Books . . .

• Every now and again a book is added to the lifeboat library which can be recognised at once as a 'classic'. Such is A Source Book of Lifeboats by Ray Kipling (Ward Lock, £3.50). Few people can have a better all-round knowledge of the present-day lifeboat service or greater interest in its development than has the author, who is the RNLI's public relations officer, and his book is a good straightforward introduction to the subject—a source of basic knowledge indeed.

There are chapters on the Institution's history, on modern lifeboats and their equipment and on the organisation of a lifeboat station and how a rescue operation is set in motion; in this section can be found the keyed portrait of Wells lifeboat station, showing all the different people who contribute in a variety of ways to the success of its work of saving life at sea. In another chapter some famous rescues are recounted and there is also a short introduction to lifeboats around the world. For its size, the book is exceptionally well illustrated with a fine and varied selection of photographs, old and new.

Pocket size, this source book is easy to take on holiday and, with its chart of lifeboat stations in Great Britain and Ireland and its notes on RNLI museums and display centres, it is a useful book to have with you. Copies are available from the RNLI's London office, 202 Lambeth Road, SE1 7JW, price £3.50 plus 50p postage and packing.—J.D.

• Marine photography is not always plain sailing and any 'tricks of the trade' which can help you take that once-in-alifetime photograph more often, or to prevent your camera being ruined by salt water, are very welcome indeed. In This is Photography Afloat (Nautical Books, £7.95), authors Theo Kampa. a professional photographer living in Holland, and Wulf Barow, a journalist and writer specialising in photographic subjects, show how a change of lens can totally alter the mood of a picture; how to make a protective cover for your camera using a plastic bag, sticky tape and an elastic band; how a sequence of shots will give a better indication of the rough sea conditions than a single picture, and a whole host of special effects.

These and other aspects of taking photographs at sea make this book extremely interesting and helpful for any enthusiastic amateur photographer.— S.J.G.

• The Sailing Dictionary by Joachim Schult (Adlard Coles, Granada, £9.95) is not just a straightforward dictionary but also a very informative book covering many aspects of modern sailing, the terms used and the technology involved.

I found it fascinating reading.

Translated and extensively revised by Barbara Webb, it is very fully illustrated and well worth its price for its comprehensiveness alone.—EJ..