Britain's Historic Coast By Alison Gale Published by Tempus Publishing Ltd ISBN: 0-7524-1456-9 Price: £19.99 . _ _ H Alison Gale takes a trip through time that explains how human activity has both exploited and left its mark upon today's coastline.

Starting with a brief description of the sparse evidence of preice- age habitation, largely erased by the ice sheets of 25,000 years ago. she brings us up to the present day via the rapidly rising sea levels of the Mesolithic period which first reduced and then eliminated the land connections with today's continental Europe. It was this rise of 60m which, during the last 8,000 years, formed the coastline around which communities have flourished. Along this coastline they have left the many deliberate and inadvertent marks upon which the author draws to bring to life the rich history of the maritime fringe that has witnessed the arrival and development of the various peoples who make up our ancestry.

The book successively describes and logs the multifarious activities which have been carried out at the coast leaving their record in archaeological remains and artefacts: saltpans from Scotland to the south coast, ancient fortifications, legitimate and more nefarious trading activities, leisure and sporting links and, of course, ports, harbours and shipbuilding.

The perils of life on and close to the sea are not forgotten with chapters on the 'Watchers and Waiters' and on 'Lifesaving'. The latter traces the evolution of community and nationwide rescue services and their equipment from the VLBs (Voluntary Life Brigades) conceived on the north east coast to the modern form of the RNLI with our heritage of current and past lifeboat houses and monuments to heroic and tragic events.

The book draws attention to the many aspects of our everyday modern lives which owe their origins to various periods of our simpler maritime past - where would we be without salt, lifeboats and golf? - and with its further reading suggestions and summary of sites, it performs equally well as a reference guide or travelling companion.

Howard RichingsShooting H20 By Rick Tomlinson Published by Thomas Reed ISBN: 0-901281-80-3 Price: £35 No one believes that life is fair.

This belief is endorsed when, handed a book as good as this to review, one finds that on the dust jacket and in the foreword, the national press and world famous yachtsman, Peter Goss have used all the superlatives; amazing, stunning, brilliant etc. It was left to a fourteen year old, who is neither a photographer nor a sailor, to sum up this volume in one word: Wow! Photographer, round-the-world yachtsman and RNLI gallantry medallist, Rick Tomlinson's new work is not just a book, it is an experience. Each page is a heart stopping, eye dazzling, action-packed sensation. Readers are not just looking at the action. As each full sized, full colour, glorious, tight cropped close-up springs from the page, they are involved in it. The roller coaster stops only occasionally, to allow time to catch the breath and to gaze on the calming, placid images of wildlife and the frozen beauty of Antarctic icescapes.

Those who have struggled to take reasonably good photos in perfect conditions can only gape at the perfection achieved in what are obviously the most extreme circumstances. Those who have sailed anywhere will wonder how and why. The 'how' is through a real and personal experience of his subject matter - the 'why' is because this is the man Rick is.

The equally readable and plentiful text by Rick's long time collaborator Mark Chisnell, along with the photographs, is split into relevant chapters.

They tell of Rick's experiences of round-the-world racing, his time as a lifeboat crew member and many other adventures. Rick even gives tips on photography. Apparently all you need is a RIB, the occasional helicopter and several million pounds worth of ocean-going yacht. Oh, and a camera! This genre of book was once called 'coffee table books'. Forget it. Hire a trailer and take this anywhere. Anywhere that you seek inspiration, admiration and a lift from the humdrum of life.

Derek King The Story of Forest Row Lifeboat Choir By Frankie and Peter Garrett Price: minimum donation of £3.50 (inc. p&p) Copies available from Mr P Garrett, 8 Willow Close, East Grinstead. West Sussex RH19 2DQ fascinating history of the Forest Row Lifeboat Choir from its foundation after the Second World War to the present day. The booklet follows the story of the many characters involved in the choir over the years and the exceptional fundraising successes achieved by the group with details of the lifeboats it has funded.

Tania Hall.