Reviews for Field Guide to Lighthouses of New England

The average rating for Field Guide to Lighthouses of New England based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-08-17 00:00:00 Jon Stran Excellent book. I learned a lot. One of the reasons why the great library of Alexandria was so extensive was that the Ptolemies very nicely helped themselves to any original manuscript which came into port. The original was placed in the great library and the ship owner received a copy. Greek libraries were mainly stacks for books, whereas the Romans indulged in learning in the big way. They often made a library a part of their bath complex, incorporating many facets of relaxation under one big roof. The transition of books from cuneiform tablets and rolls of papyrus to codices and parchment was very interesting, as well. I can't imagine attempting to index the "books" in a library of clay tablets. It must have been an incredible task.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-01-05 00:00:00 Erika Gehman Libraries in the Ancient World contains a not too surprising round of historical libraries, including of course the Palace of Ashurbanipal and the Library of Alexandria, but nonetheless I found it interesting to read about exactly who libraries were for and how they worked in various societies. Casson's style is engaging, and I found it just overall the kind of relaxing read about a thing I love that fills an excellent gap without being wildly exciting or revelatory. I know that seems like faint praise, but I really can't think of anything else to say! If you want to look at the history of libraries, this makes a good start. Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.