including the great ship itself
349292
Leviathan series from Scott Westerfeld is one of the most imaginative reworkings of history in literature. The characters, including the great ship itself, are drawn in minute detail, so much so that one can not only see them, but smell them as well. The inventions of Darwinist and Clanker embellishing the differences between the British and German allies of the time are brilliant, deeply rooted in the personality of the opposing sides while maintaining a balance of empathy for both. Alan Cummings reading of this series shows the diversity of his talents, his mastery of accents and his unparalleled depth of character interpretation. He treats the story as if it were made of music, and he has an entire symphony at his disposal.
3523287
I read this book many years ago, a library copy, and have been looking for a copy of my own ever since. If you love sailing ships and/or the history of the United States Navy, this is almost a must-have.

The used copy was in excellent condition. The only deficiency was the missing dust jacket, but I knew about that going in.
178098
This is a book that overwent everything that I expected. The book starts with a brief history of the old ships that belonged to the Norwegian America Line (NAL). It gives further a nice review of the time when "Saga Rose" sailed under the name of "Sagafjord" and "Gripsholm", and also the "Saga Ruby" under the name of "Vistafjord" and "Coronia". The book tells also about the problems related to the dispute around the purchase from Trafalger House and over to the Saga Cruises. I would say the book gives the essential history in brief and should definetly be in the bookshielf of lovers of these the beautiful ships.
The book has a lot of interesting drawings from inside the two ships. The drawings is followed by photos of the same areas either from the old days or from present time. Its a brilliant idea and makes the book even more interesting.
Its a little pity that the book has few photos of the crew who have worked on board the ships.
The "Saga Rose" will end her days at December 6th, 2009, when she for the last time will dock in Southampton. The ship will then end her long live, 44 years of sailing - quite a nice record. She is still maintaining her age with grace. Many people would miss her.
The "Saga Ruby" will still be in service, hopefully for still many more years to come.
My recommendations is for everyone : Just buy this magnificent book and enjoy every page in it. Its worth the price.
639333
While a bit tedious at times, the book presents a very complete and interesting account of the last voyage and sinking of the "Vestris".  The ship needed many repairs (so much so that she should never have been allowed to sail), was grossly overloaded, and with a seemingly timid captain.  She was unable to make it through a storm that many others ships could because of her wretched condition.  Water was leaking (more like pouring) into the ship from various openings that had not been (and could not be) properly sealed.  Her cargo may have shifted.  Her list became more and more severe, making it difficult to launch boats, and the captain waited too long to send an SOS; all this caused a great loss of life.  The operating company was well aware of the "Vestris' " appalling condition, but was only interested in the money she could generate.  The official summary of the wreck and the company's neglect is a bit dry, but makes very good reading.
867801
enjoyed the book immensely. bob did so much research to make sure it was right, which added to the feeling of "being there".
would highly recommend it to anyone interested in ships, history, or who just wants an exciting read.
1957661
I read this book alongside Ludovic kennedy's Pursuit and I found them to be very striking in their points of view and considering this was the greatest Big Ship action of all time [ since 1805 anyway ] one needs to read them both. I also am reading The Destruction of the Bismarck by Bercuson and Herweg.. The Bismarck was the most advanced BB of its day and was also the most elegant if thats the right word. It is absorbing to compare the mistakes of both sides and it must have been a hearts stopping moment for Winston Churchill. I don't believe Hitler really understood Naval actions and probably was not too bothered about the loss.
2934088
On December 31, 1862 while under tow in a gale off Cape Hatteras, USS Monitor sank. The Monitor had been in service for only ten months and yet in that brief time had revolutionized naval warfare. The wreck of the Monitor was finally located in August of 1973. In his book, USS Monitor  A Historic Ship Completes Its Final Voyage, John Broadwater tells the remarkable story of the ship and of the dedicated teams of archeologists, historians, divers and engineers who worked over the last forty years to preserve the ship and to rescue what could be saved from the wreck.

Broadwater is uniquely qualified to tell the story of the ship that changed everything. He was the only person involved in the Monitor from the discovery of the wreck in 1973 through preservation, management and the recovery of the portions of the ship being preserved ashore today. He recently retired from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administrations Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, where he served as chief archaeologist.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of the USS Monitor. The Federal Navy had nothing that would be able to stop the Confederate ironclad, CSS Virginia, built from the hull and machinery of the ex-steam frigate, USS Merrimack. Only the genius of the Swedish engineer and inventor John Ericson, who delivered the radical USS Monitor in just over 100 days, stopped the Confederate monster. The battle between USS Monitor and CSS Virginia ended in a draw, and yet the four hour slugging match between the two ironclads on March 9, 1861, made all the wooden navies in the world instantly obsolete.

USS Monitor  A Historic Ship Completes Its Final Voyage tells the story of the revolutionary ship, from its conception, to its preservation over 150 years later. The account is big, sweeping and complex  part history, part mystery, and part high adventure, as well as being a major engineering and organizational puzzle to be solved.

Broadwater does a fine job in presenting the story in manageable portions without overwhelming the reader. Initially, the book alternates between the history of the ship in 1861 and the discovery of the wreck site in 1973. Then, the book settles into an alternating pattern of descriptions of the planning and organizing for each major dive season, followed by fascinating and often harrowing descriptions of the challenges of diving on the wreck, 240 feet underwater, off the treacherous Cape Hatteras coast.

The book is beautifully illustrated, and replete with photographs and interesting sidebars, detailing various aspects of the history, discovery and preservation of the ship. USS Monitor  A Historic Ship Completes Its Final Voyage is a fascinating story, well told, of a ship that changed history and of those who worked long and diligently to preserve her.  Highly recommended.
2917180
I first read about the Mighty Hood when I was at school when I picked up a book that looked interesting in a book exchange. I read through not knowing anything about the ship and as a result felt something of the sadness that was felt at the time she was lost. I cannot remember who wrote the book but that story stuck with me and I recently bought "The Battlecruiser HMS Hood An Illustrated Biography 1916 -1941" to re read the story. I am hoping to build a 1/200 scale model of the Hood and the illustrations in this Warship Pictorial volume go a long way to clearing up a lot of fine detail that does not exist on some plans. This book also shows that some of the plans available out there are shockingly bad. I therefore recommend "The Anatomy of the Ship, Battlecruiser Hood" to compliment any ones collection. For any Hood modeller or enthusiast these three books are an absolute must.
4636445
Mark Chirnside's "RMS OLYMPIC" is one of the finest maritime studies ever performed on the TITANIC's sister. The book looks at the entirety of the liner's career, from beginning to end. The author's research is incomparable, and it is obvious that he dug into numerous first-hand accounts and original sources to find answers to questions and controversies over her life, design and career.

The details and alterations made to the ship throughout her service are all wonderfully highlighted, and the narrative is fresh and enjoyable. There are a number of wonderful illustrations, though this book is more of a "reader" than a "picture book".

All in all, this volume is an instant classic, and belongs on the shelf of anyone with an interest in the OLYMPIC or her sisters.
4327460
Nicely done and assembled, appears to be a representation of the original ship.  Great model for the collector and office.
4297372
Since I was a child I have been interested in the ship Vasa and Stockholm.
In this lovely illustrated book, you will learn a lot about all parts of the famous ship.
The book (just like Lars Widding`s The Venture of Vasa 52 years earlier)have a good short story (fiction) and the second part of the book is facts about the ship. Sven Nordqvist`s illustration are humorous, but correct in all details.
It is a very good introduction to the ship for all readers between 5 and 105 years old! :-)
1017865
My favourite ship (along with the Tie Interceptor) finally gets the scale it deserved!
What a beauty this ship is. No useless bells or whistles. Just what you need.
Now make sure you have enough space as it is massive!

The white box ensures a safe delivery. The packaging is a pure Vintage homage.

Keep your eyes peeled for Amazon price drops and you could score a great ship at a very low cost.
4787464
Great little book about these numerous great little ships. Excellent plates as well.
2227745
A great piece of history that I consider myself fortunate to acquire. They arrived well protected and in great shape. I have them in a protective sleeve right now, but will display in small case eventually. I do not know if they are other B & O stamps out there, but if there is, I hope to get some. If you are railfan or a B & O fan specifically get some if there any left.
2558168
As a pictorial edition, hard to beat. Plenty of apparent builders' photos with clear resolution for the period. However I would have liked to have seen more engine space photos as these were the heart of these two vessels. The photos on the dust jacket taken on the trials really demonstrate the power of the ship. But fewer potted palms and more turbines would have told the whole story.
The actual disaster is not covered extensively, or well.
While this may not have been the remit of this book, the whole story could have benefited with a more thorough explanation of the where's and why's.
The Robert Ballard and Ken Marschall version a few years back tells the complete story.
4661014
These four sister ships, built by Cunard in the 1950s for the Canada route had long and varied histories.  They are all well told by the author and very well illustrated with a reasonable number of interior shots throughout.  I enjoyed this book greatly and am very glad to have it in my library.
4697664
The book discusses and shows by way of drawings and using actual first person accounts how it must have been like to be aboard the great ship as she went down, compartment by compartment.  In addition, the book also  discusses the issue of the ship off in the horizon, and whether the steel  in the Titanic was too brittle. Also, the book discusses Bruce Ismay and  Callapsible Boat C. The book was very well written and keeps the reader's  interest,following the progress of the water through the halls,staterooms,  the grand staircase, and how the rising water may have appeared to those  desperate people aboard.  This is a book for all those interested in the  final moments of the real Titanic.  Those who read this book will find that  it answers questions left opened in other books on the subject.