A Short Guide to Tristan da Cunha by James Glass and Anne Green was written in 2003. A lot has happened to Tristan in the past ten years, and I admit to buying this guide mainly as a souvenir for historical purposes. I got it at the Rockhopper Shop, a privately-owned souvenir store on Tristan da Cunha. James Glass, former Chief Islander, is the husband of Felicity, the owner of the shop, and Anne Green is the Head Teacher at St. Mary’s School. This guide covers the basics: history of Tristan da Cunha, its early settlement, agriculture, post office and marine resources, among many other sections. The authors even included paragraphs about each of the neighbouring islands Nightingale, Inaccessible and Gough.
The greatest changes in the past ten years are in the area of tourism and accommodations. The prices in the guide for various services like home stays and guided visits have, as expected, gone up since 2003. As for ships that make regular visits to the island, the MV Kelso no longer visits Tristan, while MV Baltic Trader now does. The guide also states that there are no self-catering facilities but there are now guest houses one can rent on a self-catered basis.