Book review: Geology and landscapes of Scotland (2nd edition), by Con Gillen
A great number of geology books have been published in recent years about Scottish geology and I have had the privilege of reviewing a number of them for this magazine.
Category: geology
Book review: Classic Geology in Europe 3: Iceland, by Thor Thordarson and Ármann Höskuldsson
Iceland seems to set the hearts of certain geologists racing and, reading this field guide, it is abundantly clear why. Set out in this concise and authoritative book is the evidence of how this strange piece of rock – astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – is a “natural laboratory”, where the earth sciences can be watched in dramatic real-time.
Book review: Foraminifera and their Applications, by Robert Wynn Jones
As the author says, “The abundance and diversity of Foraminifera … make them uniquely useful in studies of modern marine environments and the ancient rock record”. And this book represents an interesting, enjoyable and informative ‘one-stop-shop’ treatment of precisely that subject.
Book review: Rock Trails: Scottish Highlands, by Paul Gannon
As a former ‘Munro bagger’ and now keen geologist, this book combines two of my favourite pastimes. While the body is not quite so willing as before, the ability to read about the geology of some of my favourite Scottish walks is an absolute pleasure – bringing back pleasant memories with its clear descriptions, and beautiful photographs and diagrams.
Book review: Vesuvius: A Biography, by Alwyn Scarth
Vesuvius is a European geological icon par excellence. There are many books about this wonderful volcano and most people will know of its connection with the destruction of Pompeii. However, this book is as much about its social history, as it is about geology.
Book review: Guides to: Fossils & Rocks of the Jurassic / The Geology of the Lake District – an introduction / The Geology of Cornwall – an introduction, by Robert Westwood
These three guides by Robert Westwood are in the same simple format. All are local geological guides to specific areas of the UK and all are illustrated by lovely full colour photographs. They all contain simple, introductory geological introductions for the uninitiated, and then more detailed expositions of what makes the regions so special.
Book review: Introducing Tectonics, Rock Structures and Mountain Belts, by Graham Park
This is the fourth book in a series published by Dunedin that I have been lucky enough to review – the others being on palaeontology, geology and volcanology. And this is as good as the others. However, it is not an easy book to read.
Book review: Walking the West Jurassic Coast; and Walking the East Jurassic Coast, by Robert Westwood
In recent years, the Jurassic Coast Trust really has produced some great books and I have had the privilege of reviewing quite a number of them in this magazine. These two companion books are intended as walking guides to the World Heritage Site.
Book review: Mull in the Shaping, by Rosalind Jones
This is a nice little guide by one of our regular contributors. Rosalind specialises in the geology of Scotland and is particularly interested in the island of Mull. (She has written several articles for us concerning different aspects of this lovely Scottish island.)
Book review: Ichnology: Organism -Substrate Interactions in Space and Time, by Luis Buatois and M Gabriela Mángano
Like the book, Applications of Palaeontology: Techniques and Case Studies, which I reviewed in the last issue of this magazine, this book is not for the casual fossil collector. Rather it is for the student, academic, oil industry professional or the more dedicated amateur collector.
Book review: Applications of Palaeontology: Techniques and Case Studies, by Robert Wynn Jones
I suspect that most people who read this magazine do so because of their amateur love of fossils and geology. They are interested in geology and palaeontology on a curious rather than academic or professional level.
Book review: Geology of the Dorset Coast (Geologists’ Association Guide No 22) (1st edition), by John C W Cope
Whether you are an amateur collector, geology student or professional geologist, the Dorset coast will always hold a special place in most geologists’ hearts. The coastline, which forms part of the ‘Jurassic Coast’ World Heritage Site, has been the stamping ground for the historical great and the good, through to the holidaymakers of today collecting fossils for fun.
Book review: The Tunguska Mystery, by Vladimir Rubtsov and Edward Ashpol
It appears that I was naive to assume the Tunguska explosion of 1908 had been adequately explained. It was a meteorite or, more probably, a comet that exploded above a remote area of Siberia. Wrong! This fascinating book shows that we still await an adequate scientific explanation and the jury is still out on what precisely the object was.
Book review: Earth in 100 Groundbreaking Discoveries, by Douglas Palmer
Nowadays, people don’t do geology – they do ‘earth sciences’ – and this book is very much in that mould. That’s not to say this is a problem.
Book review: The Jurassic Coast: An Aerial Journey through Time, photographs by Peter Sills, words by Robert Westwood
The Jurassic Coast Trust has produced a truly fascinating little picture book illustrating the geology of this World Heritage Site. It has the shape, form and feel of a holiday souvenir book and there is also plenty of information for the curious visitor who wants to learn more about the earth science of the area.
Book review: Scottish Agate, by Nick Crawford and David Anderson
Deposits magazine has covered the science and appeal of agate in some detail over the last few years. Indeed, this issue has another in Wayne Sukow’s excellent series on the science of Lake Superior agate formation.
Book review: Argyll and the Islands, by David Stephenson and John Merritt
Back in 1994, Scottish Natural Heritage, together with the BGS, published a guidebook entitled Cairngorms: a landscape fashioned by geology. With the publication of Argyll and the Islands a landscape fashioned by geology, they have now extended this excellent series to 20 such guides.
Book review: The Geology of London (Geologists’ Association Guide No 68), compiled by Diana Clemens
I like the GA guides. They are excellent resources for amateurs and professional geologists alike and I frequently browse mine, planning geological trips I will probably never take, because I live in geological unexciting London.
Book review: Strata: The Remarkable Life Story of William Smith, the Father of English Geology, by John L Morton
John L Morton certainly came to popular geological publishing by an interesting and circuitous route. Trained as a pilot, he flew Herons, Viscounts, Comets, Boeing 707s and Lockheed TriStars for British European Airways and subsequently published a book on aspects of flying for an airline.
Book review: Roughton Gill and the Mines of the Caldbeck Fells, by Ian Tyler
Over a period of 20 years, Ian Tyler has written a series of books on the metalliferous mining industry of the English Lake District and this has clearly been a significant labour of love for him.
Book review: Rock Trails, covering: Lakeland, Snowdonia and Peak District, by Paul Gannon
There are several passions in my life – geology and geomorphology being a couple and hillwalking being another. And it doesn’t take much to see that that these go together rather well.
Book review: King of Siluria: How Roderick Murchison Changed the Face of Geology, by John L Morton
Roderick Impey Murchison must have been a remarkable man. He was one of the first people to rigorously use the principles of stratigraphy discovered by William Smith, which allowed him to erect the Silurian system and to name about 123myrs of geological time.
Book review: Introducing Geology – A Guide to the World of Rocks, by Graham Park
There are a lot of ‘introduction to geology’ books being published these days and, just for a moment, one might wonder why. However, what it clearly shows is that there must be a healthy market for these and this can only be good news for geology as a popular science.
Book review: The Dalradian of Scotland (Geologists’ Association Guide No 67), by Jack Treagus
For many years, the Geologists’ Association has published some of the best geological guides to the UK (and a few other places). This new one, the 67th in the series, covers the Dalradian of Scotland.
Book review: Cyprus: Classic Geology in Europe no 7, by Stephen Edwards, Karen Hudson-Edwards, Joe Cann, John Malpas and Costas Xenophontos
The island of Cyprus is a truly classic area of geology in Europe. Perhaps nowhere else on Earth does so small an area provide such an excellent illustration of the dynamics of Earth processes through abundant exposures of spectacular and diverse geology.
Book review: Death of an ocean: A geological Borders ballad, by Euan Clarkson and Brian Upton
The Scottish Borders region is famed for its frontier history and attendant myths and ballads. This book concerns its more ancient geological history that is revealed by its rocks. These indicate that the area was once on the edge of a huge ocean.
Book review: Excursion guide to the geology of East Sutherland and Caithness, by Nigel Trewin and Andrew Hurst
The Caithness area of Scotland is important for its geology, but is also well known for its palaeontology. The area even once had its own ‘gold rush’ and you can still try your luck at panning there today at Kildonan.
Book review: The Geology of Watchet and its Neighbourhood, Somerset (Geologists’ Association Guide No 66), by Eric Robinson
For a long time Watchet has been known to be a superb location for those interested in both fossils and geology but surprisingly, the location has had little in the way of media attention. However, within the last couple of years, this area has begun to attract a lot of interest and this book will further increase its growing popularity.
Book review: Mortimer Forest Geology Trail, edited by Andrew Jenkinson
This small yet informative booklet takes you on a four mile walk to 13 sites and through 15 million years of Earths history. The Mortimer Forest Trail is a geology trail in Shropshire that is famous for its outstanding fossils and varied geology. The trail mostly examines Silurian formations such as the Wenlock and Ludlow series.
Book review: Silurian Fossils of the Pentland Hills, Scotland (Palaeontological Association Field Guide to Fossils No 11), edited by N K Clarkson, David A T Harper, Cecilia M Taylor and Lyall I Anderson
The Pentland Hills in Scotland yield a large number of Silurian marine fossils. Although these fossils are only found within a small area of the Pentland Hills, the formations are extremely rich in fossils. The majority of these are preserved as moulds.