The Suffolk coastline runs from the River Stour in the south to Lowestoft in the north, taking in some varying landscapes and river valleys along the way.  The wide River Orwell, with its wooded sides in modern bridge; the beautiful Deben leading up to Woodbridge; the Ore and the Alde, running up inside the shingle bank of Orford Ness, with its spooky cold war installations and abundant wildlife, past the towns of Orford and Aldeburgh to Snape; the Blyth and its narrow entrance between the picturesque towns of Walberswick and Southwold.  Between the rivers are beaches, sandbanks and mudflats with windfarms springing up offshore.

There are many books about this coast on our list, and quite a few by local author Robert Simper.  His latest book, Shingle Beaches and Tidal Rivers, captures the spirit and atmosphere of this wonderful coastline in words and pictures, exploring the life and activity along the coast as well as some of its history.  Robert Malster‘s Maritime Suffolk has just been reprinted and provides an in-depth analysis of the maritime history of the area.

Another facet of this coast is its wartime history.  In a recent novel, Something Momentous, author Ann Quinton presents the experiences of a young child living in Ipswich during the Second World War, closely based on her own life.  It is a vividly told and fascinating story.  A Very Dangerous Locality analyses the effects of wartime activity on the landscape of the area, with detailed maps and plans; Most Secret tells the story of work carried out at Orford Ness, and Secret Location is the history of radar and air defence development at Bawdsey Manor at the entrance to the Deben.  Doodlebugs and Rockets relates the impact of the V1 and V2 campaigns on the area; and Cold War East Anglia discusses the developments in the 1950s and 1960s to defend the country against nuclear attack.  Suffolk always seems to be on the front line in the defence of the realm, and going back even further we have North Sea War 1914-1918 and East Anglia against the Tricolour 1789-1815.

There are lots of other fascinating books about this area, covering work and life along the coast, the fishing industry, art, walking and boating – not to mention the range of fiction set in Suffolk.  Go to our dedicated area section to find more.

Full Details

From Harwich to Southwold

An exploration in words and photographs of the rivers Stour, Orwell, Deben, Alde, Ore and Blyth – and the coasts in between.
AuthorRobert Simper
Format:Paperback
Dimensions:24.5cm x 17cm
Pages:88
Publisher:Creekside Publishing
ISBN:9781913415952
Year:2024
RRP:£16.50

A history of 1500 years of seafaring

Maritime Suffolk provides a comprehensive history of the county’s relationship with the sea, its shipbuilding, fishing and maritime trading. Reprinted 2024.
AuthorRobert Malster
Format:Paperback
Dimensions:27.9cm x 21cm
Pages:300
Publisher:Poppyland
ISBN:9781869831493
Year:2017
RRP:£24.95

Ann Quinton

A novel developed from the author’s own experiences of living through World War II as a child.
AuthorAnn Quinton
Format:Paperback
Dimensions:20.9cm x 14.9cm
Pages:322
Publisher:
ISBN:9781913415808
Year:2024
RRP:£9.99

The Landscape of the Suffolk Sandlings in the Second World War

An examination of the landscape archaeology of the Second World War on the section of the east coast of England known as the Suffolk Sandlings: the coastal strip from Lowestoft to Felixstowe.
AuthorDavid Sims, Robert Leonard
Format:Paperback
Dimensions:24.4cm x 17.1cm
Pages:363
Publisher:University of Hertfordshire
ISBN:9781912260089
Year:2018
RRP:£20.00
Orford Ness played a vital role in inventing and testing weapons over the course of the twentieth century: far more significant and much longer than that of Bletchley Park. Most Secret reveals an incredible history, rich with ingenuity, intrigue and typical British inventiveness.
AuthorPaddy Heazell
Format:Paperback
Dimensions:19.8cm x 12.9cm
Pages:320
Publisher:History Press
ISBN:9780752491592
Year:2013
RRP:£12.99

A Witness to The Birth of Radar and its Post-War Influence

A unique insight into those men whose achievements during the war were under appreciated, but whose efforts were a key factor in the Allied victory.
AuthorIan Goult
Format:
Dimensions:19.8cm x 12.8cm
Pages:144
Publisher:History Press
ISBN:9780752457765
Year:2010
RRP:£12.99
The story of how the Cold War impacted on the people of East Anglia, and how the many RAF and research sites were used.
AuthorJim Wilson
Format:Paperback
Dimensions:23.4cm x 15.6cm
Pages:160
Publisher:History Press
ISBN:9780750956383
Year:2014
RRP:£15.99

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