Famous Ocean Liners - 1987

Front Cover and Spine, Famous Ocean Liners: The Story of Passenger Shipping from the Turn of the Century to the Present Day by William H. Miller, 1987. Dust Jacket Design by Don Smith. GGA Image ID # 2076d52972

On the Front Cover

The SS United States, the most brilliant of the North Atlantic superships and last holder of the Blue Riband (Don Smith).

From the Inside Dust Jacket Flap

The great ocean liners are like the cast of a long-running theatre production — each ship has played an important role. Here, Bill Miller tells the glamorous story of twentieth-century passenger shipping, which began with the first superliners, the German four-stacker Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse.

After that, liners increased in size and speed, and the European maritime nations competed fiercely to offer faster travel, even grander accommodation, more luxurious suites, and even better restaurants and grill rooms.

The cast of characters developed further with the likes of the first Mauretania, the Lusitania, the immortal Titanic, and the Imperator trio, which were then the biggest vessels yet built. The ships are also shown in grey-painted wardresses (in two international conflicts).

The continuation of the maritime sweepstakes in the thirties saw superships such as the Bremen, Rex, Normandie, and the two Cunard Queens take to the stage.

The final chapters cover more 'classic' vessels, including the United States, the Andrea Doria, and the Canberra yet, and deal with the post-war demise of the port-to-port services — abruptly finished off by the appearance of the jet aircraft — and the transition to cruising.

While the North Atlantic trade inevitably dominates the text, other routes, such as Australia, Africa, and Latin America, are also included. Many rare unpublished photographs, including some in color, complete a package assembled by one of the world's foremost authorities that will delight the general reader and ocean liner expert alike.

Contents

• Contents
• Author's note and Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• The First Superliners
• Less than Four Funnels
• The Floating Palaces
• The First World War
• The Twenties
• Glamour and Style: The Superships
• Cruising in the Thirties
• A Second World War
• Highwater of the Fifties
• Decline, Withdrawal and Change
• The Contemporary Years: The Floating Resorts
• Bibliography
• Leading Statistics
• Index

Back Cover, Famous Ocean Liners: The Story of Passenger Shipping from the Turn of the Century to the Present Day by William H. Miller, 1987. GGA Image ID # 2077338c64

On the Back Cover

SS France, the longest liner ever built, shown leaving Le Havre in July 1972 (Don Smith).

From the Back Cover

Here is the story of twentieth-century passenger shipping, from the first of the superliners — the German Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse — to Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary, right up to Queen Elizabeth 2. and including such other favorites as the Mauretania, the Lusitania, the Normandie, and the legendary Titanic.

The accent is on the North Atlantic trade, from the early four-stackers to the post-jet transition to cruising. Still, other routes, such as Australia, Africa, and Latin America, are also included in this fascinating and superbly illustrated look at ocean travel's past, present, and future.

▓▓▓ "J" ▓▓▓

• Jubilee

▓▓▓ "W" ▓▓▓

• Washington

Library of Congress Catalog Listing

• Personal name: Miller, William H., 1948-
• Main title: Famous ocean liners : the story of passenger shipping, from the turn of the century to the present day / William H. Miller.
• Published/Created: Wellingborough, Northamptonshire : P. Stephens, 1987.
• Description: 136 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 26 cm.
• ISBN: 0850598761
• LC Classification: VM381 .M445 1987
• LC Subjects: Ocean liners--History.
• Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [131]) and index.
• LCCN: 87201237
• Dewey class no.: 387.2/432
• National bib no.: GB87-2485
• Other system no.: (OCoLC)15593298
• Type of material: Book