A GREAT BOOK ABOUT CLASSIC OCEAN LINERS

coloradocruisers · November 27, 2011

On a recent trip to Dallas, I was visiting a Half-Priced Bookstore when I found a great book about early ocean liners. It's called "The Great Luxury Liners 1927-1954 A Photographic Record" by William H. Miller, Jr. (Dover Publications, Inc., 1981, ISBN: 0-486-24056-8). While not a complete encyclopedia of that era, it is a good compendium of some of the more notable ships that introduced new technology or broke records, such as Mauretania, Ile de France, Bremen, Rex, Normandie, the Queens, and the United States. There are 101 different ships featured. The book includes 186 photos (B&W), a short bio for each ship, and minimal stats. If you were fortunate enough to travel on one of these ships, or if you just enjoy looking at the clean, low profiles of ships from that era then you might enjoy this book. I know it's 30 years old, but you might be able to find an old copy on-line.

By the way, does anybody out there own this book?

rogue · November 27, 2011

I don't own the book, bujt I have seen it. I agree with you that its a great book. William Miller is a great oceanliner historian. :thumbup:

GottaCruz · November 28, 2011

Sounds like a real find, Kevin. Enjoy it! Don't you just love those kinds of bookstores?

Shari2 · November 28, 2011

Sounds really interesting, Kevin...did the ILe de France become the Norway? I'm thinking I heard that somewhere. We were on the "Norway" in 1986.

coloradocruisers · November 28, 2011

Sounds really interesting, Kevin...did the ILe de France become the Norway? I'm thinking I heard that somewhere. We were on the "Norway" in 1986.

Nope, different ship. Now here's something you'll find interesting. In 1959, the ship was sold to a Japanese scrap yard. Hollywood director Andrew Stone was about to film a disaster movie called the "The Last Voyage" which starred Robert Stack. (This movie was just on Turner Classic Movies a couple weeks ago, as part of their November showing of cruise movies every Thursday night). Anyway, Stone caught wind of this and paid the Japanese to let him use the ship for his movie. They actually flooded compartments, crashed one of the funnels, etc. while FILMING. The movie itself was excellent. I didn't expect it to measure up to modern day thrillers, but it really kept me on the edge of my seat.

rogue · November 28, 2011

Sounds really interesting, Kevin...did the ILe de France become the Norway? I'm thinking I heard that somewhere. We were on the "Norway" in 1986.

Shari,

The Norway was previously the SS France (not the Ile de France). It was originally built in the early 1960's, a bit too late for that book.

GottaCruz · November 28, 2011

Will watch for that movie. I always liked Robert Stack too.

Shari2 · November 30, 2011

Kevin...that's really interesting...I'm pretty sure that I saw that movie a few years back...gonna check up on it...maybe watch it again. Thanks!

Howard...thanks for the information...that must be what I had heard but confused it with the IL de France. I know when we were on the "Norway" they told us all about it, but, I did forget that.

Cheryl..I like Robert Stack, too...think he starred in the "Untouchables" years back.