Plymouth has been a major port for centuries. Famous Elizabethan maritime traders sailed from the port and its position on the Devon coast enabled it to benefit from the Atlantic trade during the Industrial Revolution at the same time that Devonport grew as an important naval shipyard and dockyard. The town absorbed other nearby settlements and in 1928 was awarded city status. Heavily bombed during the Second World War, the city was rebuilt and further areas such as Plympton and Plymstock were incorporated in the 1960s. It is now home to over a quarter of a million inhabitants.

Plymouth still has a large naval dockyard, as well as a fascinating mix of old and new buildings. Plymouth in 50 Buildings explores the history of this city through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. This book will appeal to all those who live in the town or who have an interest in the area.

Derek Tait has written numerous on subjects including social history, nostalgia, childhood, the First and Second World Wars, Houdini, Singapore and local history. He was born in Plymouth in 1961 and spent his early years in Singapore and Malaysia, writing several books about his time there. His past jobs have included working as a photographer and as a cartoonist. He has been writing local history books for many years now and has regular columns in the Herald, the Plymouth Shopper, the Plymstock and Wembury Marketplace Magazine and the Cramleigh Magazine. He also writes blog articles for Devon Life. He lives in Plymouth.