In the past three centuries the ship has developed from the relatively unsophisticated sail-driven vessel which would have been familiar to the sailors of the Tudor navy, to the huge motor-driven container ships, nuclear submarines and vast cruise liners that ply our seas today. Who were the innovators and builders who, during that span of time, prompted and instigated the most significant advances?In the past three centuries the ship has developed from the relatively unsophisticated sail-...

'The inventions, the innovations, the stories, the surprises. A combination of history, reference and entertainment – something for every seafarer and many others too.' - Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.People have been sailing for thousands of years, but we've come some distance from longboats and clippers. How did we arrive here?In fifty tales of inventors and innovations, Sails, Skippers and Sextants looks at the history ...

At one time British ships carried half of the world's trade, transporting every conceivable type of freight from and to all four corners of the globe – and in times of crisis the merchant fleet has also offered military assistance. In fact, the merchant convoys and armed cruisers that defied the German blockades to supply Britain in the First World War were so pivotal that they were recognised as a second 'navy' – the Merchant Navy. This fleet again saw service in the Second World War, con...

This book charts the development of the ocean liner from the 19th century to the present day. It explores the golden years of transatlantic shipping and the competition from the jet passenger aircraft. The book looks at the history and development of the early ocean-going steamships, and the competition between shipping companies by the end of the 19th century to build liners that were extreme in luxury and aimed for the very wealthy. The book traces the history of the ocean liner through ...

The history of the magnificent British ship—and an investigation into the mysteries behind her catastrophic sinking by a German submarine.This is the complete story of the ocean liner remembered today for her dramatic end—torpedoed on May 19, 1915, off the coast of Ireland, during the First World War. But the ship's story dates back to 1902, and her sea journeys began in 1906, when Cunard launched her as the world's largest passenger ship.This volume not only...

What was a merchant seamans life like in the past, what experiences would he have had, what were the ships like that he sailed in, and what risks did he run? Was he shipwrecked, rewarded for bravery, or punished? And how can you find out about an ancestor who was a member of the long British maritime tradition? Simon Wills concise and informative historical guide takes the reader and researcher through the fascinating story of Britains merchant service, and he shows you how to trace indivi...

Under Canadian Pacific's red-and-white-checkered flag, the company's founders, George Stephen and William C. Van Horne, created a rail-sea service from Liverpool to Hong Kong. Boasting sternwheelers, Great Lakes bulk carriers, ferries, and luxurious ocean-going liner leviathans, the Canadian Pacific shipping line sailed around the globe. In both world wars the entire fleet served gallantly as Allied troop carriers. After the Second World War, the company staved off the realities of the jet...

An illustrated and indispensable history of the evolution of the British Royal Navy's nineteenth century fleet of warships.In the massive revolution that affected warship design between Waterloo and the Warrior, the Royal Navy was traditionally depicted as fiercely resisting every change until it was almost too late, but these old assumptions are challenged in this authoritative history of the transition from sail to steam.In the extensively...

Founded in 1570, Chatham Dockyard quickly became one of the most important naval yards for the repair and building of warships, maintaining a pre-eminent position for the next 400 years. Located on the River Medway, in all, the yard was responsible for the construction of over 500 warships, these ranging from simple naval pinnaces through to first-rates that fought at Trafalgar, and concluding with the hunter-killer submarines of the nuclear age. In this detailed ...

"A worthy tribute to the John Brown company and to British shipbuilding . . . a joy to enthusiasts of the great ships of the past."—Australian Naval InstituteThe Clydebank shipyard built some of the most famous vessels in maritime history—great transatlantic liners like Lusitania, Queen Mary and QE2, and iconic warships like the battlecruiser Hood, and Britain's last battleship, HMS Vanguard. Starting life as J & G Thoms...

The 21st century saw the naval power of Great Britain rise from that of an obscure island to that of a world-wide empire. British shipping and seamen dominated the globe for four centuries and the ships that explored the world and those which guarded them represent a unique treasure-trove of maritime history, unrivaled anywhere in the world. This book serves as an enthralling trawl through the heritage of the British shipping tradition, featuring images of iconic ships which have been pres...

The Port of Liverpool handles more container trade with the United States than any other port in the UK and now also serves more than 100 other non-EU destinations, from China to Africa and the Middle East, and from Australia to South America. Liverpool has been an important port since the seventeenth century, when the city began to import West Indian sugar and Virginian tobacco, exporting Lancashire textiles in return.In Liverpool Docks Through Time, a wide collection of photographs guide...