CROSSING & CRUISING

Maxtone-Graham, John

ISBN 10: 0684191547 / ISBN 13: 9780684191546

Published by Scribner, 1992

About this Item

311pp Illus "From the golden era of ocean liners to the luxury cruise ships of today." Presentation copy, signed by Maxtone-Graham. QE 2 bookplate on reverse of half-title page.

Seller Inventory # 31601

Bibliographic Details

• Title: CROSSING & CRUISING
• Publisher: Scribner
• Publication Date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0684191547
• ISBN 13: 9780684191546
• Binding: Hard Cover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good
• Signed: Signed Presentation Copy

About this title

Synopsis

The Only Way to Cross, John Maxtone-Graham's classic history of the great transatlantic liners, was published twenty years ago, followed in 1985 by Liners to the Sun, his colorful sequel about life aboard cruise ships. Now, with Crossing & Cruising, he completes his definitive survey of passenger-ship travel, showing how the elegant "crossings" of the past gave way to the extravagant cruises of today.
From the steerage ordeal of emigrants bound for New York to the "huddled masses" who sail on seven-day cruises, Maxtone-Graham ranges back and forth over the years, re-creating the grandeur of a lost era and detailing the corporate maneuvers of the 1980s. Here are the ships and their stories: the stellar career of Aquitania, the great four-stacker that survived three million sea miles and two world wars; the art deco luxe of Normandie, French dream liner of the 193Os; and the rebirth of fabled France as Norway, closing the circle on an immortal ship that once crossed but now cruises. Here, too, are the marvels and problems of contemporary cruising: the sleek lines of customized ships, the crews that man them, and the corporate high jinks that drive the industry to seek ever larger markets.
More than just vivid social history, Crossing & Cruising cultures what it was really like on board then and now - the sophisticated ambience of Cunard and White Star, the crowded squalor belowdecks, and the Formica and glass of today's liners. Rich in detail, broad in scope, Crossing & Cruising is a voyage in itself, evoking salt air, cabin lore, deckchair wisdom, shipyard savvy, and marketing guile. Sail as a fellow passenger with an entertaining guide who knows his ships well and loves them all.

Synopsis

A portrait of nineteenth and twentieth century ocean liners examines passenger life on early twentieth century steamers, the adventures of liners during both World Wars, and the marvels of the newest ships.