Lighthouses of South Africa (Pocket Edition), by Gerald Hoberman

Lighthouses of South Africa (Pocket Edition), by Gerald Hoberman. ISBN 9781919939865 / ISBN 978-1-919939-86-5

A handy and fascinating insight into the features and technical innovations of lighthouses, this pocket edition by Gerald Hoberman also gives an overview of lighthouses of South Africa.

Gerald Hoberman  

Foreword: Having begun my career in the mining sector and having spent more than a decade with my last employer, it was with great excitement and some trepidation that I took up my position at Lighthouse Services. A difficult decision for various reasons, but one that I have not, for one moment, looked back upon with regret. This business is truly unique. Far from being weighed down by the gravity of the responsibility bestowed on us by the National Ports Act to provide a service that assists the navigation of vessels within port limits and along the coast of the Republic, it instead offers the unique opportunity of unbelievable travel experiences, unspoilt island locations, pristine beaches within nature reserves, rare glimpses of wildlife and being able to interact with people who share your dedication and love of a world that dates back to the early mariners. While the lighthouse has long been regarded as a symbol of strength and guidance, it is the hard and often solitary work of a dedicated staff who are ever willing to brave arduous weather, where an exotic location can quickly be turned into a desolate and lonely place to be, that makes this business what it is. With traditional aids to navigation not being the primary aids that they had been for centuries with the advent of electronic and satellite aids to navigation systems, it is worthwhile making the effort and taking the opportunity to spend time with the stalwarts of this profession to hear firsthand accounts of shipwrecks and other lighthouse stories usually reserved for the pages of novels. Many staff retiring with more than 40 years service is an indication of the dedication for, and love of, the business that is lighthouses. It is to all staff of lighthouse services, both past and present, that this book is dedicated. By all accounts, we could not have chosen a more accomplished photographer/ publisher in Gerald .Hoberman (now being able to add hardened mariner and survivalist to his already glowing resume). He, along with a phenomenal team, has really done amazing work in putting together Lighthouses of South Africa. What I hope we have been successful in achieving is the opportunity to share with everyone who picks up this book what we affectionately call the lighthouse experience.

Introduction: The essence of the lighthouse, a beacon of hope in a storm-tossed sea, is the marriage of optical, mechanical, electrical and civil construction genius and ingenuity; it is the calling of intrepid lighthouse keepers and technical staff, with their tradition of self less heroism, the vulnerability of brave mariners at the mercy of tempestuous oceans and providence, challenging the indomitable human spirit. Lighthouses of South Africa is an epic story of shipping over the centuries and of mariners who embarked on competitive quests for wealth and exploration, braving the Cape of Storms en route to the East and beyond. No doubt, they marvelled at the unrivalled beauty of South Africa's coastline and were lulled by the sublime serenity of fine weather and the magic of the coastal scenery at twilight, only to meet a sudden and brutal end, dashed against ragged rocks on a dark, wild night, frozen by fright and icy seas, carried away by swells and swirling currents and, on occasion, taken by great white sharks. Then came the drowned, bedraggled bodies of men, women, and children, tragically washed up on desolate beaches, forsaken under the harsh African sun, ships and precious cargoes lost forever. The urgent need to establish lighthouses on the coast of South Africa was clear.

Gerald Hoberman

This is an excerpt from the book: Lighthouses of South Africa (Pocket Edition), by Gerald Hoberman.

Title: Lighthouses of South Africa
Author: Gerald Hoberman
Publisher: Gerald & Marc Hoberman Collection
Pocket Edition. Cape Town, South Africa 2011
ISBN 9781919939865 / ISBN 978-1-919939-86-5
Hardcover, 11x21 cm, 160 pages, throughout colour photos