This is an attempt to compile a complete list of books about Rhyl. If you know of a book that ought to be here and isn’t, please send details by email to: rhyl.colin.jones@live.co.uk-----
Recommended bookseller Dafydd Timothy, email address: dafydd@siopymorfa.com
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Berry, David. Wales And Cinema: the first hundred years (published 1994). Comprehensive survey with notes and index.
The chapter on Arthur Cheetham has film stills and a picture of
Rhyl cinema ‘The Silvograph’.
Cornish, Tony and James K. Plant. Rhyl: a photographic history of your town (published 2002 exclusively for WHSmith Limited). Pictures from the Francis Frith Collection.
Culwick, Colin. Oh! I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside: memories of Rhyl (published c.1990).
Davis, William. Handbook For The Vale Of Clwyd (published 1852, reprinted 1988). A substantial source of information about Rhyl in the early 19th century.
Denbighshire Record Office. Archive Photographs Series: Sir Ddinbych/Denbighshire (published 1996). Rhyl is well featured in
this miscellany.
Easdown, Martin and Darlah Thomas. Piers Of Wales (published 2010). This has a 20 page section about Rhyl pier also information about other piers nearby.
Ellis Bill. The Spirit Of Rhyl (published 2004). Photo book by Rhyl’s acknowledged expert.
Ellis, Bill. Entertainment In Rhyl And North Wales (1997) includes interesting coverage of minstrels and other early entertainers.
Ellis, Bill. Seaside Entertainment In Old Photographs: Rhyl & North Wales 1868-1968 (1995).
Ellis, Bill and Frank P. Selby. Rhyl In Old Picture Postcards (1987).
Fletcher, Allan. Rhyl - The Evolution Of A Resort (published 1992). Flintshire Historical Society Journal Vol.33. Scholarly essay on period up to 1870s, lots of facts and figures.
Flintshire Record Office. Archive Photographs Series: Sir Fflint/Flintshire (published 1996). Has a chapter on Rhyl because
the town was part of Flintshire until mid 1970s.
Griffiths, J. H. Parish Of Rhyl: a brief history of the parish and the parish church (published 1999). Development of the town from an ecclesiastical point of view, with illustrations.
Harris, D. W. Maritime History Of Rhyl And Rhuddlan (published 1991). Foryd harbour, good coverage of the lifeboat ‘Morgan’ and Victoria Pier. Useful survey, with index.
Hornsey, Brian. Cinemas Of North Wales (published 1996). More than 10 pages about Rhyl. Illustrated.
Howe, Marjorie. Old Rhyl - From 1850s To 1910 (published 2000). Reprint of Mrs Howe’s ‘The Commissioners Of Rhyl: the men who made the town’. This edition has pictures from the Harry Thomas Collection and an index.
Howe, Marjorie. The Hinterland Of Rhyl (c.1991). Places of interest in the surrounding area.
Hughes, Eric. Rhyl At The Fun Fair (published 2000). A history of Marine Lake and Ocean Beach fun fairs, with illustrations and index.
Hywel, William. Modest Millionaire: the biography of Captain Vivian Hewitt (published 1973).
Jones, Colin. Rhyl Holiday History c.1800-2000 (revised edition published 2005). Essays with index.
Jones, Colin. Rhyl Music In The Ritz Years 1955-1968 (published 2004) illustrated, with index.
Jones, Colin. Rhyl In The Second World War (2003) illustrated, with index.
Jones, Colin. Rhyl’s Grand Pavilion 1891-1901 (2002) illustrated, with index.
Jones, J. W. Rhyl The Town And Its People (published 1970) Indispensable articles about holiday Rhyl and municipal Rhyl,
with chronology and a section of photographs.
Jones, J. W. Rhyl And Round About (1976). Indispensable collection of his pieces for Rhyl Journal, with updated chronology and more photographs.
Jones, Malcolm. When The Sea Came By: the story of a flooded coast (published 1992). A chronicle of the North Wales disaster of 1990 and its aftermath, illustrated.
Jones, Malcolm. Norman And The Seagull (1986). Children’s story
set in Rhyl, with illustrations by Jim Taylor.
Lloyd, Philip. Glorious Rhyl: a peep at its past (published 2002). Authoritative, multi-faceted work with drawings, reproductions of lantern-slides, prints and photographs.
Mate’s Illustrated Guide. Rhyl And Its Environs (published 1902, reprinted 1974). A substantial source of information about Rhyl in the late 19th century.
Morris, Jeff. Rhyl Lifeboats 1852-2002: 150 years of gallantry (published 2002). Reprint of ‘The Story of the Rhyl Lifeboats’ updated to opening of new lifeboat house in 2002, with illustrations.
Thomas, Harry. Memory Lane (Series) Vol.4 (published 2006), Vol.3 (2005), Vol.2 (2004), Vol.1 (2003). Pictures and stories from his weekly column in The Visitor newspaper.
Thomas, Harry. Rhyl: a portrait in old photographs and picture postcards (1991).
Thomas, Harry. Eisteddfodau Cenedlaethol Y Rhyl: treftadaeth werthfawr / Rhyl’s National Eisteddfods: a valuable heritage (1985) bilingual and with illustrations.
Thomas, Harry. Rhyl & Rhuddlan Days Of The Past (1985) illustrated.
Owen, Linda. So What’s So Special About Bodfor Street? (published 1999). A well researched focus on one Rhyl town centre street from 1850 onwards, with illustrations.
Putkowski, Julian. The Kinmel Park Camp Riots 1919 (published 1989). Highly detailed research, with illustrations.
Slee, Leslie and Mary Owen. The Catholic Church In Rhyl 1854-2005 (published 2006) with illustrations.
Thompson, Dave. Images Of Wales: Rhyl (published 2006). Photographs and captions.
Thompson, Trefor. Old Rhyl (published 1982). Mainly a photo book. Good coverage of Winter Gardens, abandoned plan for a promenade tramway, several theatres and Marine Lake.
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