Rating: 
Summary: "This is not intended..." The author got that right!
Review: The preface starts with "This is not-nor was it ever intended to be- a definitive biography of the Lighthouse Stevensons." So the author decided to concentrate on the years 1786-1890 and in the process shortchanged all the Stevensons. The author stated that to be comprehensive the writing would be "futile" and "wearing." The author makes the reader question, "Why bother?" A scattered summary of their various careers follows with a confusing look at the building of some of Scotland's most important lighthouses. As someone with an interest in lighthouses I was looking for "comprehensive," not excuses.I also don't think I've ever seen this many typos in a book published by a major company.
Rating: 
Summary: Let there be lights!
Review: What comes across loud and clear was the desperate need for navigation aids on the coast of Britain in the 18th Century; in 1800, Lloyds reckoned they were losing one ship a day (!) to shipwreck - and these are only the ones reported - the true figure, including small craft, was probably many times that. The lighthouses that did exist were coal-fired, inadequate, confusing and extinguished at the worst possible times - in storms.This book does not pretend to be a treatise on all lighthouses, but specifically those built by the 4 generations of the Stevenson family.
It starts unusually with the youngest, and most famous, of the Stevensons - Robert Louis - who had few dealings in lighthouses, nor any wish to; but his experiences and those of his forebears influenced his life and writings, as in 'Kidnapped' and 'Treasure Island' - both concerned with wrecks and dark deeds on lonely islands.
His unfinished family history is a fount of information (and speculation), however, and this is the reason for his place in the book; the main protagonists come next, starting with his step-great-grandfather, who stumbled into the job of erecting a REAL lighthouse (as opposed to the earlier amateur attempts) on the basis of his experiments with lamps... the rest is history. The chapter on the Bell Rock reads almost like a novel; Rennie, the man originally hired to design and build the light, being gradually ousted by Robert, who claims the work as his own - understandably, as Rennie wanted the kudos, but had no desire for the hardship, only visiting the construction 3 times, whereas Robert thrived on it (but was not averse to a touch of glory).
Of course it all ends in tears, with an acrimonious wrangle dragging on for years; but it established Robert as THE lighthouse engineer, winning him new commisions for roads, canals, bridges etc..
His descendants follow in the family tradition (pushed heavily by Robert), keeping to the same basic design of Smeaton's Eddystone light, they erect lights all round the Scottish coast; incidentally gaining the undying hostility of the hordes of wreckers, whose grisly activities were effectively foiled by the lights. Ms.Bathhurst's writing is fluid, assured and informative, never patronisong or descending into scholarly jargon, and, though very well-researched, (see the comprehensive bibliography), does not pepper the text with notes, foot-notes and references - this is after all a Popular History book. Thoroughly entertaining - highly recommended.*****.
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