Ocean Liners History
East of Suez: Liners to Australia in the 1950s and 1960s
By William H. Miller & Tim Noble, Feb'14. The advent of the jet airliner all but killed the liner on the Atlantic route but the ships to Australia survived into the 1970s, not just on the liner trade but also carrying emigrants from the UK and Europe to Australia. Many a tenpound- pom was carried on the ships of Orient, P&O, Shaw Savill and the foreign vessels of the Chandris and Sitmar lines, as well as other Italian ships too. Bill Miller and Tim Noble tell the story of the liners that travelled East of Suez. Ships such as Canberra, Orsova, Oriana, Britannis, Ellinis and Guglielmo Marconi are all included in the rare and unseen images. Paperback; 160 pages; 9.5 x 0.5 x 6.5; Reference List Price: $24.95
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First Class Cargo: A History of Combination Cargo-Passenger Ships
By William H. Miller, May'16. This book is about the unique, largely ignored and forgotten passenger-cargo ships that were not liners but more than ordinary freighters. The first appeared in the 1930s but their heyday was post-war until the 1960s. There were dozens of these ships, often carrying 50-300 passengers in very comfortable, sometimes quite luxurious quarters. They were club-like, even yacht-like, and preferred by many, pre-jet travelers who wanted a longer, more restful journey, away from the often hotel-like quality of the big ocean liners. They also happened to be cargo vessels, carrying holds of cargo while adhering to scheduled sailings. William Miller presents an important record of a little-documented aspect of maritime history. Paperback; 96 pages; 9.75 x 0.4 x 9"; Reference List Price: $32.95
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Great Mediterranean Passenger Ships
By William H. Miller, Jun'16. It is hard to think of the passenger liners from the golden era of Mediterranean cruising without also conjuring the nostalgic, dream-like vision of azure-blue waters, bright sunshine and swimming pools with clusters of umbrellas and sunbathing passengers.The great age of Mediterranean passenger liners began in the 1920s when the Italians built their first big ships, such as the Augustus, Saturnia and Conte Grande. In the 1930s, things got really interesting with the creation of the superliners Rex and Conte di Savoia. In the 1950s and ’60s, as Italy built a huge post-war fleet, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Israel commissioned their biggest ships yet.William Miller has written ninety books on passenger ships and is an acknowledged world expert in his field. Full of colour and the first-hand memories of passengers and crew, this endearing reflection on the majestic world of Mediterranean travel cannot be missed. Quick, the whistles are sounding! Paperback; 96 pages; 9.76 x 0.3 x 8.9"; Reference List Price: $36.95
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Great Passenger Ships 1950-1960
By William H. Miller, Feb'17. The 1950s was a fascinating decade for the great liners. After the global devastation that had gone before, shipyards were creating one new liner after another, it seemed, to rebuild and renew passenger ship services all over the world. There were the likes of the Kungsholm and Oslofjord from Scandinavia, the French Flandre, a succession of new liners from P&O-Orient, Italian Line, Messageries Maritimes and many more. The era was highlighted by such brilliant, headline-making ships as the speedy United States, breaking records on an unprecedented scale, the engines-aft Southern Cross and the mast-less Orsova. There was a great cast of very popular and interesting passenger liners. Paperback; 96 pages; 9.75 x 0.3 x 9"; Reference List Price: $36.95
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Greek Passenger Liners
By William H. Miller, Sep'06. In the early 1950s it seemed as if Greek shipping companies were springing up everywhere. For a country almost unknown as a passenger ship-owning state, the likes of the Greek Line, Chandris and Epirotiki burst onto the scene, often using second hand tonnage and ships acquired from the Western European fleets that were being updated. The lines soon took advantage of the mass emigration from Europe to Australia and New Zealand as well as cruising, which was then in its infancy. Although many of the Greek lines such as Royal Olympic Cruises are now gone, the likes of Chandris still survives today as Celebrity Cruises. Bill Miller, the noted maritime historian, brings together a collection of images of his favourite Greek liners and tells of the history of the Greek fleets that made the world of cruising so exciting in the last half century. Paperback; 96 pages; 8.9 x 0.4 x 9.76"; Reference List Price: $39.95
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Last of the Blue Water Liners: Passenger Ships Sailing the Seven Seas
By William H. Miller, Aug'18. This is the story of the last class-divided passenger ships that carried travellers from point to point. In the final years of activity, spanning from the 1940s to the 1960s, they carried Hollywood stars and even royalty on the Atlantic, businessmen to South America and Africa, migrants to Australia and New Zealand, and visitors returning to European homelands. Last of the Blue Water Liners nods to the Atlantic liners but also revels in the many other passenger ships that plied trades around the world: vessels like the Antilles, Oslofjord, Kampala and Changsha. Complete with rare images and the insight of the prolific maritime historian William H. Miller, this book is a nostalgic parade of a bygone age, a generation of ships all but swept away in the 1960s and 1970s as jet travel changed the world. Paperback; 120 pages; 9.76 x 0.3 x 8.9"; Reference List Price: $32.95
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P & O Orient Liners of the 1950s and 1960s
By William H. Miller, Oct'14. The 1950s and 1960s was the last golden age of ocean liners. It was an age of many modern, superbly designed ships that were created just before the great inroads of the jet age. The long route out to Australia and New Zealand was among the longest lasting, until the early 1970s. It was still supported by regular passenger traffic: one-way travelers, occasional tourists and, of course, the last waves of migrants, mostly heading for new lives Down Under.P&O had purchased 51 per cent of the Orient Line in 1918, but the two companies remained separate firms, even competitors. After the Second World War, however, more of their liner services were coordinated. By 1960, they were fully merged as P&O-Orient Lines. Together, this created the largest liner fleet in the world. There were eighteen passenger ships in the fleet in 1961, for example. The last of these liners, the Oriana and Canberra, were in fact their largest, fastest and most luxurious. By the 1970s, their trade was largely gone – P&O turned more and more to cruising.Bill Miller takes the reader on a nostalgic voyage through the 1950s and 1960s aboard the final passenger liners – from the Mooltan, Orontes and Stratheden to the Oronsay, Arcadia and Orsova – of the great P&O and Orient lines. Paperback; 128 pages; 9.69 x 0.4 x 6.61"; Reference List Price: $32.95
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Post-War on the Liners: 1945-1977
By William H. Miller, Aug'15. From the end of the Second World War through three decades, to the 1970s, traditional port-to-port, class-divided passenger ship business carried on. This meant all kinds of ships – from big liners to small, often rebuilt, ex-coastal steamers. Accommodations varied from luxurious suites with bedrooms, sitting rooms & marble baths in upper-deck accommodations to Spartan dormitories with as many as 50 berths and communal facilities. But the purpose was all but the same: to go from A to B. It was about the destination, whether with 100 pieces of baggage like the Duke & Duchess of Windsor on 5-night Atlantic crossings to little more than an overnight bag for a immigrant on a 6-week voyage from Europe out to Australia. This book examines, through anecdotes & collected experiences, the many passenger ship services of now a bygone era. It is about the diversity and the contrast. There are of course the Atlantic crossings, but also three & four class ships to South America, combination passenger-cargo types carrying only 100 or so travelers, fast mail ships to South Africa, colonial passenger vessels to Mombasa, crowded migrant sailings to Sydney and Auckland, and trans-suez and trans-Pacific passages. All sorts of ships appear: big Cunarders like the Queen Mary, Italy’s Augustus and Britain’s Kenya & Uganda, the Oronsay and Southern Cross and even more remote ships such as the Cap Salinas, Tjinegara, Changsha and Hikawa Maru. It concludes with the closing down, in 1977, of the Union Castle Line’s run between Southampton and the South African Cape, the last regular big liner service in the world. Paperback; 96 pages; 9.75 x 0.25 x 9"; Reference List Price: $32.95
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Picture History of American Passenger Ships
By William H. Miller, Mar'01. Loving tribute to luxury liners documents more than 100 ships, including the Leviathan, the America, the Independence, the President Polk, and the United States. Detailed captions provide a wealth of information on tonnage, speed, size, and passenger load. Introduction. Preface by David Perry. Bibliography. Index. Approximately 200 photographs. Paperback; 128 pages; 8.5 x 0.25 x 11.25"; Reference List Price: $14.95
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Picture History of British Ocean Liners, 1900 to the Present
By William H. Miller, Sep'01. This fascinating text-and-picture tribute documents both interiors and exteriors of majestic British ships such as the Viceroy of India, the Orion, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Windsor Castle, Pacific Princess, Royal Princess, Crown Princess, and Aurora. Over 200 rare black-and-white illustrations provide views of the ships at sea and in port. Paperback; 134 pages; 8.75 x 0.5 x 11.5"; Reference List Price: $16.95
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Picture History of German and Dutch Passenger Ships
By William H. Miller, Oct'02. Two of the most active and distinguished ship-building countries of Europe during the 20th century were Germany and Holland, both of whose shipping lines experienced tremendous revivals in the first half of the century. Then, facing massive competition from airlines in the 1960s and '70s, the liners underwent a shift in trade and the modern age of cruising was born. This superbly illustrated volume documents that long line of great ships — from "floating palaces" such as the Imperator (1913) and the Vaterland (1914) to such luxurious cruise ships of the '80s and '90s as the Nieuw Amsterdam, Statendam, Bremen, and the new Deutschland. Here also are impressive photos of the German-built Bismarck, renamed the Majestic by the British after World War I; the Willem Ruys, with first-class quarters that were among the finest on the Dutch-Indonesian route; and the Rotterdam (1959), which brought new standards of luxury and comfort to the Atlantic trade with its 12 passenger decks, air-conditioned accommodations, and shopping arcades. Over 200 rare black-and-white illustrations offer views of ships at sea and in port as well as glimpses of elegant lounges, cocktail bars, staterooms, and dining rooms. Extensive captions provide data on tonnage, size, speed, and other characteristics. Sure to appeal to maritime historians and ship lovers, this comprehensive pictorial record will also thrill anyone captivated by sea travel. Paperback; 128 pages; 8.75 x 0.5 x 11.5"; Reference List Price: $17.95
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The First Great Ocean Liners in Photographs: 193 Views, 1897-1927
By William H. Miller Jr., Jun'84. In this eventful era the maritime powers of the world vied for dominance on the high seas and produced the great "four-stackers". This volume traces the first superliners, from the revolutionary
Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse to the legendary
Mauretania, Lusitania, Olympic, Titanic, Imperator & Aquitania and including the lesser known smaller ships of the 1920's. Many of the photos include unique interior scenes of these great ships as well as the passengers and crew who rode them. Paperback; 147 pages, 8-7/8" x 11-3/4", 101 ships, 193 b/w photos with captions.; Reference List Price: $13.95
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The Great Luxury Liners, 1927-1954: A Photographic Record
By William H. Miller Jr., Sep'91. This was the heyday of the floating palaces - sea-going symbols of opulence, glamor and romance that ferried passengers across the oceans. Among them were the French
Ile de France and
Normandie, Germany's
Bremen and
Europa, Italy's
Rex and
Conte de Savoia, Britain's
Queen Mary and
Queen Elizabeth and the American
Leviathan and
United States. Exterior views from many different vantage points and numerous interior shots. Includes 101 ships, 186 b/w photos with captions. Paperback, 176 pages; Reference List Price: $12.95
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Great Cruise Ships and Ocean Liners from 1954 to 1986: A Photographic Survey
By William H. Miller Jr., Feb'88. This edition recalls the last great years of transatlantic travel and the rise of a new breed of ocean liner - the cruise ship. These are liners that are still fresh in history's memory such as the
United States, Canberra, Liberte, Queen Elizabeth 2, Leonardo da Vinci, Southern Cross, Constitution, Rotterdam, Michelangelo and
Andrea Doria. Included also are many lesser-known liners, passenger-cargo vessels and the first generation of cruise ships. Includes 140 ships, 173 b/w photos with captions. Paperback, 118 pages; Reference List Price: $11.95
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The Fabulous Interiors of the Great Ocean Liners in Historic Photographs
By William H. Miller Jr., Feb'85. Beautifully printed volume depicts the lavish interiors of the most magnificent, trend-setting liners that sailed from the 1890s to the 1980s. It's amazing to see how the interior design of the times was reflected to such excess in these great ships, decorated in styles ranging from Louis XIV and Victorian to Art Deco and Modern. All the popular ships are included plus fascinating images of lesser-known vessels. Mr. Miller also supplies concise informative captions detailing background and history of each vessel, tonnage, size, engines, builders, etc. Includes 72 ships, 228 b/w photos. Paperback, 145 pages; Reference List Price: $10.95
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Modern Cruise Ships, 1965-1990: A Photographic Record
By William H. Miller Jr., Apr'92. This high-quality book documents through fabulous photos, the history of the modern cruise ship era beginning in the mid-1960s, from the venerable
Queen of Bermuda to the
Sovereign of the Seas. Among this fleet are the
Achille Lauro,
Bahama Star,
Caronia,
Cunard Princess,
Michelangelo,
Pacific Princess,
Rotterdam,
Royal Viking Sun, and
Wind Song. Captions provide precise histories and statistics on tonnage, dimensions, passenger capacity and speed. Includes 156 ships and 184 b/w photos with captions. Paperback, 144 pages; Reference List Price: $13.95
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Pictorial Encyclopedia of Ocean Liners 1860-1994: 417 Photographs
By William H. Miller Jr., Oct'95. Here are over 400 of the greatest ships over 15,000 tons that sailed from 1860 to 1994 and beyond, from White Star's
Adriatic to Celebrity Cruises'
Zenith, ending with a preview of the 100,000-ton
Grand Princess. Each ship is listed with data on builder, tonnage, length, beam, speed, passenger capacity and a brief history. Paperback, 142 pages; Reference List Price: $16.95
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The Liners: A Voyage of Discovery
By William H. Miller, Rob McAuley, Nov'97. A fascinating history of the great ocean liners from the first crossing of the Atlantic by an auxiliary steam-powered vessel in 1819 to the massive cruiseliners of today. Although focused on the North Atlantic, there is good coverage of other routes. Many anecdotes and stories of people. Delves into the beginnings of the well known lines and shipbuilders. Colorful descriptions of conditions on ships. Some numbers and statistics, though not enough. 100 color and 50 B&W illustrations. Hardcover, 192 pages; Reference List Price: $29.95
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Famous Ocean Liners Photo Postcards
By William H. Miller Jr., Nov'88. Thrilling photographs of 26 of the most famous ocean liners of the 20th century make this grand collection of 24 detachable, mailable postcards. You'll enjoy sending mementos of these grand leviathans to family, friends and associates. Paperback, 16 pages; Reference List Price: $4.95
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Picture History of the Cunard Line, 1840-1990
By Frank O. Braynard, William H. Miller Jr., Aug'91. A wonderful panorama of the famous Cunard Line. Over 180 photographs and illustrations show the liners on the high seas and in port, as well as depicting staterooms, lounges, interior decor and carefree life aboard ship. Paperback, 144 pages; Reference List Price: $14.95
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Picture History of the French Line
By William H. Miller Jr., Dec'97. An excellent history of Compagnie Generale Transatlantique. Extraordinary, rare B&W photographs and text thoroughly covering the history of every major CGT liner and most secondary ships from the
Washington to the
France (1961). Each article includes the specifications of each ship, construction locations, and chronology. Where available the current status of each ship is also included. Paperback, 128 pages; Reference List Price: $13.95
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Picture History of the Italian Line, 1932-1977
By William H. Miller Jr., Apr'00. A grand luxury fleet sails again in this impressive volume. From opulent pre-war vessels such as
Roma and
Conte di Savoia to the cutting-edge style of post-war ships like
Andrea Doria and
Michelangelo, the Italian Line was a leader and trendsetter. Legendary, long-gone ships live on in this evocative photographic tribute. Detailed captions provide a wealth of information on the line and its greatest ships. 200 b/w illustrations. Paperback, 133 pages; Reference List Price: $16.95
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Cruise Travel Guides
Insight Guides Cruising & Cruise Ships 2024 - formerly Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships
By Douglas Ward, Nov'23. This indispensible reference features enhanced user-friendly design, extra images, new coverage of cruise history and ultimate cruising experiences, new Author's Choice recommendations, along with the expert reviews and ratings readers have trusted for over 35 years. Insight Guides Cruising & Cruise Ships 2024 (formerly Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships) is the world's most authoritative and longest-running guide to cruising and cruise ships. Fully updated post-Covid, this iconic, industry-leading bible for millions of cruise-goers and crew members now features larger font for greater readability, and more images, making for a fresher, more user-friendly experience. In addition, Insight Guides Cruising & Cruise Ships 2024 boasts a new section on the history of cruising, along with the author's hugely-anticipated evaluations and scores, with 320 ships reviewed and rated. It also includes new user-oriented features on the Best of Cruising. From exploring fjords and enjoying icy expeditions, to embarking on wildlife voyages and idyllic Caribbean cruises, ten Ultimate Experiences are showcased. This is supplemented by a new Author's Choice section that sees Douglas Ward - the world's foremost authority on cruising and cruise ships - share his rundown of Top Ships and the best cruises for all kinds of travellers, from families and romantics, to solo voyagers and cruise-goers with accessibility needs. Paperback, 376 pages; Reference List Price: $27.99
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Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships 2020
By Douglas Ward, Oct'19. If you want a holiday that's hassle-free, virtually pre-paid, and that lets you see lots of places while only needing to pack and unpack once, then you should try a cruise. This best-selling book is the cruise industry bible: it gives you all the information you need to choose the right cruise for you. Meticulously updated every year by cruise expert Douglas Ward, it is divided into two main parts: the first helps you work out what you're looking for in a cruise holiday and how to find it; the lively text and colour photographs describe every aspect of life on board, including safety, the highs and lows of the cruise experience and how to save money. The second part contains unbiased reviews and fascinating detail of almost 300 ocean-going cruise vessels, and grades them on service, food, entertainment and facilities, using an internationally recognised ratings system. Paperback, 760 pages; Reference List Price: $27.99
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Cruise Ship History & Operations
Sailing to the Sun: Cruising History and Evolution
By William H. Miller, Apr'19. The worldwide cruise industry is booming—alone, there are some 56 new cruise ships being built or planned (2016). Cruise ships visit ports around the world. And the ships themselves are amenity-filled, moving resorts. But when did it all begin? This book looks at the evolution of cruising, from the mid-nineteenth century. It chronicles the growth of long, luxury cruising in the Twenties and then, in the Depression-era Thirties, cruising reaches the general public as a form of escape. By the late Sixties, purposeful cruise ships were being built and these spawned today’s fleet, including the largest passenger ships ever built. Paperback; 128 pages; 9.8 x 0.3 x 8.9; Reference List Price: $29.95
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The Cruise Ship Phenomenon in North America
By Brian J. Cudahy, May'01. An unrivalled work of reference, this necessary book tells the stories of how and why today's North American cruise ship industry evolved from carrying only 330,000 passengers in 1965 to nearly 7 million at the turn of the century. It traces the backgrounds of the various cruise lines and their founders and explains how so many of their ironic histories are interrelated. It documents the time, money and effort that go into the myriad details encountered between building plan and cruising itinerary. The appendix gives an instant history of the ships, including notes on specifications, builders, registry, and passenger capacity. Hardcover, 736 pages, 1.09 x 10.22 x 7.28; 98 b&w photos; Reference List Price: $36.95
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A Cruise Ship Primer: History & Operations
By Craig A. Munsart, Mar'15. Cruise ships, the largest moving man-made objects, can be almost a quarter-mile long, as tall as a twenty-five-story building, and largely self-contained cities of 8,000 people. With 172 photographs and illustrations, the cruise ship is examined: its planning, construction, behind-the-scenes operation, and ultimate fate. More than 240 ships are highlighted as the cruise ship’s history is traced from its origins to its future projections. This book is a great resource for designers, architects, shipbuilders, and cruise ship passengers. Read it before you board and take it along when you sail. Paperback, 256 pages; Reference List Price: $29.99
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Devils on the Deep Blue Sea : The Dreams, Schemes and Showdowns That Built America's Cruise-Ship Empires
By Kristoffer Garin, Jun'05. Carnival's founder, the late Ted Arison, provides this lively industry history with one of its most engrossing narrative threads, from the running aground of his original flagship's maiden voyage to his emergence as one of the world's wealthiest individuals. But Garin's as interested in the ships themselves as he is in the boardrooms, and he turns up disturbing stories of corrupt labor practices and cover-ups of sexual assaults of passengers by crew members. The solid reporting ensures readers will come away with a healthy respect for Garin's work and for the very powerful industry he documents. Hardcover, 384 pages; Reference List Price: $24.95
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Cruise Ships: An Evolution in Design
By Philip Dawson, May'03. Since the earliest commercial cruises offered in the 1840s, cruise ships have changed beyond recognition and evolved into one of the world's most sophisticated, specialised, complex, and expensive types of vessel. This astonishing development is the subject of this book. While the origins of the story can be traced back in part to the nineteenth century, the author takes up the story in detail with the large, modern, purpose-built cruise ships of the 1930s. The prototypes for a mass-market clientele emerged in the German KdF ships Wilhelm Gustloff and Robert Ley. At the other end of the scale, the exquisite 1927 Norwegian-built cruise yacht Stella Polaris represents the prototype of a smaller vessel offering the ultimate in luxury. In the post-war years both ends of the industry have expanded dramatically, and the myriad of ships which have been built, and are being built, are described in detail. Philip Dawson developed an interest in merchant and passenger ships in early childhood. He started writing on shipping and ship design in the early 1980s. He is author of British Superliners of the Sixties: A Design Appreciation of Oriana, Canberra and QE2 and the highly successful tribute to the P&O cruise liner Canberra: In the Wake of a Legend. Philip Dawson lives in Canada. Hardcover, 272 pages; Reference List Price: $59.95
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Selling the Sea: An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry
By Bob Dickinson, Andrew Vladimir, Apr'07. An insider's view of how the cruising business operates. The highly respected and vocal former president of Carnival Cruise Lines explores the history of modern cruising and its operation and financing. In his quarter-century with Carnival, Dickinson is credited with changing the image of cruising from a pastime of the rich to a vacation for the masses. Learn the differences and similarities in cruise lines -- how they are managed, marketed, priced and operated; the industry's problems, opportunities and future. Looks at history and growth of industry, who key players are, their management and marketing philosophies. This updated Second Edition features new coverage of how technology has impacted the industry, new niche markets in cruising, and expanded material on shipbuilding and design. It also includes insightful interviews with today's captains, social directors, food and beverage managers, and cruise line executives who have hands-on experience at the day-to-day workings of a cruise ship. Hardcover, 352 pages; Reference List Price: $40.00
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