. Weaving together stories of great naval architects and unsung shipwrights, fishermen and merchants, shipwrecks and superstition, pilgrimage, trade and war, The Ship Asunder celebrates the richness of Britain's seafaring tradition in all its glory and tragedy, triumph and disaster, and asks how we might best memorialize it as it vanishes from our shores.

When Aeronwy was six, her parents Dylan and Caitlin Thomas moved to the boathouse at the edge of the small Welsh village Laugharne. Through a child’s eye, she recalls the chaos and joy of living with Dylan Thomas while the poet was at the height of his creative powers, composing Under Milk Wood. Through a series of beautifully evocative episodes, village and family life are explored. Emerging from the narrative, Aeronwy tells a moving memoir of growing up in Wales in the 1940s and a new portrait of Dylan Thomas as a father from the only person who could tell that story. This literary sensation includes never-before-seen photos of Dylan Thomas and his family, will get widespread attention, and features personalities like Augustus John, A.J.P. Taylor, as well as the villagers who would eventually be transformed into the characters from Llareggub.

The second, highly anticipated novel from Carnegie-shortlisted author Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock.Come on a journey across the rural American West . . .Meet the teenagers who live in the small towns across these states, separated by distance, but whose stories are woven together in the most unexpected of ways.Whether they are brought together by the spread of wildfire, by the priest who's moved from state to state or by the hunt for a missing child, these incredible tales blaze with secrets, rage and love.A novel like no other, this intricate, intense and beautiful book will take your breath away.'A clever and unusual novel . . . powerful.' Sally Nicholls'Gorgeous and compelling . . . breathtaking.' Katherine Webber'A beautiful literary writer.' The Bookseller'It's cut like a gemstone. Turn the pages, and facets gleam.' Hiliary McKay'Beautifully observed and deeply satisfying.' Lisa Williamson'Breathes life into wonderful, complex characters.' Lisa Heathfield'A heartbreakingly brilliant tangle of teenage voices.' Judith EagleContent warning: child abuse, arson, bereavement, addiction

Lighthouses have always unsettled and attracted in equal measure, highlighting the triumphs and failures in humanity's battle with the forces of nature. Taking as its heroes the lighthouses themselves, Sentinels of the Sea describes the engineering genius that allowed their construction on even the smallest of rock outcrops and the innovations that made the lights so powerful and reliable. Intricate, elegant architectural plans and elevations, and evocative period drawings and photographs showcase the innovative designs and technologies behind fifty historic lighthouses built around the world from the 17th to the 20th century. R.G. Grant's engaging and authoritative text chronicles the incredible feats of engineering and endurance that brought these iconic, isolated towers into being, the advances in lens technology that made the lights so effective, and the everyday routines of the lighthouse keepers and the heroic rescues that some performed. Packed with extraordinary stories of human endeavour, desperate shipwrecks, builders defying the elements and heroic sea rescues, the book also reveals the isolation and vulnerability of the dedicated lighthouse keepers.

For centuries the seas around Scotland were notorious for shipwrecks. Mariners' only aids were skill, luck, and single coal-fire light on the east coast, which was usually extinguished by rain. In 1786 the Northern Lighthouse Trust was established, with Robert Stevenson appointed as chief engineer a few years later. In this engrossing book, Bella Bathhurst reveals that the Stevensons not only supervised the construction of the lighthouses under often desperate conditions but also perfected a design of precisely chiseled interlocking granite blocks that would withstand the enormous waves that batter these stone pillars. The same Stevensons also developed the lamps and lenses of the lights themselves, which "sent a gleam across the wave" and prevented countless ships from being lost at sea. While it is the writing of Robert Louis Stevenson that brought fame to the family name, this mesmerizing account shows how his extraordinary ancestors changed the shape of the Scotland coast against incredible odds and with remarkable technical ingenuity.

Find solace, hope and happiness through 12 fascinating birds whose song is never far away - if only we know where to look . . . 'A lyrical and life-affirming book that teaches us as much about birds as it does ourselves - a balm for the soul' Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path 'Charlie has opened my eyes to the constant joy of the sights and sounds of the birds that surround us. It is a book that really will save lives' Dr Richard Shepherd, author of Unnatural Causes _________ After the tragic loss of his mother, Charlie Corbett felt trapped by his pain. Having lost all hope and perspective he took to the countryside in search of solace. There, he heard the soaring, cascading song of the skylark - a sound that pulled him from the depths of despair and into the calm of the natural world. Weaving his journey through grief with a remarkable portrait of the birds living right on our doorstep, 12 Birds to Save Your Life is an invitation to stop, step outside, and listen. By following Charlie's path, opening your eyes and ears to what has been there all along, you will discover how nature can set you free.

'Superb' Sunday Times 'Revolutionary' Alice Roberts 'Hugely important' Jim Al-Khalili _______________ A radical retelling of the history of science that foregrounds the scientists erased from history In this major retelling of the history of science from 1450 to the present day, James Poskett explodes the myth that science began in Europe. The blinkered Western gaze focusing on individual 'genius' - Copernicus, Newton, Darwin, Einstein - was only one part of the story. The reality was an utterly global, non-linear pattern of cross-fertilization, competition, cooperation and outright conflict. Each rupture in history carved fresh channels for global exchange. Here, for the first time, Poskett celebrates how scientists from Africa, America, Asia and the Pacific were integral to this very human story. We meet Graman Kwasi, the African botanist who discovered a new cure for malaria; Hantaro Nagaoka, the Japanese scientist who first described the structure of the atom; and Zhao Zhongyao, the Chinese physicist who discovered antimatter. _______________ 'Remarkable. Challenges almost everything we know about science in the West' Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in 12 Maps 'Perspective-shattering' Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller, 'Editor's Choice' 'Horizons upends traditional accounts of the history of science' Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred 'Poskett deftly blends the achievements of little-known figures into the wider history of science . . . brims with clarity' Chris Allnutt, Financial Times

A chronicle of the lives of several British lighthouse keepers and their families, revealing the reason for their solitary career.

'The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.' - Mahatma Gandhi This beautifully packaged book offers a rare opportunity to slow down, step back and receive the natural restorative power of nature. Through its evocative passages and quotes inspired by the natural world, the contemplative words will transport you to a captivating realm full of flora and fauna that will fill you with wonder.The beginning of beginning rhythm Is speech of the crowned crane. The crowned crane says, 'I speak'. The word is beauty.- An African Bambara poem – Praise for the Crane

On 26 December 1900, the vessel Hesperus arrived at Eilean Mor in the remote Outer Hebrides with a relief lighthouseman and fresh provisions. The lighthouse had been in operation for a year, but it had been noted that no light had been seen from Eilean Mor for several days. The relief keeper, Joseph Moore, found the lighthouse to be completely deserted, and a subsequent search of the island failed to reveal any sign of what had happened to the three keepers. The last entry in the logbook had been made on 15 December and contained a number of strange and distressing clues as to the mental states of the men. One was reported to have been crying, while another had become 'very quiet'. When it was revealed that the men's oilskin coats were missing and the clock in the lighthouse had stopped, theories surrounding the keepers' fates inevitably proliferated. These included a giant wave washing them away, murder or suicide. Others favoured more esoteric explanations – Eilean Mor was believed to have mystical properties. In The Lighthouse, Keith McCloskey explores this mysterious and chilling story in depth for the first time and reveals a shocking conclusion.

New readings demonstrate the centrality of the rood to the visual, material and devotional cultures of the Middle Ages, its richness and complexity.

The volume Landscapes of Affect and Emotion is the first book to present a dialogue on emotion, affect, landscape and embodiment between environmental humanities and landscape studies.

A lavishly illustrated history of the iconic Bell Rock lighthouse which has stood as an industrial ‘wonder of the world’ since its completion in 1811.

Did you know that the inventor of the submarine was born along the west coast of Ireland, that ships from the Spanish Armada floundered off the Irish Atlantic seaboard and that guns for the 1916 Easter Rising were to be landed at Barna Strand in Co. Kerry but the ship, The Aud, was intercepted by the British Navy? Did you know that there was a plan to smuggle Marie Antoinette from France and away from Madame Guillotine to Dingle, that the Fasnet Rock off the south coast is known as the 'tear drop of Ireland' and that Maureen O'Hara's husband was a flying boat pilot who regularly flew into the flying boat station at Foynes? And did you know that Martello towers were built along the western seaboard during the Napoleonic Wars in case Napoleon tried to invade Great Britain via 'the back door'? This fact-packed little book is full of all sorts of information that will surprise even those who think they know the towns and villages along the Wild Atlantic Way.

'Another emotional hard-hitter' Sunday Times My name is Callie Rose. My mum is a Cross – one of the so-called ruling elite. My dad was a Nought. My dad was a murderer. My dad was a terrorist. These facts are the only things that are mine and real. So I don’t mind so much that I’m leaving it all behind. There’s nothing here worth holding onto. Sixteen years have passed since Sephy Hadley first met Callum McGregor. For Callie Rose, growing up mixed race in a world where bitter prejudice divides Noughts and Crosses has meant she’s an outsider wherever she turns. Enter Jude McGregor. Jude teaches Callie about her real family history, and the more she learns the more he persuades her where her loyalties really lie. But soon Callie is caught in a trap she can’t get out of – one which will have deadly consequences. Voted as one of the UK's best-loved books, Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses series is a seminal piece of YA fiction; a true modern classic. ‘Dramatic, intensely moving’ Carousel

This book is a wonderful celebration of the traditional lighthouses of England and Wales which are all administered by Trinity House. Fascinating personal reminiscences of some of Britain's last lighthouse keepers are included, together with individual portraits of all the Trinity House Lighthouses and light vessels in service today.

Women have a long history of keeping the lights burning, from tending ancient altar flames or bonfires to modern-day lighthouse keeping. Yet most of their stories are little-known. Guiding Lights includes true stories from around the world, chronicling the lives of the extraordinary women who mind the world’s storm-battered towers. From Hannah Sutton and her partner Grant, the two caretakers living alone on Tasmania’s wild Maatsuyker Island, to Karen Zacharuk, the keeper in charge of Cape Beale on Canada’s Vancouver Island, where bears, cougars and wolves roam, the lives of lighthouse women are not for the faint of heart. Stunning photographs from throughout history accompany accounts of the dramatic torching of Puysegur Point, one of NZ’s most inhospitable lighthouses; ‘haunted’ lighthouses in across the US and their tragic tales; lighthouse accidents and emergencies around the world; and two of the world’s most legendary lighthouse women: Ida Lewis (US) and Grace Darling (UK), who risked their lives to save others. The book also explores our dual perception of lighthouses: are they comforting and romantic beacons symbolizing hope and trust, or storm-lashed and forbidding towers with echoes of lonely, mad keepers? Whatever our perception, stories of women’s courage and dedication in minding the lights — then and now — continue to capture our imagination and inspire.

Shortlisted for the The Great Outdoors Awards – Outdoor Book of the Year 2020 Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature 2020 There are strange relics hidden across Scotland's landscape: forgotten places that are touchstones to incredible stories and past lives which still resonate today. Yet why are so many of these 'wild histories' unnoticed and overlooked? And what can they tell us about our own modern identity? From the high mountain passes of an ancient droving route to a desolate moorland graveyard, from uninhabited post-industrial islands and Clearance villages to caves explored by early climbers and the mysterious strongholds of Christian missionaries, Patrick Baker makes a series of journeys on foot and by paddle. Along the way, he encounters Neolithic settlements, bizarre World War Two structures, evidence of illicit whisky production, sacred wells and Viking burial grounds. Combining a rich fusion of travelogue and historical narrative, he threads themes of geology, natural and social history, literature, and industry from the places he visits, discovering connections between people and place more powerful than can be imagined.

Sailing across time and geography, the imaginary and the real, The Sea chronicles the many physical and cultural meanings of the watery abyss. This book explores the sea and its meanings from ancient myths to contemporary geopolitics, from Atlantis to the Mediterranean migrant crisis. Richard Hamblyn traces a cultural and geographical journey from estuary to abyss, beginning with the topographies of the shoreline and ending with the likely futures of our maritime environments. Along the way he considers the sea as a site of work and endurance; of story and song; of language, leisure, and longing. By meditating on the sea as both a physical and a cultural presence, the book shines new light on the sea and its indelible place in the human imagination.