To coin a phrase, Orkney books are like buses. Nothing for months then a dearth of them in one week! The latest, The Orkney Book (2003 edition), is now available and much like its predecessors gives an overview of Orkney, its history, traditions and geography. The book, which is published by Birlinn, is split into a series of short chapters (detailed below). I've not found a source for it online yet but it will be added to The Orcadian bookshop on Monday. A hardback book, it is priced £25. Contents: 1 Geology and Landscape - John Flett Brown 2 The Early Peoples - Graham Ritchie 3 The Picts - Anna Ritchie 4 Viking and Late Norse Orkney - Colleen Batey 5 Orkney in the Middle Ages - Barbara E. Crawford 6 The Reformation and the Stewart Earls - Peter Anderson 7 Agricultural Improvement - William P. L. Thomson 8 Modern Times - Sheena Wenham 9 Orkney Place-names - Doreen J. Waugh 10 Agriculture in Orkney Today - Jim Chalmers 11 Fishing - James Coull 12 Tourism - Josh Gourlay 13 St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall - Steve Callaghan 14 Kirkwall - Raymond Lamb 15 The Northern Isles - Jim Hewitson 16 The West Mainland - Tom Muir 17 The East Mainland - Sheena Wenham 18 The South Isles - Sheena Wenham 19 Transport and Communications - Tom Muir 20 The Canadian Connection - James A. Troup 21 Stromness - James A. Troup 22 Tales and Legends - Tom Muir 23 The Orkney Tongue - Gregor Lamb 24 The Literature of Orkney - David Drever 25 Customs and Traditions - Tom Muir -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk

On 15 November 2003 20:51, Sigurd Towrie wrote: > To coin a phrase, Orkney books are like buses. Nothing for > months then a dearth of them in one week! Before someone comments, just realised what I'd written. It should say "a glut of them in one week!" The excitement was just too much ;o) -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk