The History of the Rhyl Lifeboats by Jeff Morris published by the author at £2.50 This is the second edition of Jeff Morris's account of the lifeboats and services in this wellknown North Wales resort.

As usual the author, who is the honorary archivist of the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society, has produced an in-depth and up to date review of the town's lifeboats - covering the period well beyond the arrival of the new Mersey class in 1992 and actually covering the naming of the latest D class inshore lifeboat in September 1995. The review copy was received in November -and a book could hardly be more up-to-date! Rhyl has had an interesting lifeboat history. Founded in 1851 by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Benevolent Society its first lifeboat was a unique, American-built tubular vessel, constructed of corrugated and galvanised iron. At 27ft overall and almost flat-bottomed it is hardly surprising that this boat was not considered a huge success and she was replaced less than a year later with something much more conventional.

However when the RNLI took over at Rhyl in 1854 the station asked for a replacement, and so began a long history of tubular lifeboats - one of which was on station from Please note that books reviewed on these pages are not available from the RNLI.

Where the books are available only from one source an address will be given in the review. Otherwise readers should contact a good bookseller, quoting the title, publisher and the International Standard Book Number 1856 to 1893, and another remarkably remaining on station for well over 40 years - between 1897 and 1939. One of Rhyl's other claims to fame is being involved in the first rescue from a hovercraft - a hazardous service in 1962 which earned the coxswain a silver medal and every crew member and the head launcher the Thanks on Vellum.

A fascinating and detailed account of the station which, as usual with books in this series, is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the station.

'The History of the Rhyl Lifeboats' can be obtained from the author, Jeff Morris, at 14 Medina Road, Coventry CV6 5JB at £2.50, including postage and packing.

Yachtsman's GPS Handbook A Guide to the Global Positioning System of Satellite Navigation by Colin Jones published by Waterline at £12.95 ISBN 1-85310-470-1 The advent of modern electronic navigation systems has revolutionised life at sea, and with the arrival of extremely compact, portable, and even dry-battery operated GPS receivers almost any vessel can now have access to navigational information which was in the realms of science fiction only a few years ago.

The ability to display a continuously up-dated position accurate to within yards is just one of the GPS system's party tricks, and in this compact but comprehensive volume Colin Jones explains how to make best use of today's receivers.

Detailed, although not over-technical, this is a book Fatal Call of the Running Tide by Barry Cockcroft published by Hodder and Stoughton at £14.99 ISBN 0-340-635-24-X Barry Cockcroft, co-author of the Hannah Hauxwell series of books and a prolific TV producer and director, has succeeded in producing an extremely readable and involving account of the lives and activities of a good cross-section of lifeboat communities around the coasts.

From the West Country through Wales to Scotland, then down the East Coast, back along the Channel and across to Ireland the author has spoken to that breed of individuals who man the lifeboats today and those who went to sea aboard them in the past. He has heard their tales, felt their emotions and entered into their lives in a way which involves the reader.

Fatal Call of the Running Tide is a book which manages to remove itself almost totally from the mechanics of the job 'a / of the unningTide - you will search in vain for any technical detail on lifeboats - preferring instead to deal with what trendy marketing- speak would call 'human resources'. In plain English that is people - the men an women of the service, their strengths their humour and yes, even their weaknesses.

Home from The Sea The Story of Courtmacsherry Lifeboat 1825-1995 by Micheal Hurley published by the author at £9.00 ISBN 0-9526007 Who better to write this detailed yet personal and affectionate account of Courtmacsherry's lifeboat station than the current mechanic Micheal Hurley? Although the story itself begins with the arrival of the very first lifeboat at this south Co Cork station back in 1825 the book opens in 1915 - when the station was involved in a tragic service which still haunts the area, and the world.

As the crew rowed the 12 miles out from this beautiful coast the liner Lusitania with almost 2,000 passenger on board was sinking, torpedoed by a German U-Boat. She went down in 18 minutes and only 764 survived.

Another service for which the Courtmacsherry boat will the yachts competing in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's race from Cowes around the Fastnet Rock and back to Plymouth found themselves caught up in a vicous low which swept in from the Atlantic.

The combination of wind and sea-state caused havoc, and 15 yachtmen died.

Courtmacsherry lifeboat was at sea for more than 22 hours.

Well illustrated with some delightful period photographs (including a wonderful view of the excursion train arriving for the 1959 regatta!) the book brings to life the impact of the lifeboat station on a close-knit community.

'Home from the Sea' can be obtained from Micheal Hurley.