Europe has over 40,000 miles of coastline, stretching from the icy black waters of the Baltic to the deceptively serene Mediterranean. With many of Europe's countries bordering a sea, the need for lighthouses has spanned much of the continent for centuries.

Lighthouses hold a perennial fascination for many of us - an indicator of danger, a beacon of the sea, laced with history and romance and a magnet for coastal walkers and visitors.

Photographer Thomas Ebelt was charged with capturing beautiful imagery of the most stunning lighthouses for a lavish calendar, but on his journeys along Europe's coasts he found enough outstanding structures and dramatic landscapes to fill a calendar every year for a decade or more. This book is a collection of his finest photographs, from Poland and Estonia, via Iceland, around Scotland and England, and towards Malta and Sicily.

Each lighthouse is accompanied by illuminating text about their history and construction. Specifications boxes provide information on position, identification features, height of the tower, height of the light, range and year of construction.

Thomas Ebelt is a customs officer for the port of Hamburg, patrolling aboard a customs vessel. As a sideline, he works as freelance photographer focusing on maritime subjects, nature, architecture, travel and underwater photography. He has exhibited his work around Europe, has published illustrated books as well as calendars, and regularly contributes to prestigious journals and newspapers.
He has a lifelong passion for lighthouses, and has spent 13 years and covered 160,000 km photographing them, inspired by his enthusiasm for architecture and different building periods, and because lighthouses enliven the surrounding landscape. 'Whenever I see a lighthouse I think of the sounds of the sea, the salty taste of the air, the light leading the way and the distance from everyday life. They tell stories about bygone times and stand up to the wind and weather. And unlike animals, they don't run off when I photograph them.'