Author(s): Helen Beaglehole

NZ Non Fiction

This comprehensive history of New Zealand's coastal lighthouses provides a detailed portrait of the construction and operation of these 19th- and 20th-century feats of engineering. Shipwrecks were common during this period when shipping became an increasingly important part of the New Zealand economy, and lighthouses, though costly and difficult to maintain, provided an essential service in guiding mariners to port. A thorough overview of the intricacies of lighthouse use is provided, from the precise measurements and economics of lighthouse construction to the quarterly supply trips and isolation endured by lighthouse keepers. Entertaining and informative, this history also considers critical questions about the future of historic lighthouse buildings.