NauticalNotebook.com
The Nautical Notebook Bookshelf
Reviews of cruise-
by Lisa Plotnick unless noted otherwise.
Click on the title to be directed to the appropriate review:
Boileau, John, Titanic and Halifax
Bruns, Brian David, Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below the Water Line
Chirnside, Marc, The Olympic Class Ships: Olympic, Titanic and Britannic
de Kerbrech, Richard, Ships of the White Star Line
DiFulgo, Robert J. Titanic’s Resurrected Secret-
L’Episcopo, Joseph B, One Final Voyage
Lord, Walter, A Night to Remember (Quick Review)
Mandel, Peter, My Ocean Liner: Across the Atlantic on the Great Ship Normandie
Maxtone-
Maxtone-
Meyers, L.T. (Publisher), The Sinking of the Titanic (Quick Review)
Miller Jr., William H., Pictorial Encyclopedia of Ocean Liners, 1860-
Miller Jr., William H., Picture History of the Andrea Doria
Pressler Jr., David W., Olympia: The Life and Times of a Greek Goddess
Scott, Devon M., S/S Norway: Memories in Imagery
John Boileau
***
Halifax, Nova Scotia has strong ties to the White Star Line's RMS Titanic. The coastal
Canadian city was chosen to handle the recovery operations immediately after the
liner sank -
Overall, it's a good recounting of the Titanic tragedy, yet I was expecting more on the prominent role of Halifax in the aftermath of the ship's demise. There are, of course, many other volumes that cover this aspect in more depth. Therefore, I recommend this book to beginning and intermediate students of Titanic history. It provides the basics and more without getting into the minutiae that would please only the most avid Titanic historians.
Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below the Waterline
Where the Crew Lives, Eats, Sleeps, Wars, and Parties. One Crazy Year Working on Cruise Ships.
Brian David Bruns
**
As a veteran cruiser (20+ years) and budding travel writer, the topic of this mini-
What I gleaned from this book, and what surprised me, were its parallels to land-
The Olympic Class Ships: Olympic, Titanic and Britannic
Mark Chirnside
*****
This is the ultimate resource book on White Star Line's Olympic class ships. As such,
it is a thorough research piece that examines the history and technical aspects of
the three ocean liners that comprised this class-
The author immediately
puts the ships' histories into context by examining their owners, the shipyard in
which they were built, and the competing ships of the rival Cunard Line. We then
are treated to details of the lives of each ship in turn-
Mr. Chirnside's thorough research
extends to the appendices. Aside from the expected chronologies, there is a wonderful
analysis on
I was surprised to learn that the author was a University
student. I look forward to reading his future works over what I suspect will be a
very promising career.
Richard de Kerbrech
*****
For most people, the White Star Line is synonymous with the ill-
From the line’s first ship (Oceanic, 1871) through its merger with former rival Cunard Line (1934), Mr. de Kerbrech guides us through a chronology of the White Star Line, including detail on its liners and cargo ships, mechanics, routes, and business dealings. The book is presented encyclopedia style, with detailed histories of each ship, including, for most, a line that describes the derivation of the ship’s name. Every chapter opens with a narrative on the era that will be presented, which also puts the line’s history in context of the passenger shipping industry as a whole. For example, White Star Line was very involved in the Japan and New Zealand trades as these areas opened up to shipping.
Yet, the profiles of the ships are indeed the main strength of this book. While White Star Line is often noted for its disasters (Titanic and Atlantic), there are several success stories that are often overlooked. Its first ship, Oceanic, was in service for 25 years—pretty impressive for its time. Germanic was in service for 75 years (between three owners), including World War I duty. And then, there is my favorite ship, Olympic, the pride of the White Star Line when she was launched in 1910. Photographs enhance the retelling of the ships’ histories.
Although I read the book front-
Titanic’s Resurrected Secret-
J. Robert DiFulgo
Historical fiction is a challenging genre. An author must create a storyline within
a setting that once existed while minimizing confusion between fiction and fact.
The difficulty intensifies when a historical character is brought into the mix, particularly
in a prominent role. This is the reason that I assess this book as "just ok" rather
than a “must-
What
appealed to me about the book, however, were the detailed descriptions of sites that
were part of Titanic's history, such as Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, where
many passengers were buried. It was evident that the author did a great deal of research
on the ship and her passengers -
The story itself was somewhat interesting as the fictional Alexei delved
into his obsession with the unnamed passenger associated with grave marker 223. His
quest led to another fictional character, whose fictional association with passenger
223 was key to Alexei suspecting he had found a link to HEW.
However, we must not
confuse this with reality, and I hope the actions described in this book do not become
intertwined with the real HEW, a fascinating gentleman in his own right.
One Final Voyage
Joseph B. L’Episcopo
****
One Final Voyage is an enjoyable novel about the farewell voyage of an ocean liner after 25 years of service. During the story, we are introduced to delightful—and interesting—passengers, meet many crew members ranging from stoker to Captain, learn about the competitiveness of developing new methods to cross the Atlantic, and encounter suspenseful moments as the ship's aging machinery is put to the max. The character development is superb, and the details of the ship's inner workings incredible.
The setting for this gripping story is perhaps the most famous ship of all-
As an ocean liner fanatic, it was a bit disconcerting to me, at times, to read dialogue
from passengers who had perished on Titanic in reality. Yet, this book differs from
other fictional accounts of the liner as it does not attempt to hide that it's a
fabrication. One note—as this is a self-
I look forward to reading the remaining two volumes of the trilogy, Oceanic Crossings and Atlantic Colours.
A Night to Remember
Walter Lord
*****
A Night to Remember should be on the bookshelves of anyone interested in the true
story of Titanic. Published in 1955, highly renowned maritime historian Walter Lord
was able to share actual experiences of those who survived this tragic event in the
North Atlantic roughly 40 years earlier. Unlike sensationalized versions of this
oft-
My Ocean Liner: Across the North Atlantic on the Great Ship Normandie
Peter Mandel (illustrated by Betsey MacDonald, introduction by John Maxtone-
****
I purchased this book for my son, then nine years old, prior to our 2003 transatlantic crossing on Queen Elizabeth 2. While technically a children’s book, it quickly became one of my favorites and is stored in my library rather than in his.
The story follows Paul, a nine-
Another wonderful feature of My Ocean Liner is its historical accuracy. All of the
text and illustrations were reviewed by respected ocean liner historian John Maxtone-
In summary, Mr. Mandel has written a wonderful introduction to ocean liner history for the younger set that also captures the attention of the adults. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in passenger ships, particularly to future ocean liner fanatics and their parents.
Liners to the Sun
John Maxtone-
*****
If you are looking for a gift for the cruise enthusiast in your life, you cannot
go wrong with Liners to the Sun, a written documentary of cruising’s past and how
it continues to influence shipboard life today. This 500+ page volume by respected
maritime historian John Maxtone-
The author’s intent was for the reader to gain a better appreciation
of what today’s cruises have to offer by studying their origins on earlier cruises
and crossings. He accomplishes this through delightful, engaging accounts of actual
voyages, as seen by the passengers and crew who experienced them.
Endure a storm
on
Observe what goes on behind the scenes of a cruise ship. Spend
a day with a cabin steward, and see the precursors of today’s popular towel animals.
Learn the origins of the Captain’s Dinner. Witness the camaraderie that exists at
sea, as Sea Venture (later known as Pacific Princess) was called upon to rescue passengers
stranded during a power outage on Queen Elizabeth 2.
Shipbuilding fans will enjoy
visiting the shipyards to observe the construction of Song of America in 1981 and
the lengthening of Royal Viking Star several months later. Those interested in the
architecture of cruise ships will enjoy learning how ships were converted from "indoor"
transatlantic liners to "outdoor" cruising vessels.
Mr. Maxtone-
Still,
Originally published by the reviewer
in SeaLetter Cruise Magazine, April 2001
Titanic Tragedy: A New Look at the Lost Liner
John Maxtone-
*****
With his latest book, John Maxtone-
The Sinking of the Titanic: Thrilling Stories of Survivors, with Photographs & Sketches
L.T. Meyers, Publisher
***
This is one of several books published soon after the Titanic tragedy, and is a compelling
read that lives up to its subtitle of “Thrilling Stories of Survivors.” Given its
rush to market, it contains several details that have since proven to be inaccurate,
a point clearly noted on the book’s copyright page. While not an authoritative source—I
leave that to Walter Lord’s well-
Pictorial Encyclopedia of Ocean Liners, 1860-
William H. Miller, Jr.
*****
This is the most frequently referenced book in my library. Pictorial Encyclopedia
of Ocean Liners is a comprehensive volume with photographs and statistics on over
400 liners. Information includes shipyard, year built, gross tonnage, length, width,
engine type, speed, number of passengers (by class, if applicable), original and
subsequent names and owners, and ultimate fate. An appendix includes preliminary
statistics on mid-
Picture History of the Andrea Doria
William H. Miller, Jr.
****
I have been a huge fan of William H. Miller Jr.'s books for many years and own several dozen of his "Picture History" ocean liner books. Still, I will do my best to give a balanced review of Picture History of the Andrea Doria. Although it was published in 2005, I realized only recently that this volume was not in my collection, so that was rectified very easily. It is definitely a fantastic addition to my library.
My favorite aspects of the book were, of course, its photographs, but also the historical text that accompanied them. Over the years, the depth of Mr. Miller's descriptions have increased and provide a lot of detail for ocean liner buffs. Among these is the way the ship fits into the history of its nation's passenger vessels in terms of interior design, engineering, purpose, and other factors.
While ocean liner fans will likely find this analysis intriguing, I doubt the same
can be said for those who want to learn about one particular ship. Of the 183 photographs
in the book, fewer than 70 are of Andrea Doria. And, just two of the seven chapters
are devoted to the Doria. The remainder of the book covers the early and late years
of the Italian Line, the Doria's sister ship Cristoforo Colombo, notable ships of
other Italian companies, and the resurgence of Genoa as a shipbuilding site. In this
respect, there are some overlaps with the author's The Picture History of the Italian
Line, 1932-
Even so, the chapters on Doria can stand on their own for those interested, but purchasers should be aware that Doria is often put in the context of other ships.
Olympia – The Life and Times of a Greek Goddess
David W. Pressler, Jr.
*****
From the time I stepped onboard Regal Empress in 2001, I felt an immediate connection
with this charming liner, the former flagship TSS Olympia of the Greek Line. Her
gorgeous wood interiors were captivating, as were many other remaining features of
her past. Yet, even as an ocean liner aficionado, I knew little about her; my information
was gleaned from snippets of stories and posts on the Internet and a mention or two
in the books within my liner collection. So, I was beyond thrilled when I located
a copy of David W. Pressler, Jr.’s masterpiece Olympia – The Life and Times of a
Greek Goddess, which traced the nearly 50-
Mr. Pressler packs a lot of history in this nearly 200-
S/S Norway: Memories in Imagery
Devon M. Scott
****
Have you ever concluded a cruise vacation and realize that you had forgotten to take
photographs of several areas that were important to you? Or wished you had photographs
of some behind-
This was the case for me after my 2001 cruise on SS Norway, the former SS France
of 1962 and NCL’s flagship through the 1980s and 1990s. Thankfully, I now have Mr.
Scott’s new book to fill in the gap. And, it is a superb collection of nearly 60
photographs of the ship in the early 2000s, when Mr. Scott was the official on-
In full disclosure, I have known Mr. Scott since meeting him onboard SS Norway ten years ago. Even so, I do not believe that this influenced my enjoyment of the photographs or descriptions. Admittedly, the price of the book seems high for its length (approximately US$25 for 25 pages), yet this is one of those situations in which the product is well worth it. I highly recommend this book, available through the publisher, to those who have traveled onboard SS Norway or SS France, those who have an interest in liner and cruise ship history, and anyone who is curious as to why this ship endures in the hearts of so many.