Brock, B B and R G (editors) and H C Willis; photographs: Struan Robertson and others Historical

Although its residents are modest on the subject of the importance of Simon's Town (earlier also spelled Simonstown), the town, with its harbour, was the headquarters of Royal and South African naval fleets and admirals responsible for the protection of a five million square mile security zone between the southern tip of Africa and Antarctica. More mundanely, but important for its residents, it is the terminus of the peninsula passenger railway from Cape Town.

It would be difficult to imagine a more authoritative and comprehensive coverage of any South African town. The warm foreword is contributed by H H Biermann, the former South African admiral based in one of the town's "oldest and stateliest of buildings" (Admiralty House, illustrated on one of the frontispieces).

Glazed dustjacket printed in brown and black with a monochrome illustration and black lettering to the front, and black type to the other four faces. Pale blue cloth-boards, gilt to the upper panel and spine. Plain cream endpapers. xiv pp of prelims, including a sketch by Lady Anne Barnard, title-page, errata slip and 2 monochrome frontispieces, + 217 pp of lavishly monochrome-illustrated text and index on ivory wove paper + 4 inserted single-sided colour plates lithographed on cream matt-art paper.

The copy is complete and better than Very Good throughout. Apart from a gift sticker from the Simon's Town High School Committee on the front free endpaper, the copy is unmarked.