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Books > Sport & Leisure > Transport: general interest > Ships & shipping: general interest > General
On the night of 14/15 April 1912, a brandnew, supposedly unsinkable
ship, the largest and most luxurious vessel in the world at the
time, collided with an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage. Of
the 2,208 people on board, only 712 were saved. The rest either
drowned or froze to death in the icy-cold waters of the North
Atlantic. How could this 'unsinkable' vessel sink and why did so
few of those aboard survive? The authors bring the tragedy to life,
telling the story of the ship's design, construction and maiden
voyage. The stories of individuals who sailed on her, many
previously known only as names on yellowing passenger and crew
lists, are brought to light using rarely-seen accounts of the
sinking. The stories of passengers of all classes and crewmembers
alike, are explored. They tell the dramatic stories of lives lost
and people saved, of the rescue ship Carpathia, and of the
aftermath of the sinking. Never again would a large passenger liner
sail without lifeboats for all. Despite the tragedy, the sinking of
the Titanic indirectly led to untold numbers of lives being saved
due to new regulations that came into force after the tragedy.
Profusely illustrated, including many rare and unique views of the
ship and those who sailed on her, this is as accurate and
engrossing a telling of the life of the White Star Line's Titanic
and her sinking as you will read anywhere. Made special by the use
of so many rare survivor accounts from the eye witnesses to that
night to remember, the narrative places the reader in the middle of
the maiden voyage, and brings the tragic sinking to life as never
before.
In the late 1960s, P&O established ferry services in the North
Sea and English Channel. Roll-on/roll-off operations and
containerisation were introduced and new ships, facilities and
investment was needed to take advantage of developments. What
followed was several decades of growth, buyouts and divisions. The
twenty-first century saw the closure of several routes as the
ferries saw increased competition from low-cost airline and the
Channel Tunnel. Throughout this period, P&O attracted a loyal
customer base and became one of the most recognisable names on the
sea. Utilising a selection of rare and previously unpublished
images, maritime historian Ian Collard delves into the story of
this iconic company and its ships.
This colourful history covers the SS United States' active service
from 1952 to 1969 when she dominated the seas of Atlantic, sweeping
all rivals before her. The astonishing operational capacity of this
national icon of the United States, with her red, white and blue
funnels, sleek streamlined hull and silver coated fittings, was
shrouded in secrecy in case she was ever required to be converted
to a troop carrier. Andrew Britton presents a revealing insight
into the record-breaking liner, how she performed in the secret sea
trials and her epic maiden voyage. Compiled from a wealth of
previously unpublished material, drawn from the author's own
unparalleled collection and others from around the world, this
special commemorative book is packed with historical colour
photography from both sides of the Atlantic, including the maiden
voyage departure from New York. This evocative book will be a must
for all shipping enthusiasts and is sure to enhance the fine
reputation of the preserved SS United States for future
generations.
In The Great Escape and Papillon, Steve McQueen embodied the tough
guy on the run from captivity and injustice. But when it comes to
toughness, McQueen is following in the daring and determined
footsteps of Captain Spar. Wrongfully accused, Spar has been
condemned to suffer the brutality of the guards and the conditions
on Devil's Island. But they haven't broken his will, and now,
escaping, he has one mission in life: revenge. Spar's out to kill
the man who put him into the devil's hands. But he'll have to take
on a gallery of rogues who are as treacherous as the waters of the
Caribbean. Pressure is rising and a storm is brewing. But even in
the face of a natural disaster, Spar discovers that nothing is more
volatile than human nature-as temptation and danger are about to
collide with Hurricane force. In 1937 L. Ron Hubbard wrote to one
of his editors: "You might have noticed that I am intensely wary of
becoming any kind of a story specialist. I have sold the gamut of
types: air war, air, western, detective, love, terror. . . . My one
passion is to build a name for variety. . . . I like my freedom. I
fight hard for independent individualism. I love to tie into a yarn
and make it blaze in print." Hubbard's passion for writing,
creativity and individualism certainly blazes across the page in
stories like Hurricane. "Hurricane will keep you on the edge of
your seat from beginning to end as it unfolds." -Mommy's Favorite
Things * An International Book Awards Finalists
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.
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.
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.
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