{"id":9324,"date":"2023-03-26T11:18:52","date_gmt":"2023-03-26T09:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/?p=9324"},"modified":"2023-04-02T12:13:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-02T10:13:04","slug":"kleiner-atlas-der-leuchttuerme-am-ende-der-welt-jose-luis-gonzalez-macias","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/2023\/03\/a-brief-atlas-of-the-lighthouses-at-the-end-of-the-world-jose-luis-gonzalez-macias\/","title":{"rendered":"A Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World \u2022 Jos\u00e9 Luis Gonz\u00e1lez Mac\u00edas"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Lighthouses inevitably spark romantic notions for me and are firmly part of that dense maritime atmosphere I especially love to dive into in literature, time and again. When I discovered the A Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World<\/em>, it was absolutely clear I had to have the book. Praised for its design, published by Mare Verlag, and following the typically breezy structure of the now countless \u201clittle atlases,\u201d this book felt tailor-made for me. I don\u2019t want to miss the chance to share a short post with my impressions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The Atlas of Remote Islands<\/a> marked the beginning for me back then and remains unmatched to this day. I\u2019ve read some wonderful books of this kind since, and this little atlas of lighthouses fits seamlessly into that lineage. The author presents 34 lighthouses, devoting four pages to each one. One page tells a story about the lighthouse, and\u2014as is typical for the format\u2014these narratives vary widely. A second page shows an illustration that stylizes the tower and its location. On the second spread, the lighthouse appears again in profile as a cutaway drawing. Beneath that you\u2019ll find facts and a few additional notes about notable incidents. The fourth page provides a map with the lighthouse\u2019s precise location.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the best tradition of my other atlases, the book\u2014with its brief anecdotes and stories\u2014settled me into a pleasantly relaxed reading flow. The diverse texts are atmospheric and bring the sea, with its uniquely dense mood, vividly to life. The featured lighthouses are scattered across the globe and tied to very different events. Naturally, there are tales of shipwrecks and of the sometimes arduous work of constructing the towers; other pieces suggest that this or that lighthouse was perhaps cursed; or they turn to people who lived there in complete solitude and sometimes survived as if by a miracle. Another lighthouse in South Africa stood on a prison island where Mandela was interned. I also loved the story of the Lime Rock Lighthouse, with the daughter of a lighthouse keeper who, in a small boat, rescued numerous people shipwrecked off the coast. There are gripping accounts of lighthouses whose keepers vanished without a trace, or which, due to heavy seas, were inaccessible for long periods\u2014only for dramatic episodes to unfold inside the towers. Another U.S. lighthouse, difficult to build in its harsh environment, now serves as a resting place for urns. It\u2019s a colorful mix of stories that are highly entertaining to read, even when they often lack a sharp punchline. For me, they rekindled a sense of adventure, and I can never get enough of reading about the fates of those so closely bound to the sea.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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I also found the author\u2019s foreword interesting: he openly admits he doesn\u2019t really know much about the sea, doesn\u2019t live by the sea, hasn\u2019t spent much time there, and likely hasn\u2019t visited any of the lighthouses himself. Jos\u00e9 Luis Gonz\u00e1lez Mac\u00edas, born in 1973, is a Spanish graphic designer. He came to lighthouses rather by chance\u2014first through a commission to design an album cover, and then, via another assignment, to one of the stories included in this book. Fascinated by lighthouses and what they radiate, he went on to design and write this volume. I find that remarkable, because his texts are evocative and lively; I would have believed he had visited all those lighthouses in person.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Reading the book, you inevitably find yourself wondering what it would be like to live in complete isolation at these desolate sites. Most towers had a dwelling at their base for the keepers; sometimes, though, the cramped lighthouse itself served as the living quarters of those who ran it. Again and again, the texts note how solitude took a toll on people\u2019s spirits. Others, by contrast, kept the tower in reliable working order for many years and, so it seems to me, pursued their quiet and solitary work with stoic calm.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Each lighthouse entry includes a set of facts\u2014when it was built, and often when it was decommissioned or automated. While in past centuries lighthouses required human maintenance and care, today many can be operated automatically. Some still are; others have been shut down. Modern navigation systems technically render lighthouses unnecessary, which is only half the truth: if GPS or a ship\u2019s electronics fail, lighthouses provide a vital backup.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Something I didn\u2019t know beforehand\u2014but which is, in a way, obvious\u2014is the light characteristic (\u201cKennung\u201d) of a lighthouse, which the book also lists each time. It indicates how the lighthouse flashes. La Jument, off the coast of France, emits three red flashes every 15 seconds. This makes it possible to recognize visually which lighthouse you\u2019re seeing. The nominal range specifies how many nautical miles away the light signal can be perceived. Gonz\u00e1lez Mac\u00edas also notes the tower\u2019s height, construction type, and shape. You\u2019ll also find the exact geographic coordinates\u2014perfect if you want to look up the towers on satellite images or research them online.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some of the brief side notes accompanying each entry are fascinating, too. For instance, the Cabo Blanco Lighthouse appears in Jules Verne\u2019s Journey to the Center of the Earth<\/em>. The tragic stories of certain lighthouse dwellers have been adapted for film. Another lighthouse was visited by Virginia Woolf. Yet another became the subject of Jean Guichard, a photographer who captured numerous lighthouses amid stormy seas. And the photo in question<\/a> is truly impressive. So if you read the book and are captivated by the topic, you\u2019ll find plenty of pointers here to keep exploring the world of lighthouses.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The book\u2019s presentation is, once again, excellent. The red-and-white cloth cover, reminiscent of a lighthouse, feels pleasantly high-quality. I also really like the typography on the cover, which reappears in color as the title page. At the beginning there\u2019s a world map marking all the towers. The lighthouse illustrations give a good impression of the structures themselves while preserving the book\u2019s cohesive visual style. I also really like the following spread with the lighthouse in cross-section alongside the map\u2014beautifully tidy and well arranged. It\u2019s a pleasure to linger over the images; they break up the text and invite you to leaf through the book and dip in here and there. Unfortunately, there\u2019s no thread stitching\u2014that\u2019s the only downside. The book has a ribbon marker and once again uses pleasantly fine paper that feels thick and soft.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Conclusion:<\/strong> This new little atlas featuring numerous lighthouses at the end of the world is once again a delight. The varied short pieces on each lighthouse offer a fine overview and\u2014with their atmospheric prose\u2014conjure a vivid mood. It\u2019s a pleasure to let the lively texts, the illustrations, and the handsomely prepared maps carry you through the book. It\u2019s a quick read, but certainly one to keep on hand and return to. Kleiner Atlas der Leuchtt\u00fcrme am Ende der Welt<\/em> is, for me, once again a clear recommendation. It also makes an excellent gift\u2014especially for yourself\u2014when, on gray winter days, you find yourself longing for a holiday and the sea.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Book information: <\/strong>A Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World \u2022 Jos\u00e9 Luis Gonz\u00e1lez Mac\u00edas \u2022 mare Verlag \u2022 160 pages \u2022 ISBN 9783866486935<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lighthouses inevitably spark romantic notions for me and are firmly part of that dense maritime atmosphere I especially love to dive into in literature, time and again. When I discovered the A Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World, it was absolutely clear I had to have the book. Praised for … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “A Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World \u2022 Jos\u00e9 Luis Gonz\u00e1lez Mac\u00edas”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Kleiner Atlas der Leuchtt\u00fcrme am Ende der Welt \u2022 Jos\u00e9 Luis Gonz\u00e1lez Mac\u00edas - lesestunden","description":"Leuchtt\u00fcrme wecken bei mir unweigerlich romantische Vorstellungen und geh\u00f6ren fest zu der dichten maritimen Atmosph\u00e4re, in die ich besonders literarisch immer w"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","category-nonfiction"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/kleiner_atlas_der_leuchttuerme_am_ende_der_welt_1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}