by William H. Miller, Jr.
Some of the greatest liners of the 20th century sailed under the British flag. Embodying the glamor, majesty and elegance of baronial manors, these floating castles were often designed to give wealthy passengers the feeling they had never left home. Examples such as the beautiful Viceroy of India even included paneled rooms outfitted with fireplaces, antiques, Persian rugs and stained glass skylights. Many were scrapped by the 1970s, victims of cheap airline fares. Soon afterward with the growing popularity of cruises, new ships were being built to today’s behemoths of more than 100,000 tons.
This fascinating text and picture tribute documents interiors and exteriors of majestic British ships spanning a century of liner history to the advent of cruising from the Queen Mary to the Pacific Princess, familiar to millions of television viewers as “The Love Boat.”
Over 200 illustrations provide views of the ships at sea and in port, glimpses of lavish staterooms, lounges and dining areas, on-board photographs of celebrities and royalty. Ship histories are detailed: outstanding characteristics, size, speed, builder and other data. Ship lovers will thrill to this fond pictorial of great liners. Published 2001. Foreword by Ronald W. Warwick, Master Queen Elizabeth 2.
203 photographs, 134 pages. Softback.
2001
