L.T.C. Rolt's fame was born from his unique ability to produce works of literature from subject matter seemingly ill suited to such treatment - engineering, canals, railways, steam engines, agricultural machinery, vintage cars - such as in his classic biographies of Brunel, Telford, Trevithick and the Stephensons, and in his superbly written volumes of autobiography. In this, the first part of his autobiography, Rolt tells of his childhood in Chester, on the Welsh border near Hay-on-Wye and in Gloucestershire; of an engineering apprenticeship and career which took him from a farm in the Vale of Evesham to a locomotive works in Stoke-on-Trent and from Dursley to the Wiltshire Downs until he finally settled in a Hampshire village, running a garage which specialised in veteran and vintage cars. Imbued with the author's love of England and his intense feeling for the beauties of the English countryside, the book reveals a landscape populated not only be men, but by machines: steam-ploughing engines, steam wagons, steam locomotives, canal boats and a variety of unusual motor cars. This vividly told tale of rural England sets the stage of a life that was to be consumed by preserving the best the country had to offer in landscape and the technology of a now bygone age.

The main focus of this book is the impact of maritime fraud on contracts for sale and carriage, documentary credits and marine insurance. It covers all varieties of maritime fraud, from the most serious downwards, describing the methods employed and the risks to traders and carriers. At the serious end of the spectrum, pirates capture an entire ship, often murdering the entire crew, in order to sell the cargo (to which of course they have no title), later to use the "innocent" ship to pose as innocent traders. Less serious (but perhaps of greater interest to lawyers) are misdescriptions of cargo in, or backdating of, bills of lading, and other deceptions, usually practised on purchasers and banks.

Crew's Ship Affairs is the third book in the stand-alone Blue-Collar Romance novels series, written by Bob Ojala.  The previous two books, A Tugboater's Life and The Tugboater Family revolved around the drama and romances of the Great Lakes sailors working in the tough and dangerous Marine Construction business..  This third novel continues with many of the same endearing characters, with a new character, Bob Evers, continuing to tell the tugboater crews about his unusual experiences while working aboard numerous passenger cruise ships. Most cruise ship passengers are not privy to what happens beneath the passenger decks, but Bob Evers experienced and understands the relationships that can occur, both good and bad, when 600-1000 men and women live together for four to eight months at a time..  The Crew's Ship Affairs reader will be shocked and fascinated, even at times envious, of how these various cultures learn to treat one another with respect. Romance takes on many different meanings under such circumstances..  Mr. Ojala is a Naval Architect and Marine Surveyor, very familiar with the Great Lakes. He has traveled the world to inspect ships, including over 165 Passenger Ship Cruises as an environmental auditor..  Most of the characters and experiences in the Blue-Collar Romances series come from Mr. Ojala's personal observations, changing the names where needed. His respect for the sailors and their families is obvious in these stories..  Maritime industry readers will love the true-life drama, and readers appreciating good romance will love the character's personal interactions.

Recounts the sinking of the huge freighter the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald in the icy waters of Lake Superior in 1975 and describes subsequent expeditions to the wreck site to uncover clues to her mysterious disappearance.

"NAVIGATING AND ENGINEERING OFFICERS REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY FOR VERY LARGE CRUDE OIL CARRIER. TANKER EXPERIENCE PREFERRED." - Lloyd's List and Shipping Gazette The advertisement captured Ray Solly's attention whilst he was on leave and demanded direct action! Viewed from the bridge of dry-cargo ships, the sleek lines of VLCCs and their potential navigational challenges always intrigued Ray - so, without hesitation, he grabbed the chance, leaving his current employer, and setting out to fulfil a dream. Supertanker examines life at sea aboard a 1970s monster where reader and author meet on board, encountering and overcoming exciting new challenges in navigation, ship handling, and cargo control. All the while, overshadowing everything else, is the awareness that this loaded ship carries around 80 million gallons of oil every day. But Supertanker is more than just the record of a new adventure. It lifts the lid on the realities of life far out at sea handling such behemoths and reveals why international safety and competency bars had to be raised.