"A fascinating incidental history of the U.S...War and peace, economic boom and bust, technocratic muddles and political power-plays all come under his scrutiny, with illuminating, Fresnel-worthy results." -- Michael Upchurch - Seattle Times "A splendid history...[Brilliant Beacons] would be a good companion on any lighthouse excursion." -- Tim Bross - St. Louis Post-Dispatch "This magnificent compendium is a paean to the buildings that guided safe passage for the economic prosperity of a young nation with huge, dangerous coastlines...Dolin is a brilliant researcher and seasoned writer, allowing this mostly chronological sweep moments to pause and eddy into all the stories bound to emerge from heroic engineering, isolation, and fortitude." -- Ben Shattuck - New Republic "While there have been a score of books on Maine lighthouses in the past few decades, this is by far the best national coverage since Francis Ross Holland's American Lighthouses: An Illustrated History, from 1972...[Dolin] is a sure-handed researcher and a most enjoyable author." -- William David Barry - Portland Press Herald "A comprehensive...survey of a romantic subject...[with] many fascinating anecdotes...Dolin has read deeply in the lighthouse literature, perusing not only the histories but presidential lighthouse correspondence, lighthouse legislation, lighthouse engineering studies, lighthouse arcana...The most vivid (illuminating) passages describe the solitary and often desolate lives of the keepers." -- Nathaniel Rich - New York Review of Books "A must-read for anyone interested in lighthouses or America's maritime history...This history of American lighthouses is both engaging and enjoyable, whether for academics, who will not be disappointed in the thoroughness of the author's research, or for lighthouse history buffs who will enjoy its compelling narrative." -- C. Douglas Kroll - Sea History Magazine "Brilliant Beacons is the best history of American lighthouses ever written." -- Jeremy D'Entremont, historian at the American Lighthouse Foundation, and author of The Lighthouse Handbook: New England "A masterwork of research and storytelling...[A] fascinating ride through the rich history of lighthouses as strategic prizes in war, sources of technological innovation and inspiration for architectural ingenuity that combines grace and strength. This is a book for anyone who has gazed with awe upon the sea." -- Brian Murphy, author of 81 Days Below Zero "Eric Jay Dolin has done an amazing job of compiling the history of American lighthouses. No other book on the topic is as detailed and well written. Brilliant Beacons should be required reading for anyone interested in American history." -- Tim Harrison, founder and editor of Lighthouse Digest "Eric Jay Dolin looks beyond the postcard romance of lighthouses to reveal a vibrant and vital history. From shipwrecks and wartime raids to poetry, bird migration, and the physics of refraction, Brilliant Beacons is a fascinating, page-turning, and yes, illuminating read." -- Thor Hanson, author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers