Top 15 Books About Lighthouses Updated 04 /2024

Lighthouses make people feel a lot of different things. They are a lonely building that acts as a beacon of hope and help to ships and boats on a stormy night. For more than two millennia, they have played a big role in the world's seas.

The traditional image of a lighthouse shows a tall tower with a single light at the top. The light rotates all night long. Lighthouses have been used by the Greeks and Romans since the beginning of time to make sure that people could get around safely.

The Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the most well-known buildings ever built. It was also the tallest structure for many years.

A series of fires and earthquakes caused it to fall down, but it has been called a Wonder of the Ancient World.

Today, navigational aids have moved lighthouses to the back. They are less expensive and more accurate than traditional lighthouses, which are more expensive.

GPS and aerial navigation tools are used by ships and small boats to sail away from possible hazards, and they help them do that. As long as these structures have been around, there can't be a doubt about how important they have been. Many sailors have been saved by them. They have kept them safe from the dangers of running aground and running into rocks.

As lighthouses became more and more expensive to maintain and required a lot of money for repairs, engineers looked for cheaper and more long-term solutions. With time, lighthouses have become tourist attractions and are now a thing of the past, but they used to be. Almost none of them are still in use today, and most aren't open to the public.

However, people from all over the world still find lighthouses fascinating and mysterious. Here are our top 12 books about lighthouses that you should get your hands on.

They are sure to make you want to learn more about these amazing works of art and how important they were in ancient times.

So, sit back and let us take you through our list of the best books about lighthouses!

Lighthouse: An Illuminating History of the World’s Coastal Sentinels By R. G. Grant

The first book on our list is a good way to learn about the history of lighthouses. This guide is full of information about buildings and architectural styles from the 18th century to the 19th century. It talks about everything from the first ones to the most recent ones. Along with the stories of each lighthouse, a special mention is made of the keepers and caretakers who kept and ran them. In this book, there are also stories about the history of each building, the famous shipwrecks in the area, the ships that were saved by these silent guardians, and how the keepers were brave when they had to keep watch.

Some lighthouse blueprints from the past are also found in this book. This is a feature that isn't found in other guides. As a bonus, it also gives the reader detailed architectural plans and reviews of some of the most beautiful ones that have ever been built. People who read this book will learn about the famous lighthouses of Eddystone and Sandy Hook as well as the famous lighthouses of Montauk Point, Stannard Rock, Borkum Grosser, Green Point, Tillamook Rock, Cape Hatteras and Erie Harbor.

Lighthouse of the World: A Celebration of the World’s Most Beautiful Lighthouses By Lisa Purcell

For people who want a book that shows how beautiful lighthouses are, this is the one to read. Filled with pictures from all over the world, it takes the reader back in time to see some of the world's oldest structures that have lasted for a very long time.

Lisa Purcell, the author of a book about some of the most beautiful lighthouses ever built, does a great job of putting these structural mysteries together. This book travels across the world and visits the shores of many countries. The illustrations and photographs in this book are stunning.

These are some of the famous lighthouses that this book talks about: those at Shark Island (Sydney Harbour), Kribi (Gulf of Guinea), Rubjerg Knude, the Tower of Hercules (Spain), St. Anthony's Lighthouse (Cornwall), Whitefish Point Lighthouse (on Lake Superior), Jeffrey's Hook, and Whitefish Point Lighthouse (near the Hudson River).

Interesting facts and features are covered in more depth in separate sections. It also points out unique lighthouses, like those at Barnegat Long Beach Island and the Kopu watchtower in Estonia.

Each one comes with a series of beautiful images and illustrations that show how these lighthouses were built and how they worked.

Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse By Eric Jay Dolin

Eric Jay Dolin, a best-selling author and government policy advisor, wrote this book about the silent guardians of America's coast. It's a must-read and one of the most highly rated books on our list. It tells the stories and histories of some of the lighthouses that have helped the maritime industry in different parts of the country. It also talks about how they have helped with trade and business. A lot of attention is paid to each lighthouse and its history in the stories, which are told in a lovely way.

The book tries to show how politics, military, and technology all played a role in the building of American lighthouses. Structures are looked at from the time of colonial rule to when the country was growing and becoming a global power. A lot of people don't think about how important these lighthouses were, but this book makes a great case for how they shaped the country.

For people who want to know more about the history, intense battles, and global consequences of America's coastal sentinels, we think this is the best book for you to read about them.

The Lighthouse Stevensons By Bella Bathurst

The name Stevenson often makes us think of RL Stevenson, the author of "Treasure Island." However, even before his time, the Lighthouse Stevensons were well-known. They were known across Great Britain as that. The Stevensons were pioneers in the construction, maintenance, running, and lighting mechanisms of these structures. At the same time, they stayed true to the British architectural styles that were common on the coast.

Bella Bathurst is an author, researcher, and winner of the Somerset Maugham Award in 1999. She tells the story of the Stevenson family and how they made a huge impact on the lighthouse industry. The book starts with the founding of the Northern Lighthouse Trust in 1786 and the appointment of patriarch Robert Stevenson as Chief Engineer. The book then talks about how their unique style of construction came to be. They changed the lights that were on top of these structures. They came up with more durable ways to make sure the beam never went out.

In addition to their help with the construction process, they also made sure that these structures could withstand a lot of storms by standardizing and rehearsing their maintenance.

You should read this book if you want to learn more about the Lighthouse Stevensons and how they made the world's modern-day behemoths safe for ships and sailors in lonely places. For history buffs and people who love lighthouses, this is a great book to pick up and read.

Guardians of the Lights: Stories of U.S. Lighthouse Keepers By Elinor De Wire

While most of the books on our list are about the history and architecture of lighthouses, another important part of the lighthouse is the people who kept and cared for it. When you read Guardians of the Light, you will learn a lot about the lives of these men and women, how they train, and how they deal with problems.

People who lived in 1716, the year America got its first lighthouse, were called "guardians." They played a big part in making sure the lighthouse worked well. The work they do and the tools they use are described in great detail, as well as important parts of their daily lives.

The book then moves on to the 20th century and the gradual decline in the number of people who work to keep lighthouses up and running. It comes to an end in the early 1980s, when the last manned lighthouse was turned off.

Letters, diaries and newspaper clippings from the 19th and 20th centuries are just some of the sources this book draws from. It also gives a detailed account of the daily lives of these lighthouse guardians. This book, even though there are no lighthouse keepers today, is sure to make you feel nostalgic and awed by the service these silent guardians did for so many years.

The Lighthouse Encyclopaedia: The Definitive Reference (Lighthouse Series) By Ray Jones

Many people who have read this detailed and comprehensive guide on lighthouses agree that it's a great source of information that does justice to the huge amount of knowledge that goes into building and running lighthouses.

These structures are very tall, have to withstand storms and earthquakes, have to work 24 hours a day, and most importantly, they save the lives of mariners and sailors who would have hit dangerous rocks on the coast if they didn't have them.

The book is full of amazing photos and detailed information about some of the most famous lighthouses in Europe, North America, and Australia. It also shows how these structures are built, maintained, and used. People who work on lighthouses and know a lot about them write up the information in this guide and make sure it's true.

There are many types of lighthouses in these parts of the world, and this book explains what they look like, how they work, and how they came to be. It also looks at how the lights work and how they have changed over time from the 18th century to today. People who work as lighthouse keepers and caretakers are also talked about in the book. It talks about the challenges they face, as well as the special training they had.

Seashaken Houses By Tom Nancollas

Seashaken Houses is a fascinating book about the lighthouses of Britain and the nearby islands. It tells the stories of the structures that have kept British sailors and mariners safe for centuries.

It pays tribute to the people who built, invented, and looked after the rock lighthouses that dot the British landscape. A book about 20 lighthouses built between 1811 and 1904 is full of detailed sections about each one. The book gives the reader a clear picture of how the lighthouses were built and how they worked.

Author Tom Nancollas focuses on a few lighthouses that have had an impact on the area around them. He also pays attention to the architectural styles that are found on some of these rock lighthouses.

The vivid writing in this book is what makes it unique. It puts the reader right in the middle of the story and makes them feel like they are a part of it. To get an idea of how lighthouses and the world around them work, this book has many detailed sections. Each lighthouse has its own unique features that make it stand out.

In this book, you will learn about why and how a lighthouse should be built, the different types and categories of lighthouses, the factors that go into building and maintaining them, and the natural beauty of the coast and the lives of the people who live there.

The right book for you is one that sounds like a story but is 100% true.

Lighthouses of North America: Beacons from Coast to Coast By Sylke Jackson

This guide talks about the history and architecture of 71 lighthouses in North America. It's a fun and educational read. When you read this book, you get a new sense of awe for all the lighthouses that line the coast. It has a lot of small and important things in its 300-plus pages. A lot of the book is focused on lighthouses in the United States and Canada, but it also talks a lot about how each one was built.

In addition, there are sections on the engineering and structure, which give detailed information about different types of construction. These include conical and cylindrical structures as well as square and hexagonal structures as well as skeletal structures. Some of the most well-known lighthouses in this book are the Peggy's Point Light in Nova Scotia, the Presque Isle Light on Lake Erie, the Three Sisters of Massachusetts, Fire Island Light on Long Island Beach, and the Alcatraz Island Light in San Francisco Bay, which is known for being a prison.

It's a good book for anyone who wants to learn more about architecture and the history of these structures, as well as the engineering that made them possible. Filling up with information about how these lighthouses look and how they work, this book is sure to make you want to go see them.

American Lighthouses: A Comprehensive Guide to Exploring Our National Coastal Treasures By Bruce Roberts and Cheryl Shelton Roberts

People in the United States have used lighthouses to shape the country, its maritime history, and its economy over the years. Lighthouse historian Cheryl Shelton has written a 400-page book about some of the most important lighthouses in the United States. She has compiled and summarized decades of history on some of them. Readers get a better sense of how much work went into building these structures when they see beautiful photos from Bruce Roberts, a well-known photographer.

In this guide, there are more than 450 lighthouses covered. It gives information about their architecture and long history. The book also has information for visitors and tourists about when they can go and how to get the most out of their trip. In addition to the facts about each lighthouse, Cheryl has also shared heartwarming stories about the lives of the lighthouse keepers and workers who worked at these towers. Add a personal touch of reality to the guide by reading their stories. They make it more interesting to read.

The most important thing about this book is that it has beautiful pictures and a lot of information about lighthouses and history.

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