This hardcover coffee table book is a color picture filled book of lighthouses. Very nice presentation and pictures but beware!
The inside leafs of the book which has a map of lighthouses with many major ones missing. Montauk, St Augie, Race Point to name a few. Now this may not be the idea behind the book but it doesn't explain what ultimate means or what the premise for the book is. Most pictures are not labeled and are referred to on different pages. Very confusing. Some lighthouses are referred to as the wrong ones - example Plum Island is labeled as Old Field - close but no cigar! Lots of Canadian Lighthouses.
Ponce is said to be the second tallest lighthouse to CH but says it's 165 feet and lists Fire Island is 180, although Ponce is 175 and FI is 168.
A+ for quality of pictures
C- for accuracy
F - for being called "the ultimate book of lighthouses"
Narrative is interesting but after the above errors, I wonder about it's accurracy?



[This message has been edited by rscroope (edited 08-21-2000).]

Thanks for the informative review. I was skeptical when I read the tag lines by LHouse Depot which was very non-descript!! You saved me 24.95+shipping!!!!
Pharologst


Two books that are EXCELLENT are:
1) American Lighthoses by Bruce Roberts & Ray Jones
2)Lighthouses of the World compeld by International Assoc. of Marine Aids to nav. and Lighthouse Authorities (Globe Pequot Press)

[This message has been edited by pharologst (edited 09-22-2000).]

Bob,

Thanks for the review. my wife brought the book home last night. i took a quick look thru it and i was confused like you about the "Ultimate " tag. I did not read much of the text.

I just skimmed some of it and flipped thru the pictures. I agree about the pictures- very nice. I also agree about the awkward way they list the pictures. i missd the mistakes though. I'll have to look again.

I saw about 99.5% of the lights were north American, mostly American and Canadian, with a light from Eurpoe thrown in every so often just to confuse you.

It's a pretty book, but that's probably all it is. I'll have to examine it more closely.

Thanks for the info.

Dennis

'Appreciate the "review", Bob. Pretty pictures are nice....but I can get those off the internet or by looking at the dozen or more books that I already have.
It would be nice to have someone come up with a true "Ultimate Lighthouse Book" containing everything imaginable about the "lights". Maybe someday.........

How's this for logic- i told my wife that I thought she should take the book back and why and she disagreed

She wants to keep it because the pictures are nice and most people will never actually read all the text. i attempted, for a very short time, to make the case that a Nonfiction book should be just that. i got nowhere

Her last position was that it was no longer an Anniversary present and it was her book and she was going to keep it. I quietly said "Yes , Dear".

Know when to hold them, know when to fold them. you don't have to hit me with a big stick. i like where I live. the book stays. The pictures are Purty.

Dennis

Dennis... you sound like a very smart and discerning man. Being married now for 22 years, it took me about 15 of those to come to the conclusion that, "I will never truly win a debate with my wife." I guess some of use are just slow learners. In any case, and trying to stay with the topic, is there any other coffee table lighthouse book out there that someone would recommend? Say, something with plenty of pictures?

Tim - Keeping the flame lit...

I went to the Mall of America on Saturday and guess what, I went to a discount book store to see if they had it. Well they did and I bought it. I also saw the errors but the pictures are quite nice. I do not think the title "The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses" measures up but I can't imagine anything that could. Some people will like it and some won't. I would go to your local book store to check it out before you buy.

A wonderful coffee table lighthouse book with fantastic pictures is "Michigan Lighthouses An Aerial Photographic Perspective" by pilot/photographer John L. Wagner. This book is not cheap at $75.00, but it has over 168 beautiful full color photographs of Michigan Lighthouses. This book is hardcover and is 11" X 14" in size. Many of the photos are the full 11" X 14" and others are 8" X 10". I highly recommend it.

[This message has been edited by Suzanne Murphy (edited 09-25-2000).]

Serprise, serprise!

When I arrived home today from the first meeting of the Eastern Great Lakes HL Collectors Club this book way laying on the dining room table!

I.O. had been gone a few days visiting his daughter and family and had done some shopping and saw the book and thought I would like it. Not wanting to disappoint him, I did not tell him of the poor reviews!

While I haven't looked at it closely yet I couldn't help but notice that it is mostly pictures, although they do look like nice ones with some views not commonly seen. Inside the front cover are several regional maps with the lights numbered and identified. Imagine my horror to discover that New York had only 8 lights listed, and only 1 Upstate light! NY is not the only state slighted.

Ultimate is certainly a misnomer but at least the price was right!

I told I.O. that this would be a very nice coffee table book. This lead to a discussion on how the coffee table is in the back of the basement. Recently I had my son carry it upstairs but it didn't stay for some reason that I couldn't remember. I.O. reminded me that it was going to hold the new TV that we were going to buy because the old one conked out. After I adjusted all the cables it came back to life and then Bill had to take the table back downstairs. He asked I.O. what was up with the table. I.O. said, "Don't even try to figure it out"! Luckily for Bill, he's in Georgia now so he doesn't have to bring it back up again!

[This message has been edited by mombo (edited 09-25-2000).]

I know what u mean about new books being described wrong.Mine was the opposite. the description I read made the book sound like an art book and I was looking for good pictures and info.Well a friend that I buy some lights from got this book in and to my surprise allthe lights were paintings but betterthan many photos I have seen and lots of good info.If you run across Bansemers book of florida lighthouses & also Carolina and Georgia lighthouses.Be sure to check them out for beauty of content and for info you will be amazed. Don't just take some ones word. oseabee