Based on the extensive collection of old photographs and postcards gathered over the years by Shetland native Douglas Smith, this beautifully presented book provides fascinating insight into the lives of Shetlanders from the 19th to the mid 20th centuries. As is usual in a fishing and maritime community, the men folk were typically absent for long periods of time at sea and the role of women was vital to the life of the islands. They are pictured here performing task as varied as gutting the herring catch, knitting the complex Fair Isle patterns and gossamer thin shawls for which the islands are famous, cutting and drying peat for fuel, shelling bait for the fishermen and burning seaweed for Kelp to supply chemical manufacturers. The wartime period 1939 to 1945 and the island s crucial role as a lifeline to occupied Norway via the Shetland Bus is detailed and there are some fine examples of the unique and mysterious Brochs, substantial round stone defensive towers located throughout the islands. The herring and whaling boats, social occasions such as football and dancing, not to mention the annual Up-Helly-Aa fire festival celebration are all covered in this very comprehensive volume.