Some recent publications reviewed Mumbles Lifeboat by Carl Smith, published by Sou'wester Books at £3.50 ISBN 09515281 06 The history of the Mumbles lifeboat station is a long and gallant one, and the author has captured both the facts and the atmosphere in this well-illustrated, 60-page soft-back book.

Starting with the earliest attempts to found a lifeboat station in the 1830s Carl Smith takes the story through the triumphs and the tragedies of the years up to today's Tyne class lifeboat and hercrew, all in a very readable style.

The safety of seafarers in the Mumbles area has not come lightly, and the author includes in his work the three tragedies which have afflicted lifeboats from Mumbles, and which have cost the lives of no less than 18 lifeboatmen. In 1883 the pulling and sailing lifeboat Wolverhampton capsized with the loss of some of her crew, and in 1904 the same fate befell James Stevens No. 12 again with loss of life. Perhaps the worst tragedy of all, however, was in 1947 when the motor lifeboat Edward, Prince of Wales was lost with all eight of her crew when on service to the liberty ship Samtampa. Chilling photographs of the wrecked lifeboat and casualty bring home the dangerous nature of the lifeboatmen's work.

Mumbles lifeboat is a well-chronicled account of lifeboats and the community which they serve, and is of far more than local interest.

The Story of the Holyhead Lifeboats Written and published by Jeff Morris The prolific Jeff Morris continues his labour of love in documenting the lifeboat stations around our coast with this latest booklet in his 'The Story Of...' series.

In the familiar paperback formula and running to 26 pages of text, with an additional 16-pages of glossy black and white photographs, the author records the history of the Holyhead and Trearddur Bay lifeboats from the first independently-funded boat of 1828 to the Tyne and inflatable D class which serve the area today.

Although unable, for obvious space reasons, to record every service carried out by the lifeboats Jeff Morris does examine many rescues in detail, the notable and the unusual, over the years.

Also fascinating is his research into the other stations in the area of his books, and in this volume we find the little-known Port Rhuffydd lifeboat station whose brief history stretched from 1891 to 1904, clinging to the shore of a tiny, isolated cove. It is typical of Jeff s enthusiasm and meticulous approach that he includes a photograph of the boat house as it is today - a mere 86 years after the last of the 14 lifeboat launches it conducted! Holyhead was also one of the few stations to see a steam lifeboat in service, and once again Jeff has managed to unearth a historic photograph of the boat in Holyhead Harbour at the turn of the century.

As usual with booklets in the series the volume provides a fascinating insight into the workings of a particular lifeboat area with an appeal which extends beyond the geographical limits of the title.

The Story of the Holyhead Lifeboats is available from Mr. J. Sharpe, 31 Gwelfor Avenue, Holyhead, Anglesey LL65 1 AT for £1.75, which includes postage and packing.

Coastal Waters A Small Appreciation compiled by David Pocknell, published by Lennard Publishing at £5.95 ISBN 1-85291-081-X Seldom does a book elicit such consistency of response among those shown it for the first time as does Coastal Waters.

Without exception this diminutive, Sin by Sin anthology of verse and prose received a warm welcome, being variously described as 'charming' and 'delightful' as newcomers leafed through it, pausing to admire the small and beautifully-reproduced drawings, sketches and watercolours which illustrate each passage.

Perhaps this is not so surprising though, for Coastal Waters is the sequel to Trees - A Small Appreciation, which enjoyed a period in the top ten highest-selling non fiction books.

While the contributors are as varied as Gerald Manley Hopkins, Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling, and every illustration is from a different artist and in a variety of mediums, the thread which links them all is the sea, and its many moods. Although many of the passages reflect the more pleasant nature of the sea due deference is made to its angrier moods, and although no lifeboats appear in its pages the book does have strong RNLI connections.

One is the introductory page, which takes the form of a quote from Joe Martin, a former coxswain of the Hastings lifeboat: 'One day you'll be battling with fog for 22 hours, looking for survivors and just as you're frozen stiff and giving up hope you spot them. Just the look on their faces when they realise they're not going todie, that's enough.' A quote which stands alone and needs no amplification.

A second, and very practical, link is that a donation is being made to the RNLI for every copy of Coastal Waters sold.

Also received.

GENERAL INTEREST The Ships that Saved an Army by Russell Plummer, published by Patrick Stephens at £17.99 ISBN 1-85260-210-4 A comprehensive examination of as many of the 1,300 vessels which took part in the evacuation on Dunkirk 50 years ago as the author has been able to identify.

Comprehensively illustrated and with a three-page section devoted to RNLI lifeboats which participated.

Submarine Torbay by Paul Chapman, published by Robert Hale at £11.95 ISBN 0-7090-3821-6 First-hand account of the submarine HMS Torbay's first commission in the Second World War under the successful but controversial Sir Anthony Miers.

The author, incidentally later an RNLI employee, was second-in-command during the events recounted.

FOR THE YACHTSMAN Cruising Association Handbook Editor Tony Brett-Jones, published by The Cruising Association at £39.75 for non-members, members £24 ISBN 0 9503742 5 3 Seventh edition of the CA's comprehensive pilot, covering the UK and Ireland and the coast from Spain and Portugal to the south west Baltic.

Authoritative and informative, in a shorthand style, with many local charts.

Marine Inboard Engines by Loris Goring, published by Adlard Coles at £14.95 ISBN 0-229-11842-9 Guide to the care and maintenance of marine engines, with many line illustrations.

Could be used to avoid considerable trouble at sea!.