By Dr James A.Begg Published by Mercat Press ISBN 1841830542 Dr James A Begg dedicated this real-life account of dramatic search and rescue operations to 'all those engaged in search and rescue by air, land and sea'.

James, an RNLI member, is no stranger to the sacrifices made by lifeboat volunteers, but his book is written from the view of a Royal Navy helicopter.

Named after the call sign of the Sea King helicopter based at HMSGannet, RESCUE 177 follows James1 time as a search and rescue doctor from 1986-1997 at Prestwick, Scotland.

The book is split up neatly into the fascinating range of incidents and situations the doctor had to face, from false alarms and amusing anecdotes to saving lives and the trauma of the Lockerbie crash.

As someone with a passion for writing poetry, James has no problem in bringing out the emotions - the book is genuinely funny, sad, tense and heartening in places.

Succeeding in being a 'fly on the bulkhead1 account, it charts the development of the HMS Cannet search and rescue service from a minor secondary role to one of the busiest such services in the UK.

As well as entertaining the reader, RESCUE 177 is a salute to naval and civilian crews who answer emergency calls on any day, at any hour.

Copies are available from all good bookshops or by calling 08702402182.By Richard Woodman and Jane Wilson Published by Thomas Reed Publications ISBN 190405000X Price: £27.50 Lighthouses are a welcome sight for sailors and sightseers alike and this hardback book is equally pleasing to the eye with 256 pages full of photographs and illustrations.

Readers will soon find that the histories and people associated with the lighthouses dotted around the coastline of England and Wales are as fascinating as the magnificent structures themselves.

Most of them were built by The Corporation of Trinity House, which was formed by Henry VIII and has played a key part in maritime history. It has an ongoing role as a charitable organisation and now operates lighthouses from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Solway Firth and Gibraltar - the days of keepers left alone for weeks at a time have departed.

The Lighthouses of Trinity House sheds light on the lives of these keepers, the construction of the buildings, and the variety of lighthouses throughout England and Wales. There is also a chapter devoted to the history of Trinity House, which is enlightening in itself.

Copies of the book are available through the Lifeboats Gift Catalogue, through the RNLI website at www.rnlishop.co.uk and by phoning the orderline number on 0870 600 1824. Please quote code 02468. (All orders are subject to postage and packaging charges.) Uf*bo«t EnthuiluU' Society Handbook 2004By Tony Denton Published by the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society Price: £5 or free to members of the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society This is an indispensable guide for anyone who enjoys scratching beneath the surface of the world of lifeboats. The Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society offers events, contacts and a wealth of information to those who are interested in lifeboats past and present, and the Handbook 2004 is awash with updated facts and figures.

It includes names, classes, sizes and station details of ex-lifeboats and the current fleet, including inshore lifeboats. There is also an exhaustive list of equipment at each station, including carriage and launching vehicle details as well as the lifeboats themselves.

With such a great deal of information packed neatly into the 68-page book, it is bound to be used again and again up and down the coastlines of the UK and Ireland.

Copies are free to members of the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society, or £5 for non-members, and are available from Tony Denton, Dawn, Upper Battlefield, Shrewsbury, SY4 4AA..