msjaquiss's review against another edition
3.0
I found the sections regarding the actual construction of the lighthouses fascinating but found the writing a little dull overall.
ekeeller's review against another edition
4.0
A fun and well researched read. It’s a topic I’m particularly interested in so it flew by to me and the author did the family justice.
libkatem's review against another edition
4.0
Fabulous.
This is a history of the Stevensons' Lighthouses, mostly in Scotland (or rather, on large-ish rocks on the coasts of Scotland), though you cannot deny they international reach they had; both in building Lights and in helping all mariners (not just Scottish ones) navigate their perilous ways around Scotland. It's a family history, and it's a history of maritime traditions, from a time where there was no sort of prevention or rescue available to sailors, when you expected to lose a certain percentage of ships per year, to a time when we rely (perhaps too heavily) on radar, gps, and the automated lights.
Overall, a fascinated study. I adored it, and I now have the urge to go back to Scotland and study these great Lights. I love them so much.
This is a history of the Stevensons' Lighthouses, mostly in Scotland (or rather, on large-ish rocks on the coasts of Scotland), though you cannot deny they international reach they had; both in building Lights and in helping all mariners (not just Scottish ones) navigate their perilous ways around Scotland. It's a family history, and it's a history of maritime traditions, from a time where there was no sort of prevention or rescue available to sailors, when you expected to lose a certain percentage of ships per year, to a time when we rely (perhaps too heavily) on radar, gps, and the automated lights.
Overall, a fascinated study. I adored it, and I now have the urge to go back to Scotland and study these great Lights. I love them so much.
meekorouse's review against another edition
3.0
Took me forever to get through this! A fascinating. & fun subject that seemed to get bogged down in minutiae & had me passing out to sleep after a few pages on my nightly readings. The last few chapters that focused on the lives & personalities of the Stevensons themselves made for good reading.
jazzab1971's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
An interesting read that sometimes becomes a bit hard going.
At one point the author claims that St Cyrus is a "Fifeshire village". It isn't and never has been, and indeed is some considerable distance away from Fife. It worries me when factual books like this make such glaring mistakes. If they have got such an easily checkable fact as this wrong, what other errors are there? This effected the my scoring of this book.
At one point the author claims that St Cyrus is a "Fifeshire village". It isn't and never has been, and indeed is some considerable distance away from Fife. It worries me when factual books like this make such glaring mistakes. If they have got such an easily checkable fact as this wrong, what other errors are there? This effected the my scoring of this book.
redwavereads's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t expect to like a book about lighthouses, but Bathurst is very versed at threading a narrative about a technology and the people behind it. I learned a lot about seafaring and lighthouses, and I felt connected to the Stevenson family.
If you enjoyed Olivia Laing’s writing, you’ll enjoy this book. And you don’t have to be interested in ships, I promise!
If you enjoyed Olivia Laing’s writing, you’ll enjoy this book. And you don’t have to be interested in ships, I promise!
cauldhamer's review against another edition
4.0
Informative, well written and diverse in telling the history of Scotland's first Lighthouses
greggsfl's review
3.0
While not a comprehensive history of the construction of Scotland's lighthouses, Bathurst's book does provide insight into the difficulties of building lighthouses in the nineteenth century under extraordinary circumstances. By focusing on some of the more challenging projects, the author provides us with portraits of the Stevenson men, some who had natural talents in engineering and others who only took up the profession grudgingly because of parental pressure. All, though, were able to overcome the unforgiving Scottish coastline and weather to build lighthouses that still remain today.
While the descriptions of construction and the lives of the Stevensons were interesting, I enjoyed the last chapter the most. It concerned the lives of the keepers, including the many rules imposed upon them by the very religious Stevensons. It was quite interesting to learn about the job requirements and daily life of these men whose jobs were made redundant by technology.
While the descriptions of construction and the lives of the Stevensons were interesting, I enjoyed the last chapter the most. It concerned the lives of the keepers, including the many rules imposed upon them by the very religious Stevensons. It was quite interesting to learn about the job requirements and daily life of these men whose jobs were made redundant by technology.
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