I hardly need say that this is a good addition to the series, Peter Treloar had been producing these books (and 2 for other publishers) for over 25 years at this point. The 134 images are cross-referenced to the 6 other Treloar books where relevant and the captions provide useful insight into the history and the contemporary times of Calne.
The author notes that he 'emphasised rather heavily the amount that had been destroyed or lost in the town in recent years', but with this book and the positive changes to the town, he could take a more optimistic view. I think this is important, this makes the previous books useful historical documents in their own right and show that Peter Treloar was the right man for the job. History is not an objective subject and it's important to get a feel for the impact of changes to local places. I felt Peter's comments in all the books were reasonable and well communicated - he got his point across without overwhelming the reader (which is probably why the council continued to publish his books!).
I have enjoyed this series of books by Treloar and published by the council. It shows that both had faith in the importance of this town as a subject and have provided a wealth of historical photographs and information that will be useful well into the future. Bearing in mind that I am writing this 18 years after this book was published, should provide a good reference point for seeing how good these books still are.
