Later this spring, the Rottingdean website is proud to be serialising Douglas d’Enno’s illustrated book “Rottingdean Through Time”. The inclusion of this fascinating book into the website is expected to be of considerable interest to local residents and visitors to the village
New book announced
Local author Douglas has also just announced the forthcoming publication of his new book “Sussex Coast Through Time” which is in the same format, but deals with the entire Sussex coast.
Douglas writes
“Extending for some 90 miles from the Kent boundary near Camber Sands with its sand dunes to Thorney Island within the sheltered waters of Chichester Harbour, the Sussex coast presents a rich variety of features, from bustling resorts to oases of calm and isolation. Its physical aspects have, of course, been presented in a number of other publications, some containing stunning photographs, but this is the first volume to depict this extraordinary coastline from a social history perspective.
Readers will search in vain for views of, say, Beachy Head and the Cuckmere Valley cottages, so frequently depicted elsewhere. Instead, the rare early images and their modern counterparts, described with meticulous attention to historical accuracy, have for the most part never been published in any book. They record, among many other sights, vanished landscapes and buildings (including 1930s swimming pools, holiday camps and elegant hotels), climatic catastrophes, lost transport systems and even a murder site.
The aim of this compilation has been to inform and entertain the reader using unusual and often strikingly contrasting pictures of this unique county. In nearly all cases the views, largely Edwardian and occasionally Victorian, are of locations on the shoreline or never more than a few hundred yards from it. This is a remarkable visual treat for anyone – general readers, walkers, social history devotees and others – wishing to know more about the multifaceted coastline of Sussex in all its spectacular variety.”
Both books are produced by Amberley Publishing and available from The Grange and other retailers locally.
About the author
Douglas d’Enno was brought up in Harrow, his family having moved to England from Italy when he was four. When he was 12, his family moved to Saltdean. Douglas graduated in French and Italian at University College, London, in 1966. From that year until 1995 he worked mainly in translation, in some posts combined with editorial work. Several posts were in private industry but for the most part he was a Civil Service translator, retiring in 1995 from the Ministry of Agriculture after two decades as Chief Translator. Douglas is married, with two children and four grandchildren. He still translates in a freelance capacity and has done so since 1995.
Douglas’s full-length history of Saltdean, The Saltdean Story, was published by Phillimore in 1985. Other publications include:
The Church in a Garden, DD Publishing, 2001
Foul Deeds and Mysterious Deaths around Brighton, Wharnecliffe Books, 2004
Brighton Crime and Vice, 1800-2000, Wharnecliffe Books, 2007
Fishermen Against the Kaiser, Vol. 1, Pen & Sword, 2010
Fishermen Against the Kaiser, Vol. 2, Pen & Sword, due 2012
Rottingdean Through Time, Amberley Publishing, 2009
East Brighton & Ovingdean Through Time, Amberley Publishing, 2010
He has also had published various local history features in the local Argus newspaper from 1999 to 2007 and made contributions to community and other publications since ca. 2006, eg. Rottingdean Village News, Deans Magazine, Peacehaven Times, Picture Postcard Monthly, etc
Call for submissions
The Rottingdean website is keen to make available to its visitors material of local historical, environmental or social interest and and invites authors to submit their work, particularly illustrated texts, whether published or not, to be similarly considered for inclusion on this website.
If you would like your work considered, please get in touch with us using the form on the contact page on this site. Thank you.
