The Geological Story of the Isle of Wight

Hughes, J. CecilProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.0
Word count
216K words
Chapters
22

Tags

English Originals Natural Sciences Fossil SpecimenStratigraphyEarth ScienceLandform EvolutionGeological SurveyField SurveyIsland TopographyNature ObservationIllustrated GuidePopular Science Writing

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Geological Story of the Isle of Wight by J. Cecil HughesAuthor: Hughes, J. Cecil (John Cecil),Language: English, Class: QE: Science: Geology, Release Date: Oct 14, 2010

Editor's review

This is an accessible introduction to the geology of the Isle of Wight, a work in the tradition of early geological writing that combines careful observation with narrative interest. Using the island's rock strata, fossils and landforms as his thread, J. Cecil Hughes translates specialist geological knowledge into a field-reading experience the reader can follow, explaining both how the strata were formed and such visible phenomena as coastal erosion and landslides. Its value lies not in offering the latest research findings but in showing how a geologist a century ago observed, described and explained the natural history of an island, allowing readers to sense the way of thinking that begins with fieldwork. This is a Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook, suitable as English-language original reading for beginners in geology and for readers planning a trip to the Isle of Wight who wish to understand the local landforms in advance. Read it alongside maps and geological cross-sections, and take it slowly; there is no need to finish it in one sitting.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. Read the table of contents and the concluding sections first to grasp the book's framework of the island's geological divisions
  2. Read alongside a map of the Isle of Wight and a geological map, marking the places mentioned as you go
  3. Skim over technical terms at first, focusing on understanding the author's observations and reasoning
  4. Read a short section each day and take brief notes, so that dense English terminology does not interrupt you

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no geological background? You can try it as an introductory reader, but it requires some English reading ability. The author writes in an accessible, narrative style and uses few complex formulas, though terms for strata and fossils are still fairly dense. It is best to learn some basic geological concepts first, such as sedimentary rock, faults and erosion, and to read with a map; understanding will then come more smoothly.
Is this edition the complete original text? This edition comes from Project Gutenberg and is a public-domain ebook, published from the original text; it is the complete English original. It is not an annotated or revised modern edition, so it adds no new introduction, notes or latest research; readers must consult other sources for background.
Will reading this book help with a trip to the Isle of Wight? It helps, but more for background understanding than as a practical guide. The book explains how the island's landforms and rock strata were formed, which will make you more perceptive when you see cliffs, bays and fossils on site. It does not provide transport, accommodation or route information, however, so you will still need a modern guide for trip planning.

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About the author

Hughes, J. Cecil Author

J. Cecil Hughes is an author about whom limited public information is available. The library currently holds only one work by this author, The Geological Story of the Isle of Wight. From this book it can be seen that the author's interest lies in the geology, landforms and natural history of the Isle of Wight in England, and that the writing favours a narrative approach, weaving together knowledge of rock strata, fossils and landscape evolution into accessible popular prose rather than a technical treatise weighed down with jargon. Such writing is typically aimed at general readers interested in natural history, balancing scientific accuracy with narrative appeal. As no reliable records of birth and death dates, nationality, education or career have been found, this entry makes no inferences about the author's personal life and introduces the author solely through the surviving work, focusing on its subject matter and style.