Lighthouses of Maine, new guidebook from Ray Jones and Bruce Roberts

I pre-ordered a copy of the new guidebook from Ray Jones and Bruce Roberts, Lighthouses of Maine. It arrived today. Ron Foster has some photos in the book. I'm looking forward to learning about lights in Maine.

And so does my 'other son' , Ross Tracy! Check out the cover! Congrats to both Ross and Ron!

I actually ordered the book because Ross mentioned he had a photo on the cover.

Me too!

So now, what's the difference between this and the old Roberts/Jones books? These are marketed as guidebooks, so do they have detailed travel information? If so, I may pick up a copy of the Maine one for my eventual trip there (that never happens - I think it's like Dennis' LI Curse). Would like a supplement to Kochel and that cool map thing.

Looks like a cool book...if I can justify it, I'll pick up a copy from Amazon. To further prevent aforementioned Maine trip.

Greg,

The book is selling for $9.95 on Amazon.com. I'm not sure what the difference is between this and the old book. This one says that it's a first edition/first printing. There is a color photo and description of each light. There are also directions to see the lights. I've only looked the photos and haven't read it yet. This book includes a number of aerial photos. Ross Tracy had commented that a "guidebook should really be angles that the visitor would normally see from." (Though aerial is sometimes my favorite view, I do see his point.) I do like the compact size of this book.

Tammy

Thanks for the info, Tammy. Although I have a cool little book, it is not indepth enough for what I want; this sounds like the kind of guide I need.

Previous Jones/Roberts books did not cover all lights in an area. They tended to cover the better known / popular ones. Usually gave some directions but as I recall they weren't always the best. Always great pictures, but old ones were more of a superficial guide than a detailed guide.

Well, maybe it isn't the kind of guide for which I'm looking. Maybe Amazon will have a preview of it.

A good guidebook for all Maine lighthouses would be the Courtney Thompson book. Directions to each lighthouse, map of each 'area' and multiple photographs per lighthouse. She has also done a book on Southern New England (i.e. Mass, RI and Conn) which I have used twice to navigate the area.

Robert

Another good book is America's Atlantic Coast Lighthouses A Traveler's Guide by Jeremy D'Entremont. Its revised and updated from original edition by Kenneth Kochel and is a new 6th edition with all revised directions and mini-maps, with tour listings and restoration updates.
You can contact Jeremy at keeper@lighthouse.cc For those unfamiliar with Jeremy, he is President of Portsmouth Harbor Light, lighthouse book author, photographer and lighthouse tour narrater, to mention a few of his accomplishments. The book is black and white.

I have this book and have found it very useful, although some of the directions have been a little off.
HCS

The Jeremy / Kochel book is an excellent reference for the coast lights from Quoddy to Key West. Maps are sometimes kind of funky, but lots of information and detail. Very hefty book with a lot of info, especially for the price. Tend to photocopy the pages I need rather than carry the whole book.

Courtney's book was good, but as I recall was kind of "scatterbrained" in that she did not sequentially list lights. To go from one to the next you have to pay attention to the chapters before and after the area you are in. Need to have an overall map and plan and then use her book to suplement. Guess I'm just too spoiked by the Penrose Great Lakes books which start in one corner and flow around the lake in sequence.

I'm with Dave, nothing like the Penrose guide. However, if you want a "nutshell" reference and one which is colorful and easy to carry, I have Lighthouses of Maine which "Lighthouse Digest" sent as a freebie for resubscribing several years ago. It's printed on glossy paper, is 10 x 7, all in color, lists 57 Maine lighthouses and 3 Canadian (each with picture). As a nutshell reference, it gives a brief (paragraph) history with only very pertinent details (no directions) such as date and type of construction, type of lens, if in private hands, etc. And it has a foldout map. The lights are listed in clusters beginning with those in the Cape Neddick area, on to Portland, etc., all the way to Canada. I have found it very helpful. The price listed on the back is $5.95. The editor is Tim Harrison. It may still be available from "Lighthouse Digest".

The sixth edition of Jeremy's America's Atlantic Coast Lighthouses: A Traveler's Guide sells for $19.95 at Lighthouse Depot. The Amazon version is a little higher and goes only through the third edition - as far as I could find, anyway.

I like the books by Ray Jones and Bruce Roberts, but I like Courtney Thompson's book about Maine Lighthouses better. I have used both when I have gone lighthousing in Maine.