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The ocean shore is a place of rugged beauty constantly shaped by wind, weather, and tides. Life on an Ocean Shore explores the ecology and environmental aspects of these watery worlds of rocks and sand from the North Pole to tropical equatorial islands. ... Read more

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First time author Peter Embley is a man who has fought his way back from the brink. Four years ago he was involved in an horrific car accident which left him with severe head injuries, and killed his wife. Experts told him that he would probably not walk again, but Peter decided very early on that he definitely would. His positive outlook and determination to succeed drove him to push himself, and he confounded the experts by not only walking again, but also gardening, playing golf and driving.

Peter was inspired to write his memoirs by book written by a fellow sufferer. His father was a captain in the Merchant Navy who, in 1945, was killed when his boat hit a mine. As the orphan of a merchant seaman Peter was sent away from his mother at the age of only 11 to the Royal Merchant School in Berkshire. The shock was great but the young boy adjusted and the foundations were laid for Peter's own career in the merchant navy.

He chose The Ellerman Line, which sailed out of Liverpool to some of the world's most exotic and fascinating places, and the author manages to convey to the reader the colours, smells and cultures of these locations, as well as giving a glimpse of life on board a ship. While he enjoyed the glamour of nautical life he found the prolonged separations from his pregnant wife, Pat, extremely difficult to cope with and he eventually decided to pursue a different career. The computer revolution was just beginning and Peter got in on the ground floor, becoming a systems analyst with, among others, Otis lifts.

In 1998 Peter and his wife Pat celebrated their ruby wedding anniversary and were looking forward to a long and happy retirement together when the car crash shattered their lives. Life for Peter Embley has certainly not been easy over the last few years but things are so much better than they might have been. His recovery continues and now he has Margaret at his side, whom he married in October 2001 and with whom he is very happy. He hopes his book will inspire others who are recovering from brain injury. ... Read more

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Take a close look at a wave-battered coast and you will discover a rich, fascinating, and remarkably brutal environment. Here, animals and plants exposed to wind, sun, and rain at low tide must cope with crashing waves as the seas rise to submerge them each day at high tide. How do living things survive in this harsh zone? With 87 stunning color photographs and an engaging text written for those with little or no knowledge of marine biology or physics, this book tells the story of one stretch along the Pacific coast of North America--introducing the mussels, limpets, crabs, grasses, starfish, kelp, and other animals and plants that live there, and explaining how they function and flourish in an environment of waves, sand, and rocks.
In pictures and words, Wave-Swept Shore explains complex phenomena, such as wave action, using simple, intuitive analogies. It explores how the forms of animals and plants affect their survival in this harsh environment, considers their distribution on the shore, and looks at their seasonal variations, focusing on what can be easily observed by visitors to the coast. Revealing the rich variety of habitats woven into what may at first look like a fairly uniform environment, the book, an effective and beautiful tool for learning about the edge of oceans everywhere, opens our eyes to the wonders of rocky shores and introduces a whole new way of looking at the natural world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An honor and pleasure to read...
This book eminates respect for the natural ecosystems of our shorelines.Visually it left me in awe.I frequently walk the Oregon coastlines and the detailed images are causing me to take a closer look...I am equally eager to explore the text at deeper levels. We are purchasing a copy for evening reading at our beach house and anticipate that it will become a fabulous gift for all those on our list who share our passion for the sea...highly recommended ***** ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An analysis of Thoreau's sea-faring references
In "Thoreau as World Traveler," John Christie studied the two kinds of trips that Thoreau had taken:real excursions (mostly in New England), and those he experienced vicariously through his reading of expedition narratives.In "Harp on the Shore," Willard Bonner branched off and analyzed just the sea-faring references in Thoreau's works.At first glance, the reader may think this to be a rather narrow field of research.But you can find an amazing number of these references in his journals and published works when you take the time to look and to understand the language of his day.Though he'd never sailed much himself, Thoreau was not above using the folklore of the sea that was/is so prevalent in New England.And isn't Life the biggest voyage of all?An interesting focus, recommended just for those who seek further depth in their Transcendental reading. ... Read more

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(2 Audio Cassettes/3 Hours) Robert Hughes, author of The Fatal Shore, The Culture of Complaint, and American Visions, begins his musings about fishing in three parts - Saltwater, Freshwater, and Hot Water. While there is much about catching and not catching fish, there is also much about literature, craftsmanship, relationships, and even how fishing changes your sex life. The result is a nonromantic masterpiece that is partly polemic, partly reminiscent - and all Hughes. ... Read more