Royal observer corps underground monitoring posts

[upthedump]

A short advanced notice of a (although I say it myself) brilliant new illustrated book all about the ROC underground monitoring posts, written by Mark Dalton and published by Folly Books.

224 pages, 260 x 200mm, with 500 illustrations.

I've put up a low-res video preview at:

Or see it on Amazon at: The Royal Observer Corps Underground Monitoring Posts : Dalton, Mark: Amazon.co.uk: Books The cover image on Amazon is actually wrong, the correct one can be seen on the other links mentioned on this page. (We updated the cover after the first draft was submitted to Amazon).

and on the Folly Books website at: Folly Books welcome page

Publication date is 7th October. I've had a few advance copies delivered and they really are brilliant.

 

[Speed]

Looks like another good Folly books product. Any reason why it isnt in the format of the other 3 books they have released/will release shortly. A bit annoying you cant have a nice set!

 

[upthedump]

Same height, not quite as wide. The reason for the different size is that when Mark first proposed the book it was going to be quite a small paperback volume of about 96 pages. As he developed it however, it got bigger and more sophisticated. A lot of the photo's were taken some years ago and were only ever intended to be snapshots.... but of course they are historically important now. We've done a lot of work to make the pictures look pretty brilliant at the slightly smaller size they are in this book, but to have enlarged them more to fill a 260 x 260mm format book may have sacrificed quality for scale. On balanace, I thought it better to make the book a little smaller and I think it has worked. Probably, in future, we'll produce all of our books to one or other of two standard sizes, either the 'Cold War Bunkers' 260 x 260, or the 'ROC Posts' 260 x 200, depending on content.

Derek Hawkins' 'Bath Stone Quarries', which is the third of the 'Subterranean Britain' series (published 21st November), will be in the larger format, as will the fourth volume in the series 'Burlington- the Corsham Emergency Government War Headquarters', which we'll be publishing next March. This will be followed by a fifth and final volume 'Underground London' which should appear next summer.

 

[Rob]

Book sounded great so I ordered it from Amazon on 14th of Sepember.
Sorry I can't review the book yet as I have not yet recieved it, Its now November & its still not in stock.

 

[upthedump]

Hi..

Amazon should be sending them out by now as they've had copies from us. We have loads in stock here for next-day delivery, if you want to go to our website at www.follybooks.co.uk

 

[Storm_Force]

just ordered mine ^^

 

[Marshallhead]

Got mine direct from Folly. Like their other books, it's superb quality, and is chock full of historic material, lots of which I've never seen before.

Thoroughly recommended for anyone with more than a passing interest in UK cold war preparations.

 

[Tankman]

Got mine direct from Folly. Like their other books, it's superb quality, and is chock full of historic material, lots of which I've never seen before.

Thoroughly recommended for anyone with more than a passing interest in UK cold war preparations.

Same here Amazon seem to be out of stock! One of the best books that has come out for sure on the subject of ROC Posts, comes highly recommended from me

 

[Rob]

Cancelled order with amazon placed it with Folly got it within 2 days. Great book a real insight fascinating .

 

[shiftytigger]

Is that Barmouth I see on the cover?

 

[Marshallhead]

Yes it is. The book points out it's rare to have a 1968 closure in reasonable nick like that, and also that there's a big rock holding the lid shut.

We have 3 round here in East Lothian, all 1991 closures, one of which is unlocked, but now has a good foot or more of water down it, and the hand pump is seized. Shame.

Most of the 1968 victims seem to have been "demolished" however I suspect the mot common method was just to collapse the vent and access hatch turrets, chuck the rubble down the hole (shut the door at the bottom of the ladder first) then dig them over. You can still see two mounds where Eyemouth's post was, for instance. I can't imagine it having been cost effective to completely remove them.

 

[shiftytigger]

Unfortunately the Brierley Hill one has succumbed to a housing development which I'm sure will have ripped it apart,as it most likely is with my NOW most local ROC location. It appears to be lost under Newham Hospital.

Lived in Tywyn and never found the post there, damned if i'd risk Aberdovey.I really need to move to better places (although technology has improved now so am a little more enlightened to locations)

 

[Isiah_Sheepworrier]

I notice Amazon say their out of stock agsin. I was going to ask for this for my birthday which is in a couple of weeks, do Folly Books themselves have stock?

 

[Tankman]

I ordered mine from Folly, it arrived within two days. Amazon appear to be constantly out of stock!