Arts

Book: Coastline UK

Waiting for me at the Post Office this morning was a copy of Coastline UK.

It's the ultimate coffee-table book for someone like me. The full-page photographs are taken vertically from above, so views of traditional sights are turned around. Durdle Door becomes a thin line of rock rather than the usual arch; The Needles are a white dot-to-dot.

Most spectacular though, are the unidentifiable places. Perhaps half of the photographs are abstract textures: sand, soil and sea mixed in rich swirling patterns. Many look more like far-off places than parts of our coast. (It's no surprise to see this comes from the same publisher as The Earth from the Air.)

If you're stuck for a present for someone who loves patterns, the coast and this island of ours, you'll be hard pushed to find a better gift.

(And if you're the person who sent the book to me, thank-you - it's perfect.)