The North American cruise industry is the largest sector of the trade by a long way. Of the 2007 cruise market, which totalled over 16 million, US cruise vacationers alone represented over 70 per cent of the total. With stunning photographs, many of which are in colour, this general history looks at the companies and ships that are dedicated to this particular market. From the big players, the luxury market and niche cruising, to disasters and predictions, this illustrated book covers the whole industry, past, present and future. Authors, Roger Cartwright and Peter Rushton, consider why the taking of an ocean voyage for the pleasure of the journey itself, and not simply as a means of travelling from A to B, came to be so popular, and what the arrival of the mega-ships means for the new age in cruising, providing the perfect guide to cruising and its history across America.

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.

Details for the first time the key role played by Allied coasters in supporting military operations during the Second World War in Western Europe. Part 1 of the book tells how over 40,000 personnel were evacuated by coasters, often under fire, from Dunkirk, and from ports right down the Bay of Biscay. Part 2 is concerned with the unique contribution coasters made to the military campaign which began with the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and continued until VE day. Covers the convoys, the cargoes and the challenges during an operation which involved a total of 460 coasters of ten different nationalities.

P&O has operated some of the most famous passenger ships of all time, including the Oriana and Canberra, across its long history. Its early liners travelled around the globe and played a huge role in cementing immigration to Australia and New Zealand, while acting as a gateway to the Far East and India. The modern era has seen the company continue to evolve into a cruising giant, P&O Cruises being part of Carnival Corporation today. This beautifully crafted colouring book celebrates the long heritage of P&O, the stunning interiors and exteriors of the vessels, and much more besides. Supplemented with fascinating insights from maritime experts Chris Frame, Rachelle Cross, Rob Henderson and Doug Cremer, it is sure to captivate and educate children and adults alike.

This book collects together about sixty drawings of fishing boats at Arbroath Harbour, completed between 1989 to 1995. There are also fifteen drawings of the harbour at Montrose, and of other Scottish harbours relevant to Arbroath, in the same period. The author's viewpoint is that of an interested spectator who likes fishing boats. While drawing, he gained valuable background information from the local people, including some fishermen, that he met as he worked. His notes on the harbours he draws, and on the boats and people within them, are written in the hope that everyone reading the book will 'feel close to the sea'. The main story unfolds gradually, starting in 1989 and running through to 1995. It begins with a bird's eye view of Arbroath Harbour, 'so that even if you have never been to Arbroath, you will soon know your way around'. At the end of the book there is a map that show the positions of all the Scottish harbour towns mentioned in the text. 'I have written not just for Arbroath people, or just for Scottish people, or even just for British people. I have written the book for people everywhere. The call of the sea is universal.'

The "Edmund Fitzgerald," a colossal ore carrier, had been fighting her way through a pounding November storm on Lake Superior. Then the "Fitz"'s radar went out, and she started to take on water. Despite gale-force winds and thirty-foot seas, there was no reason to think the "Fitz" wouldn't find safe harbor at Whitefish Point, Michigan. The last words from the "Fitz"'s captain, Ernest McSorley, was "We are holding our own." By all indications, the crew had no idea they were in mortal danger before they plunged to Lake Superior's bottom with no chance to call for help.

Michael Schumacher relates in vivid detail the story of the "Edmund Fitzgerald," her many years on the waters of the Great Lakes, the fateful final day, the search efforts and investigation, as well as the speculation and controversy that followed in the wake of the disaster. A fitting tribute to one of the largest ships to have sailed the Great Lakes and the men who tragically lost their lives, "Mighty Fitz "provides a comprehensive look at the most legendary shipwreck on America's inland waters.