Each separate chapter is provided with a thorough bibliography.
Finally, in the third section of the book (130 pp.), Penhallurick takes us onto home ground with his account of tin in SW England. Every possible facet of the subject has been explored, but inevitably, for the early periods, information is scanty and we rely on occasional references by classical authors and on the analysis of surviving implements and other objects to allow a history of the use of tin to be reconstructed. One feels, however, that it is the history of tin in the Medieval and Modern periods which are the author's prime interest, and he has assembled numerous fascinating illustrations to guide us through the subject.
The book as a whole does succeed in its stated purpose of providing a history of tin, but it fails to present it in a readable fashion. The text, for the general reader, is too full of facts and figures and the arrangement of the information too much resembles a series of encyclopedia entries for the various parts of the world. However, this fault, if fault it is, makes the book invaluable to the specialist, and it will be a must for all archaeological libraries.