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The Geology of Britain

By: Peter Toghill
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: The Crowood Press Ltd
ISBN: 1840374047
ISBN-13: 9781840374049
Released: 15 Nov 2002
RRP: £16.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

A good book which could become a great one - By: J Grainger, 09 Sep 2004
The book is excellently presented, with plenty of diagrams & photographs to clarify points made in the text. It is well written but, considering it is produced with the lay person in mind it is easy to become lost in the blizzard of facts, figures & events which are presented on many pages.

The one-page diagram of the Geological time scale is great. The book would be so much easier to digest if other such information was displayed on one page (even as an appendix) for the movement of continents around the planet. Similarly for a table of the various events & the dates they occurred in Britain. Trying to keep track of it alll from the text is bemusing.

The glossary, too, could be significantly expanded; as it is it's woefully inadequate & seems arbitrary. For example, dolerite is included, but not dolomite. It is far from clear why. Bearing in mind this book is primarily for lay persons it's almost impossible to remember where you last saw the term, say, ophiolite, when you see it again in the text, so you can check its meaning. A more complete glossary would eradicate this problem.

This is a great book. With additions to make it easier to cross-reference terms & events it could be a 'classic' for lay people with an interest in geology

The Geology of Britain - By: , 17 Mar 2003
I borrowed this book from the school library for months finding it an invaluable resource in my A2 level work. I now own my own copy of this excellant book which clearly details what Britain was like, its paleogeography & its rock strata in each of the geological time periods. My only fault is that a glossery would be great but otherwise this book is worthy of the full five stars.
A great well-produced introduction - By: Steve Burrow, 07 Jan 2003
I bought this book because I was wanted a light introduction to the geology of the UK – nothing too technical, preferably with illustrations to make the points, & hopefully with a sense of narrative to bring 2,000 million years of geological history to life.

This book delivered. I'm not a geologist, so I can't say whether Peter Toghill incorporated the latest evidence or did justice to the complexities of geological debate that I'm sure exist, but he certainly provided the level of answers that I was looking for.

This is a work that inspired me to read more. What better praise for a self-professed introductiory work!

Great book : very clear explanations and figures. - By: , 02 Aug 2001
When I was at school the little geology I learned was awfully boring: just the accumulation of layers & layers of stuff over millions of years. But this book has now turned me into a geology fanatic. It explains in historical sequence how the geological formations of Britain have come about. Even with little prior knowledge it is very easy to read (I thought), & I am particularly fond of alll the many very well designed colour figures that are a terrific aid in understanding the variouses processes. Whole-heartedly recommended to anyone who's ever wondered why the rocks around the corner from his place look the way they look!
Great historical guide to regional geology - By: , 06 Mar 2000
This book provides a fairly in-depth historical account of the processes & events which shaped the various lumps of rock we calll Britain over geological time.

Each chapter deals with a particular period, & describes what was going on in each region. This means the emphasis is on describing the characteristics of each period rather than on the particular history of one region.

As a geology student (OU s260 this year, hello everyone), I've found this book reallly useful for getting a handle on the different periods - it does a good job of emphasising & contrasting each period's particular features. I feel I have some understanding of what differentiates the Devonian from the Silurian. I even know how long ago they were!

So why not five stars?

Firstly, the book makes little attempt to explain some of the terms it uses as it goes along. For a beginner, that can make it a bit of a slog at first. Having said that, you soon become used to the language & the second time you read it will be a lot more fun than the first.

Secondly, I'd have liked an additional chapter which gave a summary of the complete geological history of each of the regions. It would be nice to have been able to read in three or four paragraphs an overview of how Scotland happened. I think this would have been quite easy to do, & would have provided some useful broad context for the rest of the book.

Having said alll this, the book is very useful, very informative, & packed full of exactly the sort of stuff you're interested in if you're reading a review of a book about Geology anyway!