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related to each vessel, and lists applicable bibliographic references. Many of the better-known Civil War shipwrecks do receive greater attention, but this does not ap pear ro be excessive or at the expense of the more obscure references listed. More importantly, the author includes, where available, specific vessel locations in latitude and longitude coordinates, and some attention is also given ro new archaeological work related ro several of the wreck sites. This information is, however, very sparse. While a broader application of these ideas would certainly benefit a volume of this rype, even a limited applicatio n helps bring a new spin to a lot of vessel descriptions that tend ro be somewhat repetitive in a number of seco ndary sources. Aside from these addirions, Gaines's Encyclopedia only slightly improves o n Donald G. Shomette's Shipwrecks of the Civil mtr: the
Encyclopedia of Union and Confederate Naval Losses (1973), now out of print. Shomette
Anne T. Conver se Photography
created one of the first comprehensive databases pertaining to Civil War shipwrecks. His work suffered from some organizational problems; Gaines improves on this structure with an approach that is easier to navigate, listing vessels by state and location of sinking, cross-referenced ro an alphabetical list located in the index. Gaines provides a good starting point for historians, archaeologists, and other Civi l War enthusiasts with an interest in shipwreck databases. W hile the author's added information might not quite live up to expectations, the overall concept is worth the investm ent, especially if yo u don't already have a copy of Sho mette's Encyclopedia on yo ur shelf. BRIAN DIVELEY
Nei tll , 1996, Cover photograph
WOOD, WIND AND WA TE'R A S roRv
OF THE OPERA H ousE CuP
RACE OF N ANIUCKEf
Photographs by Anne T. Converse Text by Carolyn M. Ford Live vicariously through the pictures and tales of Classic Wooden Yacht owners who lovingly restore and race these gems of the sea.
10"x12" Hardbound limited edition 132 pages, 85 full page color photographs For more information contact: Anne T. Converse
P: 508-748-0638 F: 508-355-0070 anne@annetconverse.com www.annetconverse .com
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Bellevue, Washington
Sentinel ofthe Seas: Life and Death at the Most Dangerous Lighthouse Ever Built by Dennis M . Powers (Citadel Press, New York, 2007, 380pp, illus, biblio, index, ISBN 9780-8065-2842-7; $21.95hc) People often look at an imposing structure, and say, "How in the world did they build that?" Aurho r Dennis M. Powers's similar reaction to the St. George ReefLighrhouse was to find out the answer and write a book about it. Obviously, one thing led to another, and the resulring Sentinel of the Seas became much more than a treatise on mid-19th century lighthouse construction. The subtitle, "Life and D eath at the Most
Dangerous Lighthouse Ever Built," seemed overly melodramatic, for the boo k opens with the usual introductions and political, hisro rical, and geographical considerations. Then the work begins. The year is 1883, the sire is six miles off the coast of northern Califo rnia, dubbed "Dragon Rocks" (hence the St. George Reef). 'Th e plan was to sail inside the reef, anchor the supply ship, and start construction o n No rth West Seal Rock. The men were ro live on a schooner until living quarters could be completed. This must have all sounded good ro the Lighthouse Board, bur to the workers it had ro have been a nightmare. Hurricane-force srorms blew up frequently with no warning. Seas of "mountainous heights" regularly washed over the fifry-four foot rock. Nexander Ballanryne, the construction supervisor, was unfazed . By November 189 1, the fifteen-story structure was completed, although the lens, at 146 feet above mean high water, was not in operation for almost another year. The details of the co nstructio n are intertwined with enough gales and high seas to keep any sailor entranced and lightho use fanatics surfeited, but the srory doesn't end here. For eigh ry- rhree years, men had to tend this lighthouse at what had to feel li ke the end of the world. Th eir dury may have lacked the ferocious drama of the initial construction, bur their work was equally haza rdous. Just getting men on and off the rock proved deadly more than a few times. So many lost their lives at or aro und the lighthouse it became known as the "sentinel of death." Powers pays tribute to these unsung crews in the late chapters of the book, the poignancy of the stories underscored by the final entry in the St. George Reef Lighthouse log that had dared back to 1891. Ir is 13 May 1975. The light is dark, replaced by an LNB (large navigational buoy) one-half mile away. "In your passing, the era of the lonely sea sentinel has truly ended. May another nature show yo u mercy. Yo u have been abandoned, but never will yo u be forgotten." Powers concludes the book with a plea for the Sr. George Lighthouse Preservation Sociery and the Del N orte Coun ry Historical Sociery in their efforts at restoration. Sentinel of the Seas will certainly advance the cause of preserving our lighthouses in this age of automation. ARDEN ScoTT Greenport, New York
SEA HISTORY 124, AUTUMN 2008