Stretching 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.

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, as so frequently depicted elsewhere. Instead, the rare early images and their modern counterparts 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.

This is a remarkable visual treat for anyone wishing to know more about the coastline of Sussex in all its spectacular variety.