Had you looked out on Scarborough Coast millions of years ago, you may have glimpsed a marine reptile such as a Plesiosaurus or an Ichthyosaurus chasing their prey. The rocks and cliffs, such as Castle Hill and Olivers Mount, were under the sea, waiting for the ice glaciers to thaw so they could rise above sea level and form the backbone of the town of Scarborough that we know today.

Thorgils Skarthi, a Viking leader and poet and his brother Cormack (Cormack) are reputed to have found the town of Skarðaborg around the year 966. (Although the town was occupied before this date) The town has a rich and varied history. At one time almost completely destroyed by fire, it was transformed into a fashionable Spa Town earning it the title 'The Queen of Watering Places' and becoming Britain's first seaside resort.

Illustrated with over one hundred photographs, Scarborough: A History of the Town and its People tells the story of the town's inhabitants - their lives, their tragedies and occasionally even murder.