Books & Publications

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Books published or distributed by the BSS

Price list for publications and other items sold by the BSS

The BSS Library

Popular Low Cost Publications

Less Common Books

Sundial Books published in other countries

Specialist Booksellers of Sundial books.

 Books published or distributed by the NASS

Books Published or Distributed by BSS

The Society publishes its own range of books and publications which can be ordered through this web site. Simply print out the BSS Order Form then fill out your order and address details. For details of current pricing on BSS Publications only see the price list below.

BSS Bulletin . Published 4 times a year; each issue about 50 pages. Free to members. Members and non-members may buy back issues. See below.
The main journal of the Society, with authoritative articles on dialling, ranging from historical aspects to theory, to the design of dials

BSS Library Catalogue . The catalogue of our reference library in Nottingham. Available only to members.

Arnaldi, Mario: The Ancient Sundials of Ireland, British Sundial Society, 2000, pp 78.
A well illustrated study into Celtic and other dials; references and extensive bibliography

Brooks, Alexis and Stanier, Margaret: Cambridge Sundials 1991, 29 colour plates (Privately published)
Photographs and accompanying text of many of the dials in Cambridge. With map showing locations. Although this is not a BSS Publication, copies are obtainable from BSS Publications Sales.

Daniel, Christopher: Sundials, Shire Album 176, Shire Publications, 5th Ed 2000, pp 32
An excellent introduction to a wide variety of sundials.

Davis, John: Sundial Glossary, a source book of dialling data, British Sundial Society, 2004, pp 84.
A glossary of some 600 terms, arranged alphabetically, used in dial making, time keeping and astronomy. With formulae and chronology. New edition is greatly expanded, with many more illustrations, makers' biographies and 29 appendices. Note that this edition is available only in print, not on CD or on-line.

Folkard M and Ward J: Sundials Australia, 2nd edition, ppl 16, 1996. Privately published: Sundials Australia, 3 Bedford Street, Kensington Park, South Australia 5068. A well illustrated book on the history of dialling, types of sun dial, how to make and install, mathematics and other useful in formation. Copies available from BSS Publications Sales

Powers, Patrick (Ed): The Fixed Dial Register, See Register Ramblings for details.

Le Conte, David and Dorothy: Guernsey Sundials
18 sundials on Guernsey, Alderney and Sark

Stanier, Margaret: Oxford Sundials revised and expanded 2^nd Ed., 24 colour plates (Privately published)
Photographs and accompanying text of many of the dials in Oxford.

Walker, Jane: Make a Sundial, British Sundial Society, 3rd Edition, 48 pages, 2 pages of colour photographs.
Although originally written to cover school projects, a very useful introduction to making basic types of dial.

Wilson, Jill: A Biographical Index of British Sundial Makers to 1920
Gives details of over 1500 dial makers, working from the 7th to the 20th Century, and includes the heyday of British scientific instrument making. Essential for conducting research into dial making

Reeves S J E and Swingler E J: Computer program - Sundials Constructor.
A straightforward computer program that operates under Windows 3.1 or above. The program covers the basic types of dial with graphical presentation of hour lines; declination lines are given in tabular form

Price list for publications and other items sold by the BSS

BSS Bulletin back issues Complete set £90 but please note that the four out-of-print issues 909/2; 91/2; 91/3; 97/2 are supplied on CD-ROM, which is also available separately at UK £16; EU £17; Rest of World £18.
Issues more than two years old may be bought by non-members at £3.00 each inc p+p in UK, five or more at £2.00 plus p+p.
More recent issues are £6.00 each to non-members inc p+p in the UK. For multiple copies, postage will be calculated on the size of the order.
A cumulative list of Contents of back numbers of the Bulletin since mid 2001 is online here.
A similar list covering the period 1989 to 2003 can be downloaded here. (MS Word .doc file)

BSS Library Catalogue 2007. Available to members only. Collected in person £8.50, UK £9.50, EU £10.50, Rest of World £11.50

Binder for the Bulletin, in yellow with the BSS emblem on the spine. Holds 12 issues. UK £6; EU £7; Rest of World £8.50

The Fixed Dial Register This represents the accumulated sum of members' reports since the Society was founded. Some areas are, therefore, better covered than others. The Register is available, to members only, in two printed forms or on CD:
- South. A4, illustrated and with full details of all dials, includes the Channel Isles and English counties up to and including Glos., Oxon., Bucks., Herts., Essex. £46 inc. p&p. Limited availability.
- North. A4, illustrated and with full details of all dials, includes the rest of England (Mons., Hereford, Worcs., N'hants., Beds., Cambs., Suffolk and everywhere north), Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and Eire. £46 inc. p&p. Limited availability.
- Abridged. A5, no illustrations, two lines per dial. Easily pocketed and a great reference when you are travelling. £22 inc. p&p.
- CD, containing all the information in the South and North volumes.. £18.75 inc. p&p.

Sundial Glossary UK £15.00; EU £17.00; Rest Of World £19.00.

A Biographical Index of British Sundial Makers to 1920 UK £15; EU £17; Rest Of World £19.

Make a Sundial £7 UK; £8 EU; Rest Of World £9.50.

The Ancient Sundials of Ireland by M Arnaldi £7 UK, EU £7.50, Rest Of World £8.50

Guernsey Sundials by D and D Le Conte UK £7, EU £8, Rest Of World £9.50

Oxford Sundials by M Stanier UK £7, EU £8, Rest Of World £9.50

Cambridge Sundials by A Brookes and M Stanier UK £7, EU £8, Rest Of World £9.50

Sundials Australia by M Folkard and J Ward UK £13.50, EU £14.50; Rest Of World £16.

A Celebration of Cornish Sundials by Caroline Martin UK £4.50, EU £5.50, Rest Of World £6.50.

Mass Dials of Lincolnshire CD-ROM UK £16, EU £17, Rest Of World £18.50

Sundials by C Daniel UK £6.50, EU £7, Rest of World £7.50

Cowham, Mike, Ed. Sundials of the British Isles, Limited edition of 600 copies, 1st Ed 2005, pp 272 full colour
A beautiful new book, with 500 photographs and contributions from 28 authors.
Members' price £38 +p&p. Non-members' price £40 +p&p.

Computer program - Sundial Constructor UK £7.50, EU £8, Rest Of World £9

Slides, sets of 6 in colour Basic theory; early history; early British dials; dial types - 3 sets covering many modern and some well known traditional dials. UK £5.50, EU £6, Rest Of World £7.

BSS Postcards Scaphe dial, Cark, Holker Hall; 10th century Celtic, Clynnog-fawr; heliochronometer, Dunchurch; vertical, 1749, Salisbury, Malmesbury House; polar cross dial, Bramdean. Pack of 10 assorted (unless otherwise requested). UK £2.50; EU £3; Rest of World £4

Sweat shirt lighter quality UK £17.50, heavier UK £21. The prices depend on the supplier and batch size. For EU/USA/World - please check for postage

BSS Tie dark blue with BSS emblem UK £10.50, EU £11.50, Rest Of World £12.50

BSS Bow Tie dark blue with BSS emblem UK £7.50, EU £8.50, Rest Of World £10

BSS Brooch UK/EU £4.00, Rest Of World £5.00

BSS Ladies' scarf dark blue with BSS emblem and yellow edging UK £17.50, EU £18.50, Rest Of World £19.50


All prices include post and packing, except for bulk orders for the Bulletin. Please make cheques payable to British Sundial Society in £ Sterling.


(Prices correct as of October 2004 and subject to change without notice- E & OE)

BSS Library

The Society has built up a reference library of specialist books and journals on sundials for use by members. Many are out of print. See the article in the December 2004 Newsletter. A library catalogue has recently been published. See above. Enquiries may be directed to the Society's Librarian

As the BSS is affiliated to it, members may also use the library of the Royal Astronomical Society in London.

Books and Publications distributed by the NASS

The North American Sundial Society has announced a series of digital facsimile reprints of rare books on dialing. Each volume in the series includes a reproduction of a centuries old dialing text not readily available elsewhere. For more information Follow this Link

Popular Publications (Not available from BSS)

Jenkins, Gerald and Bear, Magdalen: Sundials and Time Dials Tarquin Publications, 1987, pp 15.
Cut-out models of 6 types of dial and sun related instruments

Jenkins, Gerald and Bear, Magdalen; The Sun, Moon and Tides, Tarquin Publications, 1991, pp 39.
Includes a cut-out model of an equatorial dial

Lennox Boyd, Mark: Sundials: History, Art, People, Science, Frances Lincoln, 2006, pp 176
A beautiful book that can be dipped into as a coffee table book yet has much to interest the expert, spanning the globe from Arab countries to Japan and the centuries from pre-history to now.

Rohr, Réne R J: Sundials, History, Theory, and Practice, Dover Publications, 1996, pp 142.
A clear and easy to follow exposition of dials and dial making

Waugh, Albert Sundials, their Theory and Construction, Dover Books, London and New York, 1973, pp 228.
A popular book that gives full design instructions together with several tables of relevant solar information

Less Common Books, some of which may be out of print. (Not available from BSS)

Adzema and Jones: The Great Sundial Cutout Book

Aked, Charles: A New Opusculum of Dialling References, privately published, 1997 pp 186

Botzum, R & C: Scratch and Sundials on Hereford Churches

Bryden, David J: Sundials and Related Instruments, Catalogue No 6 The Whipple Museum, Cambridge, 1988, pp 108

Cousins, Frank: Sundials, A Simplified Approach, John Baker, London, 1972, pp 247
One of the important and modern classic text books on dialling

Cross, Launcelot: A Book of Old Sundials and their Mottoes, TN Foulis, 1914, pp 102

Daniel, Christopher: Sundials on Walls, National Maritime Museum, Monograph No 28,1978, pp 25

Dolan, Winthrop: A Choice of Sundials, Stephen Careen Press, Vermont, 1973, pp 148

Drinkwater, Peter. The Art of Sundial Construction, 2nd ed, privately published, P Drinkwater, Church St, Shipston-on-Stour, 1987, pp 80

Earle, Alice Morse: Sundials and Roses of Yesterday, Macmillan, London & New York 1902, pp 461

Gatty, Mrs Alfred: The Book of Sundials, (Eden and Lloyd, ed) George Bell, 1900 pp546

Gouk, Penelope: The Ivory Sundials of Nuremberg 2nd ed

Green, Arthur. Sundials Incised Dials or Mass Clocks, SPCK, London, 1978, pp 203

Henslow, Geoffrey: Ye Sundial Booke, W & G Foyle, London, 1935, pp 422

Herbert, A P: Sundials Old and New, Methuen, 1967, pp 198

Hogben, Lancelot: Science for the Citizen, 2nd Edition, Allan & Unwin 1940

Horne, Ethelbert: Scratch Dials, Description and History, Simkin Marshall Lid, 1929, pp 72

Marshall, Roy: Sundials, Macmillan, New Yolk, 1963, pp 126

Martin, Mrs Carolyn: A Celebration of Cornish Sundials, Dyliansow, Truro, 1994, pp 48

Mayall, R Newton and Mayall, Margaret W: Sundials, How to Know, Use and Make them,Sky Publishing 1973, pp 250

McVean, Colin: Sundials for Fun, privately published, Time Te as, Fairford, Gloucestershire,1995, pp 182

Mills, H R: Positional Astronomy and Astro-navigation made easy, Stanley Thornes, 1978, pp 267.
A very good book with a practical approach to many types of sundials

Pattenden, Philip: The Pelican Sundial, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, 1980, pp 52

Pattenden, Philip: Sundials at an Oxford College, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, 1979, pp 100

Price, Lawrence: Scratch Dials, Sun and Harvest Publications, 1991, pp 92

Ransom, Peter: A Dozen Dials, privately published, P Ransom, Rufus Close, Southampton, S018 8LR,1988, pp 56
A selection of dial; illustrated and wall supported by line drawings and a bibliography

Scarr, M M: The Dial, Queen's College, Cambridge, Queens' College, 1988, pp 9

Somerville, Andrew: The Ancient Sundials of Scotland, Rogers Turners Books Ltd, 1990, pp 104

Stoneman, Milton: Easy-to-Make Wooden Sundials, Dover Publications New York, 1982, pp 38

Trovillion, VA H: The Sundial In our Garden, Trovillion Press, USA, 1955, pp 50

Vincent, Carole: Time and the Sundial, privately published, 1988, pp 20

Wynter, Harriet and Turner, Anthony: Scientific Instruments, Cassell and Collier. Macmillan Publishers, 1975, ISBN 0 289 704030.
One chapter is devoted to sundials, with many historical dials photographed in colour

Sundial Books published in other countries (Not available from BSS)

Favero. Enrico del: MERIDIANE, De Vecchi Editore, Milano 1999, ISBN 88-421-1697-9
A book to inspire, with fine (partly coloured) construction drawings, as well as many excellent photographs (in Italian)

Homet Jean-Marie: Les Cadrans Solaires, Ch Maison, pp 64.
Well illustrated, showing a variety of dials, including many painted vertical dials typical of European practice (In French)

Paltrinieri, Giovanni: Meridiane e Orologi Solari d'Italia, L'Artiere EdizioniWia, 1997, pp 263 An outstanding book by Italy's leading sundial designer.Profusely illustrated, covering all types of dials and especially meridian lines, ceiling dials, and many dials in public squares and parks (fn Italian)

Wheaton-Smith, Simon: Illustrating Shadows, pp 298
Covers sundial design using ancient and modern methods including spreadsheets and CAD. Follow this link.

Zenkert, Arnold. Faszination Sonnenuhr. (3rd Edition with CD) Vedag: Deutsch, Harri, Verlag GmbH. ISBN: 3-8171 1579-2 Third revised edition.
The book shows the cultural development of sundials and gives guidance on building sundials. It contains a new CD-ROM with 108 sundial photos, programs for different kinds of sundials and II calculations (in German). USA, 1955, pp50

Specialist Booksellers of Antiquarian and current Horological and Sundial books.