| The Lighthouse Stevensons: The Extraordinary Story of the Building of the Scottish Lighthouses by the Ancestors of Robert Louis Stevenson Contributor(s): Bathurst, Bella (Author), Harpercollins Publishers Ltd (Author) |
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ISBN: 0060932260 ISBN-13: 9780060932268 Publisher: Harper Perennial OUR PRICE: $16.19 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: November 2000 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Europe - Great Britain - Scotland - Science | History - History | Europe - Great Britain - 20th Century |
| Dewey: 623.894 |
| LCCN: 99026174 |
| Physical Information: 0.71" H x 5.38" W x 8.1" (0.57 lbs) 304 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 18th Century - Chronological Period - 19th Century - Cultural Region - British Isles |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: 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 memorizing account shows how his extraordinary ancestors changed the shape of the Scotland coast-against incredible odds and with remarkable technical ingenuity. |
Contributor Bio(s): Bathurst, Bella: - Bella Bathurst is a freelance journalist. She divides her time between London and Scotland. |