Search results for ""Steamship""

“An invaluable window on how New York self-consciously and very publicly transformed itself from a city that was merely ‘the largest’ to an undisputed world-class metropolis. . . . A rich historical record of newspapers, manuscripts, artifacts, photographs, and graphics . . . offers a new lens to examine identity, industry, and environment.”—Kenneth T. Jackson, from the Foreword For two weeks in the fall of 1909, New York City threw itself the biggest party it had ever seen—attracting millions of people to a sprawling festival 150 miles long, from Brooklyn up the Hudson River to Albany. This extraordinary event, the Hudson-Fulton Celebration, was officially meant to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the river bearing his name and the centennial of Robert Fulton’s first successful run of his steamship Clermont. But in an era of grand world’s fairs, the Celebration was really created to showcase New York’s coming of age as a world metropolis. On city sidewalks and along the river, millions enjoyed a nonstop circus of fireworks, concerts, museum exhibitions, children’s festivals, and military and naval parades, each designed to link past glories to present challenges and future progress. And to show the world that its biggest city worked. For city leaders, the Celebration was to be a gaudy catalyst for change—technological, commercial, cultural, and political. There were great flotillas of the world’s navies. New, glittering electric lights illuminated bridges and skyscrapers. Jawdropping flyovers by Wilbur Wright and Glenn Curtiss introduced New Yorkers to the airplane. The Queensboro Bridge had just been built, as had new subway lines. Thousands of children in ethnic costumes marched to celebrate the new American melting pot. No one had seen anything like it. This fascinating book commemorates that commemoration. With a rich selection of full-color images—photographs, graphics, memorabilia, paintings, and much more—it tells the story of what those two weeks meant to four million New Yorkers and one million out-of-town guests. Johnson brings back a city feverishly at work and play, from the grand schemes of the planners to the way the Celebration put the city and its people on a world stage.

Read more less

The hidden history of one of the world’s greatest inventors, a man who disrupted the status quo and then disappeared into thin air on the eve of World War I—this book answers the hundred-year-old mystery of what really became of Rudolf Diesel. September 29, 1913: the steamship Dresden is halfway between Belgium and England. On board is one of the most famous men in the world, Rudolf Diesel, whose new internal combustion engine is on the verge of revolutionizing global industry forever. But Diesel never arrives at his destination. He vanishes during the night and headlines around the world wonder if it was an accident, suicide, or murder. After rising from an impoverished European childhood, Diesel had become a multi-millionaire with his powerful engine that does not require expensive petroleum-based fuel. In doing so, he became not only an international celebrity but also the enemy of two extremely powerful men: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and the richest man in the world. The Kaiser wanted the engine to power a fleet of submarines that would finally allow him to challenge Great Britain’s Royal Navy. But Diesel had intended for his engine to be used for the betterment of mankind and refused to keep the technology out of the hands of the British or any other nation. For John D. Rockefeller, the engine was nothing less than an existential threat to his vast and lucrative oil empire. As electric lighting began to replace kerosene lamps, Rockefeller’s bottom line depended on the world’s growing thirst for gasoline to power its automobiles and industries. At the outset of this new age of electricity and oil, Europe stood on the precipice of war. Rudolf Diesel grew increasingly concerned about Germany’s rising nationalism and military spending. The inventor was on his way to London to establish a new company that would help Britain improve its failing submarine program when he disappeared. Now, New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt reopens the case and provides an astonishing new conclusion about Diesel’s fate. “Equal parts Walter Isaacson and Sherlock Holmes, The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel yanks back the curtain on the greatest caper of the 20th century in this riveting history” (Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author).

Read more less

The 40th anniversary of George R.R. Martin's classic southern gothic novel finds it just as gripping today as it was on its release.Abner Marsh has had his dearest wish come true - he has built the Fevre Dream, the finest steamship ever to sail the Mississippi. Abner hopes to race the boat some day, but his partner is making it hard for him to realise his ambition.Joshua York put up the money for the Fevre Dream, but now rumours have started about the company he keeps, his odd eating habits and strange hours. As the Dream sails the great river, it leaves in its wake one too many dark tales, until Abner is forced to face down the man who helped to make his dreams become reality.From the author of the international phenomenon that is Game of Thrones, leap into a gothic historical fiction that will leave you wanting to read it with the lights turned on.* * * * * * * * * * * * *'I loved Fevre Dream. The best vampire novel ever written' Joanne Harris, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Narrow Door'The kind of chiller one rereads' Harlan Ellison'A gripping and thrilling read . . . the relations between human and the vampire race are also something of an allegory for slavery and exploitation . . . very well developed, vivid and unforgettable' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A beautiful, multi-layered story that stands as an historical drama bordering on fantasy and horror' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A must-have in your personal library if you're into collecting modern fantasy novels, novels with historical fiction settings, or novels about paranormal creatures' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Not only is it a great premise, but Mr. Martin follows through and delivers one hell of a story to back it up. Highly recommended!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'It is excellent historical fiction, set amongst the steamboats traveling up and down the Mississippi . . . Recommended for fans of historic paranormal and horrific fiction' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I loved this book. It was one of those that I wanted to savour and not rush ahead with. The writing draws you in from the start' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A fantastic setting, and a steamboat that makes you want to go back in time and experience a great race yourself. This was a wonderful read and I would recommend highly' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I've never met a protagonist like Abner Marsh . . . you'll want to savour this novel's little surprises completely unspoiled . . . an incredible slice of history, a deeply moving tale of an unlikely friendship, and a testament to the power of loyalty between two individuals' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Read more less

Bristol and Bath are two beautiful, closely connected cities. They are portrayed through the eyes of their artists in a delightful variety of styles in this stunning book. The Bristol and Bath Art Book portrays two very different cities. The beautiful images in the book capture the breath-taking landscape of rivers, hills and gorges which they share, but also the cities’ sights that are so unique. Bristol is painted as busy, quirky and vibrant, where Bath glows in more tranquil hues. These important cities in the history of the world are intimately connected. The river Avon that flows through both cities, gouges the spectacular Avon Gorge at Bristol, which is where its international maritime connections begin. The regenerated old docks (the ’floating harbour’), Wapping Wharf and the quayside are lovingly depicted by various artists. Now that the main docks are outside the city, the harbour-side now bustles with shops, bars and offices, but there are still cranes to be seen at the M shed. Underfall boatyard remains a home to maritime businesses and is also pictured in this lovely book, along with pleasure craft and houseboats in the harbour. John Cabot’s The Matthew is the ship that put America on the map. The reconstruction is depicted in drawings and paintings. She may have been a pirate ship at one time, too, as Bristol was the birthplace of Blackbeard and had a thriving piracy business. From this Atlantic connection, the list of items traded expanded from wool, wine and grain to tobacco and alas, to slaves. The profits from this trade endowed many of the fine public monuments drawn and painted here. Like many places, Bristol is undertaking a new reckoning with its history. The great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed the Clifton Suspension Bridge to span the deep Avon Gorge. In the book, there are many images of this vertiginous bridge: ringed by balloons, luminous in the gloaming, stark in the snow, or painted to resemble a cathedral arch from below. It is a much-loved, living monument to the great man. His Great Western Railway terminus at Temple Meads features here in drawings and prints, along with his pioneering Bristol-built steamship, the SS Great Britain. Crossing Brunel’s famous bridge over the Avon, you will find yourself in the tranquil Leigh woods, painted as a hotspot for bluebells in spring. The old Railway Path, flat, traffic-free and lined with greenery, takes you from Bristol to Bath, where you will find more gorgeous parks: the Georgian garden in the town centre, Alexandra Park with panoramas of the city and the Botanical Gardens with its aerial walkway. Bath is a UNESCO world heritage site because of its Roman remains and exquisite Georgian architecture. Its famous Roman Baths were built around a hot spring the Romans believed sacred to the Goddess Sulis and the city became a centre for health and an inspiration for artists. Its 18th-century architecture: The Royal Crescent, The Circus, Pulteney Bridge and Assembly Rooms, are all examples of Bath’s heyday as a Georgian spa town and are featured in the art book in stunning paintings, drawings and collages. They capture the Bath that Jane Austen would have known from her time in the city. Here, movies of some of her novels have been filmed, along with many other Regency era series e.g. the record-breaking series Bridgerton.

Read more less

The SS Portland was a solid and luxurious ship, and its loss in 1898 in a violent storm with some 200 people aboard was later remembered as “New England’s Titanic.” The Portland was one of New England's largest and most luxurious paddle steamers, and after nine years' solid performance, she had earned a reputation as a safe and dependable vessel.In November 1898, a perfect storm formed off the New England coast. Conditions would produce a blizzard with 100 miles per hour winds and 60-foot waves that pummeled the coast. At the time there was no radio communication between ships and shore, no sonar to navigate by, and no vastly sophisticated weather forecasting capacity. The luxurious SS Portland, a sidewheel steamer furnished with chandeliers, red velvet carpets and fine china, was carrying more than 200 passengers from Boston to Portland, Maine, over Thanksgiving weekend when it ran headlong into a monstrous, violent gale off Cade Cod.It was never seen again.All passengers and crew were lost at sea. More than half the crew on board were African Americans from Portland. Their deaths decimated the Maine African American community.Before the storm abated it became one of the worst ever recorded in New England waters. The storm, now known as “The Portland Gale,” killed 400 people along the coast and sent more than 200 ships to the bottom, including the doomed Portland. To this day it is not known exactly how many passengers were aboard or even who many of them were. The only passenger list was aboard the vessel. As a result of this tragedy, ships would thereafter leave a passenger manifest ashore. The disaster has been blamed on the hubris of the captain of the Portland, Hollis Blanchard, who decided to leave the safety of Boston Harbor despite knowing that a severe storm was hurtling up the coast. Blanchard, a long-time mariner, had been passed over for a promotion for a younger captain. He decided he wanted to show the steamship company that they had made a mistake by getting the Portland safely into port ahead of the imminent storm. Author J. North Conway has created here a personal, visceral account of the sinking and the times and the people involved, with stories to bring readers onto the Portland that day:Here is Eben Heuston, the chief steward onboard the ill-fated ship. More than half of the crew of the ship were African Americans. Hueston was an African American who lived in the Portland community of Munjoy Hill and was a member of the Abyssinian Church. After the sinking of the Portland the African American community disappeared and the church closed. And Emily Cobb a nineteen year old singer from Portland’s First Parish Church who was scheduled to give her first recital at the church on that Sunday. And Hope Thomas who came to Boston to shop for Christmas and because she decided to exchange some shoes she purchased missed taking the ill-fated Portland.Because of the lack of communications from Maine to Cape Cod, it was days before anyone was able to get word about the fate of the ship or survivors. Author J. North Conway has painstakingly recreated the events, using first-hand sources and testimonies to weave a dramatic, can’t-put-it down narrative in the tradition of Erik Larson’s Isaac’s Storm and Walter Lord’s enduring classic, A Night to Remember. He brings the tragedy to life with contemporaneous accounts the Coast Guard, from Boston newspapers such as the Globe, Herald, and Journal, and from The New York Times and the Brooklyn DailyEagle.

Read more less