whittles publishing caithness (389 results)

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Delivering two 38-year-old Mississippi river tugboats halfway around the world from Bahrain to Trinidad would not be every ship master's dream employment. However, for Captain David Creamer, the seven-week voyage of the Justine and Martha was not only unique, but a memorable experience he was unlikely ever to forget or repeat. As the author relates the day-to-day problems that the twelve crewmen encountered while living onboard, the reader is drawn into their world. The discovery of a plague of rats, steering problems, running out of fresh water and running aground in the middle of Sitra port, Bahrain are just some of the difficulties the two old boats encountered on their way to the Caribbean. Rusty water, fuel oil in a toilet, and a fire onboard in the Gulf of Suez were some of the setbacks experienced on the first leg of the voyage.Designed principally for river work and not as ocean-going or deep-sea vessels, the hapless Justine and Martha encountered a short but violent Mediteranean storm on the passage from Port Said to Malta rendering conditions onboard extremely uncomfortable.On the leg of the journey from Malta to Trinidad, they hit more bad weather, partially flooding the Martha. It also became apparent that the fuel taken onboard by both vessels was biologically contaminated. Forced to stop at Gibraltar to clean the fuel tanks, the author and Chief Engineer visited Nerja in Spain, which coincided with the start of the Mardi Gras. Although blessed with good weather for their crossing of the Atlantic, this epic voyage almost ended in disaster just a few meters from the final destination. An explosion from the engine-room, followed by a high-pitched mechanical whining, signalled the end of both engines, leaving the Justine to drift helplessly towards the jagged edges of a ramshackle concrete pier. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This volume brings together a selection of Glasgow's more famous buildings and describes them from an engineering perspective. Complemented with photographs, each chapter provides an insight into the decisions faced and the methods adopted when a building of major significance is planned and constructed. From the gleaming "Armadillo" of the modern era to the Underground and symbols of Glasgow's past, each building provides an insight into the application of engineering and forms a part of the fabric of an evolving city. In many cases the authors uncover some fascinating information about how Glasgow developed, its social history and the remarkable achievements of its engineers, past and present. The book encapsulates the spirit of Glasgow and shows clearly how it became the "Second City of the Empire" and to this day retains its entrepreneurial flair and vibrancy. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Read all about - his early life and struggle to support the family after his father's death - his move to Britain and the establishment of his first UK business - his company Noon Products and the catastrophic fire that became his finest hour - the recent 'cash for honours' scandal which embroiled Tony Blair, Lord Levy and many others - his dealings with premiers and world statesmen, royalty and business leaders - his views on the issues of immigration and nationality - not to mention his love of cricket!This is a candid story from a man who values his family, friends and country - both his birthplace and his adopted home. Despite many setbacks his indomitable spirit enabled him to meet challenges and succeed. Throughout his life he has made many friends and helped innumerable people, and when he needed help, particularly when his Noon Products factory was destroyed by fire, both friends and clients were there to help him recover. After selling the business to WT Foods, his own charitable company, the Noon Foundation was established and for his many efforts in this sector he was awarded an MBE.Increasingly, his time was spent working with many different charities and the Queen honoured him with a knighthood. Sir Gulam accepted nomination for a peerage but the 'cash for honours' storm erupted. He relates the incident from his personal perspective - his anger, humiliation, frustration and depression. He considers his relations with the police, the media, the Government, Tony Blair and other senior members of the Labour Party. He also reflects upon the tough questions facing Britain today, such as education, immigration, terrorism, and the role of the government and private citizens. He pulls no punches but his story demands respect - it deamds to be read. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Good. In this new and greatly enhanced edition of his classic book, which has become the standard work on the subject, Christopher Nicholson vividly describes the construction and history to the present day of some of the world's most famous lighthouses. It brings the story of the rock lighthouse completely up-to-date - from the day the first granite block was laid, through construction, automation, the disappearance of the lighthouse keeper, right up to the technology of today with the use of solar and wind power. This new edition will be a joy to read with its mix of exciting text, some of the most dramatic new colour photographs of British lighthouses ever taken, a selection of beautiful, hand-coloured plans and drawings, a brand new chapter about Rockall, the most unusual rock 'lighthouse' of all, and a detailed appendix. For those not intimately connected with the sea, it's almost impossible to imagine waves higher than the vessels that sail upon them smashing against half-submerged reefs that stir the whole ocean into a raging foam of white water. Man's struggle to build a permanent and durable structure such as a lighthouse on these sites is a story that cannot fail to stir the emotions of anyone who enjoys tales of endeavour, ingenuity and dogged determination. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. From the best-selling author of four classic UK diving books, comes The Darkness Below - a collection of absorbing adventures gained from a lifetime in diving. As one of the UK's leading Technical Divers, Rod takes the reader on a spellbinding and gripping journey, from first beginnings as a novice scuba diver. Told in intimate detail with a beguiling sense of self-deprecating humour, he recounts epic dives on some of the most fabulous shipwrecks around the world. Terrifying first explorations of virgin shipwrecks far offshore, lost in time and enshrouded in darkness in the silent depths, cram the pages. A daring expedition into the heart of the feared Corryvreckan whirlpool, the third largest in the world, an open sea encounter with Orca killer whales and an agonizing attack of the bends keep the reader engrossed. The palpable gloom, despair and human tragedy of the wrecks is never far away - the cold and darkness of the depths almost resonating with the cries of those who have perished. The fear of entrapment inside a wreck is grippingly described and becomes almost claustrophobic to the reader unfamiliar with the perils of wreck penetration, when snagged nets sometimes billow unseen above the unwary diver. However, there are rewards when survivors from wrecks are keen to speak to someone who has seen and touched their ship that had been lost long ago. This is an unmissable book for all divers and anyone interested in maritime history. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. As a sequel to the successful Rats, Rust and Two Old Ladies, the story of Oriental Endeavour begins when the author delivers a tugboat from Avonmouth to Buchanan in war-torn Liberia. Four years later, he is asked to command one of two tugboats for delivery from West Africa to Singapore and, despite being renamed, he soon realises this is the same boat. Along with its sister, Oriental Tug No. 2 has been terribly neglected whilst in Liberia and requires extensive repairs at Las Palmas. The 11-day trip becomes particularly memorable due to a funnel fire, the discovery of a stowaway, a wheelhouse that is no longer water-tight and bad weather. En route to Malta they are battered by a violent storm and Roland, the unfriendly rat, is sighted. After a short stay in fly-infested Djibouti, they successfully avoid Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and attempt their first crossing of the Indian Ocean which is thwarted by further machinery failure and partial flooding of some cabins. After 13 weeks they arrive in a muddy backwater creek in Singapore where the owner mysteriously declines to show his face. Before sailing from Buchanan the ships were visited by employees of timber companies involved in gun-running and the illegal stripping of Liberia's hardwood forests. Were blood diamonds from Sierra Leone concealed on board? Ex-President Charles Taylor of Liberia is on trial at the Hague - will the truth ever be known? The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Written over five years, this engrossing and enlightening book stretches to over a quarter of a million words and is a fast paced read as it races through the exploits and achievements of an astonishing gallery of the Scots who make up this Scottish Empire. Although household names such as Andrew Carnegie, Alexander Graham Bell, John Logie Baird and Charles Rennie Mackintosh are mentioned to underpin the strength and breadth of the Empire, only abbreviated reminders of their well-known achievements are shown. It's not a recital of the adventures of conquering heroes, although some are included. It's more an outreach of ideas, the story of human endeavor in its many forms .pushing at the boundaries of the imagination and stretching the accepted order. It encompasses everything from the spirit of pioneering to the mystical qualities of leadership. It's luckily not dependent on a seat of power and nor is it affected by the bruising arguments about Scotland's place within the UK or as an independent state. Gallagher brings together an astonishing array of characters who may not have made headlines but are essential elements in his illusory empire with a heady mix of extraordinary vision, creativity, energy, leadership, diplomacy, skill, artistry, sometimes pure genius and, more often, downright doggedness. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. "The Lost Glen" vividly portrays a clash of cultures and personalities against a background of a landscape in visible decay. The cultural collision and its effects are explored through Ewan, a young local man recently returned from university in disgrace, and a retired English colonel staying at the village hotel. Both men in a sense are alienated from the community, the younger because of a haunting sense of failure, and the older through an unwillingness to understand the local culture. They have a mutual antipathy. The Colonel's self-imposed cultural isolation leads to aggressive bullying and an openly lascivious attitude towards local young women. His unworthiness as a representative of Anglo-Saxon culture is largely compensated for by his young niece, who behaves with sensitivity and integrity. She is clearly attracted to Ewan whose sense of failure is complex and does not only concern his enforced withdrawal from university and his involvement in an incident at sea that cost his father his life; it concerns the feeling he has of himself as a spiritual exile - a man who had intended to emigrate but who had remained as an outsider in the land that meant so much to him.He is fascinated by the experience of a local piper, whose finding of a lost glen that had a strange beauty and primordial freshness had been translated into a pibroch. The haunting tune acts as a stimulant to Ewan's Hamlet-like musings on the possibility of a rejuvenation of the landscape or a final disappearance of its life and meaning. The antipathy between the two main protagonists leads to a physical struggle between them that brings to an end a novel, layered with meanings, that is more a symbolic drama than a novel of realism. One of the earliest novels to appear in the Scottish Literary Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, "The Lost Glen" turns its back on the form of writing that had depicted Scotland as a rural paradise in favour of describing Highland life as it really was at that time. A vividly portrayal of a clash of cultures and personalities against a background of a landscape in visible decay Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Hardcover. First Impression. Royal octavo, [25cm/10inches], full pictorial cloth, sans dust jacket, pp. xv, 175. Illustrated with b-w halftones, schematics, graphs &tc. Please feel free to ask for particulars and/or additional photographs. The publsher's blurb notes: "This is the first recent book to lift the lid off the crude oil tanker industry and to demonstrate that, contrary to general opinion, crude oil tankers are the safest and most regulated business/industry in the world. As an ex-supertanker navigating and deck officer, the author saw for himself during two recent voyages how ships were operated on a daily basis and everything was recorded exactly as it happened. These findings are important to all who wish to know what happens aboard the thousands of tankers that transport the vast quantities of unrefined oil used for the diverse essential commodities in our daily lives. Other issues are confronted such as the efforts made by the industry to deal with flag states and sub-standard operators that do not readily conform to international laws and conventions; the examination of double-hulled tanker construction; the protection of tanks against rusting and corrosion; water ballast transference; cutting greenhouse emissions and sea pollution prevention, including the environmentally-safe dispersal of marine growths on the hull.Light is cast upon a number of topical issues such as international piracy; concern with the worldwide fall in numbers of officers and ratings; up-to-date methods of securing their training; safety on board ship and the navigation of the tankers themselves, along with the latest efforts to regulate ship breaking on Asian beaches. The determined efforts of the crude oil tanker industry including its proactive initiatives to make each tanker safe and efficient at sea provide a fascinating account which is at times surprisingly dramatic." In exceptionally good condition.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good.

paperback. Condition: New.

Paperback. Condition: Good. This is John Hannavy's reflective look at how Scotland was depicted in photographs and postcards 100 - 170 years ago. In many ways, it redefines our view of Scotland's past as we are familiar with seeing Victorian and Edwardian people and views in sepia, but these are in colour, adding a warmth and realism to the scenes which photographers immortalized. The subject matter of the pictures was as wide and varied as Edwardian life and work itself and it is here that the reader meets eccentrics and worthies, sees people going about their daily work, catching buses and trains, embarking on steamers, and simply enjoying Scotland's spectacular scenery. Many aspects of Scottish life are explored from people's jobs to the many ways in which they occupied their limited holiday and leisure time between 1840 and the outbreak of the Great War.These include Creating Tourist Scotland - how Victorian and Edwardian Scotland was sold to the world and the birth of Scotland's tourist industry; Scotland's Railways - the development of the railway network and some of the splendid photographs and postcards which were sold to travellers; Industrial Might; The Ubiquitous Steamer; Gateways to the World; Fisherfolk; Working the Land; The Textile Industry; Taking to the Road; The Scots at War - from the Crimean War, the first to be photographed, to the skirmishes leading up to the Great War; Out in the Scots Fresh Air; On Scotland's Canals; Village Life; Family Life; That's Entertainment; Town and City Life; What we did on Holiday and Sports and Outdoor Pursuits. Included are fine studies of the hardy Scotch Fisher Lassies who worked their way down the east coast of Britain gutting and pickling the herring; the people who lived and worked on Scotland's canals; the men who crewed the country's trains, trams and ferries, together with a host of others. In effect, it opens the book on what was perceived as an almost mystical and mysterious landscape, 'north of the border'.With almost 270 photographs, many of them previously unpublished, The Way We Were brings Scotland's colourful past to life. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine.

paperback. Condition: New.

Paperback. First Edition. 240mm x 170mm (9" x 7"). xvi; 163pp. B/w illustrations + maps. VG : in very good condition without dust jacket as issued.

Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. Card covers, tall 8vo, pp.viii, 152. Bw ills. The story of a sponsored walk round all the manned lighthouses on the Scottish mainland raising money for the RNLI by lighthouse keeper Cassells. Inscription to head of half title. Light edge wear to cover. Near fine Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Soft cover. Condition: Fine. First Edition. Card covers, tall 8vo, pp.viii, 224. Col plates. Diary of a year in a home in a lighthouse on the North Shetland shoreline. Fine Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. This book is dedicated to the protection of horses, ponies and donkeys and is based on first-hand international experience from a lifetime spent with horses - hunting, racing and welfare - whether with The Pony Club, The Jockey Club or international horse charity. It covers all equines to the highest levels of performance - racing, show jumping, eventing and endurance riding and encourages all owners to care for their animals.Horses are beautiful animals that can work with their owners to the best effect; it is only right that they should all be cared for with respect so that the partnership is equal, one of working together and free from abuse. Christopher also looks at the world of working horses, donkeys and mules in the developing world, where they are often the only means of transporting people and goods, provide the only power to work the land and are essential for their owners' survival. He calls for them to be given closer attention and care and that training is given to the owners who may not be aware of how to care properly for their animals.He also writes about people in equestrian sports both nationally and internationally and the work of the major charity World Horse Welfare of which he was chairman, calling on his role as a leading regulator and lifelong horseman. He held one of the highest profile jobs in the Jockey Club, steward in charge of enforcing the rules of horse racing - and provides an insight into the high stakes world of racing where winning is everything. But whatever the activity or level, readers will be aware that horses are the real stars. This is a softback reprint of the popular hardback, Horse Welfare: Use not Abuse and is an authoritative account from a lifetime working with horses and for horse welfare. It is an inside story on the high stakes racing world and also highlights the challenges facing developing countries whose people depend on their horses, donkeys and mules Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG.

paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG.

Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Kayaking the Sea Roads is a personal journey by sea kayak into the heart of the sea roads that make up our Scottish Highlands and islands. Blending the intensity of the journey with a careful observation of the natural world and first-hand knowledge of the challenges of living and working in this place, the author reminds us that mother nature, vast and resilient, is still out there beyond our mobile phones and urban lives. For those with the eyes to see, its natural rhythms can awaken a deep sense of wonder and give us cause to become part of the environmental recovery so sorely needed.With Ed, we travel low in the water with the restless sea ever present and we camp with him on remote rough shores. We share his feelings of wonder at the natural world, his fear at the exposure to rough seas and we encounter with him not just the myriad animals and birds that share his every day but also the people, their communities and the often gnarly rural issues impacting on human and animal alike.Alongside a deeply felt appreciation of the natural environment is a first-hand insight into the environmental and land-management issues pertinent to the Highland coast. By exploring, for instance, the impact of native versus non-native species, of community land ownership, of tourism, hunting and the varied other uses and indeed non-uses of coastal lands and seas, the readers' eyes are opened to a Scottish Highlands that is so much more than just a pretty view.At the surface, this is an adventure story, but at its heart, it is a tale about belonging and a deep sense of place; and it is a journey home, home in the end to where the author's Highland love affair began. This is a personal journey by sea kayak into the heart of the sea roads that make up our Scottish Highlands and islands. It's a story of enlightenment, an opening of heart and mind to the wonders and challenges of living and working on our remote Scottish Highland shores. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

book. Condition: New. Language: eng.

paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG.

Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine. No Jacket. N/A (illustrator). 2004. Whittles Pub, Latheronwheel, 2004. Soft cover. Book condition : Near fine like new, unread. A very clean unmarked copy. Book will be sent by UK postal service. Bookseller Inventory #r009833. N/A.

Soft cover. Condition: New. No internal markings or creases to card covers; b/w photographs throuhgout.

Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Italian history is not widely read but the period under Mussolini's shadow is both interesting and relevant to understanding the wheeling and dealings of the 1930s and into WWII. Through sheer nepotism Galeazzo Ciano married Mussolini's daughter and became Italy's Foreign Secretary, the youngest in Europe and at first scorned at home and abroad. There are many salacious stories of their open marriage and promiscuity, but the focus is Ciano's political life as a man regarded as second only to Mussolini. Through his diary and diplomatic papers, access is gained to the European diplomatic squabbles of the 1930s. The study of Ciano provides insights into Hitler and his leading henchmen, especially Ribbentrop and G An insight into life under Mussolini in fascist Italy. Provides fresh analysis of Ciano's diaries illuminating Italy's history relating to the Second World War and exposes the sheer corruption in Italy during this period; a strange mix of personal scandal with national ramifications. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The Scottish Highlands have a strong appeal to the public imagination. Indeed, as a result of the writings of Sir Walter Scott, they are now symbolic of Scotland as a whole: a land of mountains, glens and lochs, of golden eagles and red deer; a land with a rich cultural history of clans and clanship, of kilts and castles, of crofts, crofting, Highland cows and sheep, of music and dance.But does this imagined landscape relate to the actuality? Is it in fact a wild landscape which has escaped the pressures of the modern world, or does such untrammelled wildness only reside in the mind?The aim of this book is to answer this last question by taking an objective look at the history of the Highland landscape, how it has changed over the centuries and how it is still changing. It challenges the view that the Highlands are, to quote the famous ecologist Frank Fraser Darling, a devastated landscape that is a landscape damaged by centuries of overgrazing and human exploitation. Instead it points out that the evidence suggests that the traditional unwooded Highland landscape of open hill and moor is one of the most natural remaining in northwest Europe, showing only minimal signs of human impact over the millennia; apart, that is, from the areas of human settlement. The occurrence of woodland as only isolated fragments scattered across the land is in fact a key biodiversity feature of the Highlands, distinguishing the far northwest of Britain from most of western Europe, where woodland would undoubtedly be the dominant habitat.There certainly were significantly more trees in the past but the woodland declined naturally over the millennia for a complex variety of reasons. Hence the current approach of putting trees back in the landscape, nowadays termed reforesting or rewilding is in fact destroying the very essence of the land. Similarly, the current activity of restoring peatland can also result in a loss of the naturalness of the landscape. Indeed, loss of natural habitat is seen as a serious global issue, with humans slowly taking over for themselves the whole planet, leaving little space available for the wildness of nature.It is not only reforesting and peatland restoration which is destroying the naturalness of the Highland landscape, but also the continuing encroachment of infrastructure, whether hill tracks, wind turbines, dams, phone masts, ski development, fences, and commercial forestry plantations. At the current rate of attrition, the wild landscape will soon remain only in the imagination, the open hills and moors having been dumped into the dustbin of history. The Highlands, sadly, will be like everywhere else in the world: developed and managed to extinction!Why can we not just let the hills be? After all, this is how they were for thousands of years until landownership entered the Highlands following the Battle of Culloden. An overview of landscape change in the Scottish Highlands over the millennia and its continuing change. It analyses and challenges the common view that the Highlands were deforested by people. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The American military presence in Scotland during the Cold War was greater than in either of the World Wars, bringing with it the largest peace-time number of foreign military personnel in Scotlands history. This military power was delivered by individuals the forgotten heroes. They worked to high standards of professionalism and most had no true concept of the danger they faced from the Soviet threat. This reality was only ever confronted during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.The author, a former Cold War special forces officer, brings his personal expertise into play, examining this intriguing story by reaching out to more than one hundred veterans and expert witnesses. Their contributions cover the nitty-gritty end of history, not high-end diplomacy. This fast-moving account of their endeavours, often in long working conditions, highlights the value of teamwork, training and determination.It is clear that Scotland would have been a Soviet target of necessity once the American bases were established. Scotland was of great importance to the United States during the Cold War and this research shows that, for more than thirty years, Scotland was the capstone in Washingtons early Cold War strategy.Scotland was an active centre of US strategic operations and the vital importance of its geographic position is clearly demonstrated as each location is examined, and its benefits listed. There were six significant bases, the most important being Americas only nuclear-armed submarine squadron in the Holy Loch. He details the operations which were carried out by the large radio spy stations (SIGINT) at Kirknewton, Thurso and Edzell. And he reveals for the first time Americas most bizarre intelligence gathering activity of the early Cold War, which also took place in Scotland.Overall, this book provides an important addition to the conventional US/UK Cold War narrative. The United States desperately needed the assistance Scotland provided and the author presents a convincing narrative that Scotland was at the epicentre of the Cold Wars most terrifying episode the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedys success was greatly assisted by these Scottish bases which provided him with the firepower and intelligence to outwit Khrushchev. One section of the book deals with the visit of JFKs top advisor to Holy Loch a story that has never been revealed before. It emphasises the simple fact that Scotlands role was a game changer.An interesting theme throughout the book is the espionage effort mounted by the KGB against these bases. The author has interviewed senior intelligence officers and their input is revealing. These were exciting times for the young Americans who crossed the ocean to serve their country and this is their Cold War story. Shines a bright light on the significant role the Scottish bases played in supporting the United States military for more than three decades. Provides a detailed examination of all the American bases in Scotland, covering their operations and personnel. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. From all around the coast, from the remote wildness of Cullykhan in Aberdeenshire to the bustling working harbour at St Ives in Cornwall, from the vast empty sands of North Norfolk to Anthony Gormley's iron men at Crosby beach on Merseyside, the author has asked individuals what the beach means to them.He noticed that people are generally happier on the beach and wanted to find out why. Thus began an engrossing venture. Collecting responses, he was surprised on two counts. Firstly, that people were very open and forthcoming; they had never met and none of the interviews were pre-arranged, yet the answers came thick and fast. Secondly, the range of answers was as diverse as the moods of the sea. He discovered that the beach inspires creativity and connections with nature and can be a place of reflection, work or activities and, above all else, the beach has an uplifting effect.These reflections and opinions are the basis of this guide which features 130 of Britain's beaches, a cross-section of a larger journey. For each beach, there is a summary, including the author's own impressions, and the answers from people encountered on that beach with photos. As well as being a showcase for the fine words of those who have so generously shared their answers, this is a celebration of us as an island people and an acclamation of the beach itself, this unique place where the land, sky and sea meet.The beach interviews showcase its profound effect on people, whether enhancing creativity, decision-making and energy levels, being restorative and settling, as part of a routine or a reference point through generations, perhaps representing freedom, an escape or just fun. This is a highly accessible UK beach guide with valuable visitor information. Includes interviews with beachgoers who share their perceptions, recollections and opinions about the importance of the beach to them. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Most birders keep lists of the species birds they have seen, but do any keep a list of pub birds, that is birds on pub signs and in pub names? This book is about these pub birds, their natural histories, folk-histories and those of the pubs that bear their names, some of the people involved in the story, and the memories that pub birds have evoked over a birding lifetime.This may appear to be a niche aspect of birding but before the advent of modern technology, pubs in 'good birding spots' were often the best place to find out from other birders "What's about?", preferably over a pint. On the eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales at the entrance to Wensleydale, are four pubs all named after Black Swans within a five-mile radius. Intriguing, but why there? They sparked John Lawton's interest in pub birds and the list that began then spans eleven years, based on a sample of 711 pubs named after birds or things that are 'bird-related'. There are 117 identifiable species of birds, 17 non-specific birds (for example duck), and four mythical species, plus 35 pubs named after bird-related things.Technical stuff aside, pub birds are fun. Whilst being as accurate and informative as possible, this book is not meant to be too serious. Whilst 'plain vanilla' swans get boring, the 'Swan and Cemetery' (in Bury), the 'Swan and Railway' (in Wigan) and three pubs called 'The Swan with Two Necks' (in Bristol, Clitheroe and Wakefield) cry out for an explanation. As do two Welsh pubs both called 'The Goose and Cuckoo' in Llanover (Monmouthshire) and Llangadog (Carmarthenshire).The resulting aviary of 117 species doesn't quite range from A to Z, but the list does run from 'The Blackbird' on Earls Court Road in London to a 'Yellow Wagtail' in Yeovil. The book covers the commonest pub birds, why they are so named, their geography and history, and also pub birds in art, literature and music. There is even a short chapter on nests, babies, feathers and bird paraphernalia. Throughout, the author has woven some of his fondest memories of pub birds into the story and from time-to-time he may even have gone into the pub for a pint. A unique account of birds on pub signs, their history and natural history, and their association with art, music and literature Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. This is the first recent book to lift the lid off the crude oil tanker industry and to demonstrate that, contrary to general opinion, crude oil tankers are the safest and most regulated business/industry in the world. As an ex-supertanker navigating and deck officer, the author saw for himself during two recent voyages how ships were operated on a daily basis and everything was recorded exactly as it happened. These findings are important to all who wish to know what happens aboard the thousands of tankers that transport the vast quantities of unrefined oil used for the diverse essential commodities in our daily lives. Other issues are confronted such as the efforts made by the industry to deal with flag states and sub-standard operators that do not readily conform to international laws and conventions; the examination of double-hulled tanker construction; the protection of tanks against rusting and corrosion; water ballast transference; cutting greenhouse emissions and sea pollution prevention, including the environmentally-safe dispersal of marine growths on the hull.Light is cast upon a number of topical issues such as international piracy; concern with the worldwide fall in numbers of officers and ratings; up-to-date methods of securing their training; safety on board ship and the navigation of the tankers themselves, along with the latest efforts to regulate ship breaking on Asian beaches. The determined efforts of the crude oil tanker industry including its proactive initiatives to make each tanker safe and efficient at sea provide a fascinating account which is at times surprisingly dramatic. An analytical and descriptive account of procedures on these vessels to ensure safety at sea Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.