Search results for ""Steamship""
Dived Up Publications Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide
Erik Petkovic's Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide is packed with tales of sailing ships and steamers that foundered, succumbed to storms, collided and were engulfed in flames. Ships that sunk more than once, or were involved in wars, slave escapes and catastrophic collisions on the shallowest of the Great Lakes. There are some whose full story is still a mystery waiting to be discovered. The author's original research reveals daring tales of deep salvage, valuable cargo, submarines, experimental engineering, unknown wrecks, and missing, yet-to-be-discovered vessels. This new guide brings to life the lost history of the ships, passengers and crew. Then there are the dives themselves. Some of the wrecks are remarkably intact for their age. Features which can be seen include complete wooden ship's wheels, standing masts, rudders, propellers, portholes, boilers, and steamship hogging arches. As well as a description, each wreck's current condition, location, dimensions, hazards and highlights are given. Photos and archive materials also help bring these rarely dived wrecks to life.
£27.00
Royal British Columbia Museum Pacific Coast Ship China
At the height of Pacific-coast steamship travel in the late 1800s and early 1900s, passengers enjoyed a sit-down dinner served on china with silver flatware. Today, the only places you can still find this china is at flea markets and antique shops or by diving at old dock sites and on shipwrecks.Pacific Coast Ship China identifies and dates shipping china used along the Pacific coast of North America. It covers china used on vessels and in-shore establishments of shipping organizations registered in Alaska, Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Hawaii; it describes patterns used in coastal, intercoastal and transpacific services. In addition to passenger vessels, it documents the china used by freighter operations, oil companies, government services and yacht clubs.This easy-to-use guide identifies almost 300 china patterns. It provides collectors, museum technicians, divers, history buffs and anyone else interested in identifying and dating Pacific-coast ship china with all the information they need. It also includes brief descriptions of 73 Pacific-coast shipping companies and government services.
£47.70
The University of Chicago Press Transatlantic Subjects: Acts of Migration and Cultures of Transnationalism between Greece and America
The early twentieth century was marked by massive migration of southern Europeans to the United States. Transatlantic Subjects views this diaspora through the lens of Greek migrant life to reveal the emergence of transnational forms of subjectivity. According to Ioanna Laliotou, cultural institutions and practices played an important role in the formation of migrant subjectivities. Reconstructing the cultural history of migration, her book points out the relationship between subjectivity formation and cultural practices and performances, such as publishing, reading, acting, storytelling, consuming, imitating, parading, and traveling. Transatlantic Subjects then locates the development of these practices within key sites and institutions of cultural formation, such as migrant and fraternal associations, educational institutions, state agencies and nongovernmental organizations, mental institutions, coffee shops, the church, steamship companies, banks, migration services, and chambers of commerce. Ultimately, Laliotou explores the complex and situational entanglements of migrancy, cultural nationalism, and the politics of self. Reading against the grain of hegemonic narratives of cultural and migration histories, she reveals how migrancy produced distinctive forms of sociality during the first half of the twentieth century.
£30.59
FUEL Publishing Chess Players
An incredible collection of images of chess players from the last 130 years, showcasing the unique relationship between chess and culture, featuring world famous actors, artists, politicians and musicians. You don't have to play chess to appreciate Chess Players: from Charlie Chaplin to Wu-Tang Clan, but as Martin Amis asks in his illuminating essay: What are they playing at?'These evocative photographs transcend the chessboard, spanning 130 years from a steamship crossing the Atlantic in 1888, to the zero-gravity of space showcasing the diverse range of individuals who have embraced the game across continents and eras. Marcel Duchamp's iconic quote, All chess players are artists,' resonates through these pages. David Hockney likened the games strategic thinking to that of making art 'Drawing is rather like playing chess: your mind races ahead of the moves that you eventually make.''Chess is war over the board', said Bobby Fischer (grand master and world chess champion) but here
£26.96
University of Toronto Press Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs 2004
The Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs is an acclaimed series that offers informed commentary on important national events and thoughtfully considers their significance in local and international contexts. This latest instalment reviews the year 2004, which saw the thirty-eighth general election, in which the Liberal party was elected to a minority government. The extension of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan and media coverage of the Maher Arar inquiry fuelled continuing uncertainties about national and personal security. Government financial misdeeds, including the sponsorship scandal and Paul Martin's management of Canada Steamship Lines lowered public confidence in political parties and public servants while Canadian-US trade disagreements over softwood lumber and beef brought challenges to NAFTA. Nevertheless, the implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, the legalization of same-sex marriage in many provinces, and the appointment of Louise Charron and Rosalie Abella to the Supreme Court of Canada were indicative of Canada's continuing commitment to supporting the diversity of its citizens.
£99.89
Harvard University Press Dilemmas of Russian Capitalism: Fedor Chizhov and Corporate Enterprise in the Railroad Age
Fedor Chizhov built the first railroad owned entirely by Russian stockholders, created Moscow’s first bank and mutual credit society, and launched the first profitable steamship line based in Archangel. In this valuable book, Thomas Owen vividly illuminates the life and world of this seminal figure in early Russian capitalism.Chizhov condemned European capitalism as detrimental to the ideal of community and the well-being of workers and peasants. In his strategy of economic nationalism, Chizhov sought to motivate merchants to undertake new forms of corporate enterprise without undermining ethnic Russian culture. He faced numerous obstacles, from the lack of domestic investment capital to the shortage of enlightened entrepreneurial talent. But he reserved his harshest criticism for the tsarist ministers, whose incompetence and prejudice against private entrepreneurship proved his greatest hindrance.Richly documented from Chizhov’s detailed diary, this work offers an insightful exploration of the institutional impediments to capitalism and the rule of law that plagued the tsarist empire and continue to bedevil post-Soviet Russia.
£64.76
Hachette Australia Carpathia: The extraordinary story of the ship that rescued the survivors of the Titanic
In the early hours of 15 April 1912, the Cunard steamship Carpathia receives a distress call from the new White Star liner Titanic. Captain Arthur Rostron immediately turns Carpathia northwest and sails full speed through the dark night, into waters laden with icebergs, on a rescue mission that will become legendary.Almost a century later, Carpathia's wreck has finally been located. She's over 500 feet down and only a few divers in the world can attain these depths. Among them is Englishman Ric Waring's team. In this captivating and intensively researched story, we follow the dual narratives of Rostron and the daring rescue of the Titanic survivors by Carpathia, and of Waring's team and their dangerous determination to reach the wreck. Rich in history and drama, the true story of Carpathia from her launching to the sensational events of 1912, World War I and beyond is a compelling narrative that moves at the page-turning pace of the very best fiction.
£20.00
Cornell University Press Touring China: A History of Travel Culture, 1912–1949
In Touring China, Yajun Mo explores how early twentieth century Chinese sightseers described the destinations that they visited, and how their travel accounts gave Chinese readers a means to imagine their vast country. The roots of China's tourism market stretch back over a hundred years, when railroad and steamship networks expanded into the coastal regions. Tourism-related businesses and publications flourished in urban centers while scientific exploration, investigative journalism, and wartime travel propelled many Chinese from the eastern seaboard to its peripheries. Mo considers not only accounts of overseas travel and voyages across borderlands, but also trips within China. On the one hand, via travel and travel writing, the unity of China's coastal regions, inland provinces, and western frontiers was experienced and reinforced. On the other, travel literature revealed a persistent tension between the aspiration for national unity and the anxiety that China might fall apart. Touring China tells a fascinating story about the physical and intellectual routes people took on various journeys, against the backdrop of the transition from Chinese empire to nation-state.
£25.99
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay and Other Tales of the Lost Chesapeake
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson issued a national call to arms against Imperial Germany. What followed in the United States was a frenzied effort to build hundreds of merchant ships to replace those being destroyed in Germany’s campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare. The newly created U.S. Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation embarked on a course that, in the span of a few pivotal years in American history, came to exhibit mankind’s genius, ignorance, avarice, drive—and folly—for the largest portion of that fleet came to rest on the muddy floor of Mallows Bay. In Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay and Other Tales of the Lost Chesapeake, Donald G. Shomette recounts three fascinating tales of the wonders that lie beneath the bay. An accomplished underwater archaeologist, Shomette describes the cutting-edge technology used in the excavation of the steamship New Jersey, the underwater hunt for the earliest English colony in Maryland, and the story of the great fleet that now rests in eternal slumber beneath the waters of Mallows Bay.
£25.19
Pan Macmillan From The Wreck
‘This strange story of love and loneliness, which explores how we all long to belong, is simply wonderful.’ Daily Mail When, in 1859, George Hills is pulled from the wreck of the steamship Admella, he carries with him the uneasy memory of a fellow survivor. Someone else – or something else – kept him warm as he lay dying, half-submerged in the freezing Southern Ocean, kept him bound to life. As George adapts to his life back on land, he can’t quite escape the feeling that he wasn’t alone when he emerged from the ocean that day, that a familiar presence has been watching him ever since. What the creature might want from him – his life? His first-born? Simply to return to its home? – will pursue him, and call him back to the water, where it all began.‘[A] singular novel . . . [From the Wreck] movingly explores themes of loss, loneliness and guilt.’ Guardian ‘An absorbing, disturbing read, full of deep currents and lurking fears.’ Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of The Children of Time
£8.99
University Press of America Myth in the Works of Chingiz Aitmatov
Myth in the Works of Chingiz Aitmatov examines the use of mythology in the work of the contemporary Kirghiz writer Chingiz Aitmatov. Nina Kolesnikoff traces Aitmatov's reliance on myth beginning with his early stories which introduce mythological motifs, and ending with his latest novels, which juxtapose mythological and realistic narratives. She particularly focuses on Aitmatov's two novellas which use myth as a structural element that influences all other components and determines the final structure. In addition, she traces the sources of his mythological influence to Central Asia, including that of the Kirghiz tribe, but she also uncovers elements of Greek mythology, and the Bible. Kolesnikoff explores the unexpected influence of the Bible on a writer from within the Muslim tradition, yet the Bible provides a rich source for many of his latest novels. She concludes by contending that Aitmatov's The White Steamship, and Spotted Dog Running Along the Seashore represent the most successful examples of modern prose constructed in accordance with the general mythological traditions and structural principles.
£84.23
Cornell University Press Touring China: A History of Travel Culture, 1912–1949
In Touring China, Yajun Mo explores how early twentieth century Chinese sightseers described the destinations that they visited, and how their travel accounts gave Chinese readers a means to imagine their vast country. The roots of China's tourism market stretch back over a hundred years, when railroad and steamship networks expanded into the coastal regions. Tourism-related businesses and publications flourished in urban centers while scientific exploration, investigative journalism, and wartime travel propelled many Chinese from the eastern seaboard to its peripheries. Mo considers not only accounts of overseas travel and voyages across borderlands, but also trips within China. On the one hand, via travel and travel writing, the unity of China's coastal regions, inland provinces, and western frontiers was experienced and reinforced. On the other, travel literature revealed a persistent tension between the aspiration for national unity and the anxiety that China might fall apart. Touring China tells a fascinating story about the physical and intellectual routes people took on various journeys, against the backdrop of the transition from Chinese empire to nation-state.
£100.80
Little, Brown & Company The Star Thief
For fans of Rick Riordan, the constellations come to life in this paperback edition of an imaginative fantasy adventure debut.Honorine's life as as maid at the Vidalia mansion is rather dull, dusting treasures from faraway places and daydreaming in front of maps of the world. But everything changes when she catches two brutish sailors ransacking Lord Vidalia's study, and then follows a mysterious girl with wings out into the night....Suddenly, Honorine is whisked into the middle of a battle between the crew of a spectacular steamship and a band of mythical constellations. The stars in the sky have come to life to defend themselves against those who want to harness their powers. Much to her surprise, Honorine is the crux of it all, the center of an epic clash between magic and science, the old ways and the new. But can this spirited young girl bring both sides of a larger-than-life fight together before they unleash an evil power even older than the stars?
£8.05
Dived Up Publications Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide
Erik Petkovic's Lake Erie Technical Wreck Diving Guide is packed with tales of sailing ships and steamers that foundered, succumbed to storms, collided and were engulfed in flames. Ships that sunk more than once, or were involved in wars, slave escapes and catastrophic collisions on the shallowest of the Great Lakes. There are some whose full story is still a mystery waiting to be discovered. The author's original research reveals daring tales of deep salvage, valuable cargo, submarines, experimental engineering, unknown wrecks, and missing, yet-to-be-discovered vessels. This new guide brings to life the lost history of the ships, passengers and crew. Then there are the dives themselves. Some of the wrecks are remarkably intact for their age. Features which can be seen include complete wooden ship's wheels, standing masts, rudders, propellers, portholes, boilers, and steamship hogging arches. As well as a description, each wreck's current condition, location, dimensions, hazards and highlights are given. Photos and archive materials also help bring these rarely dived wrecks to life.
£19.95
The Gresham Publishing Co. Ltd Around the World in 80 Days: Abridged and Retold, with Notes and Free Audiobook
Featuring the world-famous characters Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, Around the World in Eighty Days is the exciting, fun story of Phileas Fogg, an English gentleman, who makes a fantastic trip as a bet. His adventures, with his French manservant Passepartout, by railway, steamship and elephant, see him travel around the world pursued relentlessly by a detective who mistakes him for a notorious criminal. This edition is retold by John Kennett, and contains the key elements of the story using the author's language. Whether you are a student, or an English language learner, or just looking for something great to read in English, the Word Power English Readers are a series of novels with retold text that captures the best and key elements of the novels they are based on. They come with a free audio CD, character notes, a biography of the author, details about the time in which the book was written, and a glossary of the less familiar words in each book. The level of the Readers is B2 and they are suitable for age 10+ because of the content of the novels.
£8.10
Amberley Publishing Secret Rotherham
Secret Rotherham offers a unique insight into this bustling, modern South Yorkshire town through a series of little-known and forgotten stories, facts and anecdotes from its past. The town has an enviable industrial history: Nelson’s HMS Victory was armed with Walker cannons made at Masbrough, the iron plates for Isambard Brunel’s steamship the Great Eastern were manufactured at Parkgate Iron & Steel Works, and the firm of Guest & Chrimes invented the modern screw-down tap. Over the centuries the Rotherham area has also had its fair share of famous residents and visitors. It was the home of the Earl of Strafford, who was beheaded in 1641; John Wesley, the ‘Father of Methodism’, was a fairly frequent (if not always welcome) visitor to the area; Ebenezer Elliott, the ‘Corn Law Rhymer’, was born and bought up in the town; and the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams spent many a summer in one of the outlying villages. In Secret Rotherham Melvyn Jones and Anthony Dodsworth pull back the curtains of history to peer into the borough’s distant and not so distant past to reveal the forgotten, the strange and the unlikely.
£15.99
Orion Publishing Co Eversion
Eversion is a superb, original Gothic SF novel. A small group of intrepid explorers are in search of a remote and mysterious artefact. It's a well-funded expedition, well organised, which is lucky as they're sailing north of Bergen on the schooner Demeter, searching for a narrow inlet which will lead them to a vast uncharted lake - and their goal--Until disaster strikes.Doctor Silas Coade wakes from disturbing dreams, on the steamship Demeter, in pursuit of an extraordinary find almost too incredible and too strange to believe, secreted within a lagoon in the icy inlets of Patagonia. But as they come in sight of their prize he and the crew see they are not the first to come so far: there is a wreck ahead, and whatever ruined it may threaten them as well--Shaking off his nightmares, Doctor Silas Coade joins his fellow exploders on the deck of the zeppelin Demeter and realises something has already gone dangerously wrong with their mission. If any of them are to survive, then he will have to take the exploration - and their lives - into his own hands . . .
£9.99
Amberley Publishing The Shadow Emperor: A Biography of Napoleon III
‘Louis Napoleon’s story is certainly remarkable. Alan Strauss-Schom tells it with brio in The Shadow Emperor… This is a boldly revisionist biography… For all the corruption and repression that marked his reign, Louis Napoleon may have done more for France than his famous uncle.’ (Alan Massie, Wall Street Journal) This is the definitive biography, and the first in twenty years, of Louis-Napoléon III, whose controversial achievements have notoriously divided historians. Here, pre-eminent Napoléon Bonaparte expert and Pulitzer Prize-nominated historian Alan Strauss-Schom focuses on his successor Louis-Napoléon, overshadowed for too long by his more romanticized forebear. Strauss-Schom employs years of primary source research to explore the massive cultural, social, economical, financial, international, and military impact of France's most polarizing emperor. Louis-Napoléon completely revolutionized the state and the economy, but amid gross financial scandals. His expansion of the French Empire was praised by the French military and resisted by the socialists. He expanded the railways to rival England's; created new transoceanic steamship lines and a modern navy; introduced a new banking sector supported by seemingly unlimited venture capital; and even oversaw the creation of the first large department stores. Napoléon III wanted to surpass the legacy of his famous uncle, Napoléon I. In The Shadow Emperor, Alan StraussSchom sets out his true legacy.
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Maritime London: An Historical Journey in Pictures and Words
The book looks at London's maritime history from the establishment of Roman Londinium to the present day. It discusses many different aspects of life on the Thames and its connecting waterways and canals. There was a time when the River Thames was the main highway for the city, when watermen plied their trade carrying passengers and goods in a wide variety of craft, ranging from rowing boats to sailing barges. The Thames was also, for many centuries, a major ship building centre, and the story includes the construction of some iconic vessels from Henry VIII's flagship Henri Grace a Dieu to Isambard Brunel's great steamship the SS Great Eastern. London was also until recently the country's most important port. In the days of sail, the Port of London was crowded with vessels and it was not until the nineteenth century that major enclosed docks were built, a process that continued into the early years of the twentieth century. The early nineteenth century also saw London connected to the rest of England through a network of canals. Other topics covered include the lifeboat service, river fire fighting forces and the river police. The result is a colourful pageant that highlights the vital role that London's waterways played in the life of the capital.
£27.00
Baker Publishing Group Waves of Mercy
Austin Returns with a Multi-Generational Historical Novel Geesje de Jonge crossed the ocean at age seventeen with her parents and a small group of immigrants from the Netherlands to settle in the Michigan wilderness. Fifty years later, in 1897, she's asked to write a memoir of her early experiences as the town celebrates its anniversary. Reluctant at first, she soon uncovers memories and emotions hidden all these years, including the story of her one true love. At the nearby Hotel Ottawa Resort on the shore of Lake Michigan, twenty-three-year-old Anna Nicholson is trying to ease the pain of a broken engagement to a wealthy Chicago banker. But her time of introspection is disturbed after a violent storm aboard a steamship stirs up memories of a childhood nightmare. As more memories and dreams surface, Anna begins to question who she is and whether she wants to return to her wealthy life in Chicago. When she befriends a young seminary student who is working at the hotel for the summer, she finds herself asking him all the questions that have been troubling her. Neither Geesje nor Anna, who are different in every possible way, can foresee the life-altering surprises awaiting them before the summer ends.
£11.99
Orion Publishing Co Murder on the Leviathan: Erast Fandorin 3
The third Erast Fandorin mystery from Boris Akunin, shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger.'Akunin is an outstanding novelist...Fandorin is a beautifully drawn character who more than lives up to comparisons with Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes...The characters are delightful and you can imagine them in a Woody Allen version of an Agatha Christie novel...Akunin's work is gloriously tongue-in-cheek but seriously edge-of-your-seat at the same time' Daily ExpressOn 15th March 1878 Lord Littleby, an English eccentric and collector, is found murdered in his Paris house together with nine members of his staff. A gold whale in the victim's hand leads Erast Fandorin to board the Leviathan, the world's largest steamship, as the murderer is one of the 142 first class passengers. Commissioner Gauche of the French police has narrowed down the suspects to ten, and they are forced to eat together at every meal time in the ship's Windsor Suite until 'the Crime of the Century' is solved. But is the murderer really at the table, and can Erast Fandorin discover his or her identity before Gauche? As more passengers are murdered and the Leviathan heads towards Calcutta, Fandorin needs all his investigative skills to find the truth.
£9.99
The History Press Ltd Brunel in South Wales Volume III: Links with Leviathans
Isambard Kingdom Brunel had strong associations with South Wales; chief engineer of the GWR at just 27, he was the same for the South Wales Railway Co., taking the railways across South Wales. This illustrated history focuses on Brunel's contribution to the maritime world, from his work on dry docks and shipping facilities to his steamships, including his 'great leviathan'. For PSS Great Eastern, Brunel chose Milford Haven as a home port where she would spend many years, still the largest ship in the world but sadly without work after her pioneering role laying telegraph cables under the world's oceans. The Great Britain steamship sailed from Penarth, a dock associated with the later work of Brunel's son, Henry Marc Brunel who would be responsible for the largest dock system built in Wales, at Barry. Other dock works include Briton Ferry which Brunel designed to handle the output of the VNR and the SWMR. One of his last engineering projects was a steam railway ferry across the river Severn, a unique work that was superseded with the opening of the Severn Tunnel. This illustrated history delves deep into Brunel's legacy.
£25.00
Amberley Publishing Brunel in Cornwall
Cornwall marks the extreme south-western extent of Brunel’s kingdom and the county is surprisingly rich in his works. The Royal Albert Bridge, which crosses the River Tamar, connected the broad gauge network with the Cornwall and West Cornwall railways – both engineered by Brunel – to take the trains coming from Paddington all the way to Penzance via a series of over sixty spectacular timber viaducts. The original viaducts have gone now, either modified or replaced over the years, but in many cases the masonry piers remain like rows of monolithic sentinels. As a result there is much to reward the Brunel hunter, including the branch line to Falmouth and many surviving examples of his railway stations. There are other connections, literally. His Great Eastern steamship was the first vessel to successfully lay a telegraphic cable to connect Europe and the USA – a story told at the historic Porthcurno Telegraph Museum near Land’s End. John Christopher, an acknowledged expert on Brunel, takes us on a tour of Cornwall, exploring his works in the county. This is the latest in a series of books which are about rediscovering Brunel’s works in your area.
£15.99
Oxford University Press Typhoon and Other Tales
TYPHOON * FALK * AMY FOSTER *THE SECRET SHARER The four tales in this volume share autobiographical origins in Conrad's experience at sea and his exile from Poland, the country of his birth. 'Typhoon' is the story of a steamship and her crew beset by tempest, and of the stolid captain whose dogged courage is tested to the limit. In 'Falk' a taciturn young woman is bizarrely courted by a tug-boat master who is haunted by a terrible secret. 'Amy Foster' tells of an emigrant Pole struggling to overcome isolation and prejudice in England. The final tale, 'The Secret Sharer', is Conrad's most famous short story, a masterpiece of suspense and ambiguity. Giving sanctuary to a fugitive sailor, a young sea-captain risks his ship and his command in order to save him. This revised edition uses the English first edition texts and has a new chronology and bibliography. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
£9.04
Dived Up Publications Diving the Thistlegorm: The Ultimate Guide to a World War II Shipwreck
Diving the Thistlegorm is a unique in-depth look at one of the world's best-loved shipwrecks, the World War II British Merchant Navy steamship, featuring award-winning underwater photography. In this highly visual guide, cutting edge photographic methods enable views of the famous wreck and its fascinating cargo which were previously impossible. Sitting upright in 30m of clear, inviting Red Sea waters, the ship is packed with the materials of war. Largely complete lorries, trucks, motorbikes, aircraft spares and airfield equipment are crammed into the forward holds and the remains of other vehicles lie amongst boxes of ammunition in the exploded aft holds. Often referred to as an underwater museum, the wreck fascinates visitors for dive after dive. The book is the culmination of decades of experience, archaeological and photographic expertise, many hours underwater, months of computer processing time, and days spent researching and verifying the history of the ship and its cargo. For the first time, Diving the Thistlegorm brings the rich and complex contents of the wreck together, identifying individual items and illustrating where they can be found. As the expert team behind the underwater photography, reconstructions and explanations take you through the wreck in incredible detail, you will discover not only what has been learned but also what mysteries are still to be solved. Limited run of hardbacks.
£31.50
Faber & Faber The Accidental Stowaway: 'A rollicking, salty, breath of fresh air.’ Hilary McKay
'A rollicking, salty, breath of fresh air.' Hilary McKay'Absolutely adored it!' Emma CarrollBy the celebrated author of The Pear Affair and The Secret Starling - Patch finds adventure on every deck of the 'floating palace' she accidentally stows away on.Liverpool, 1910When Patch runs up the gangway of steamship, RMS Glorious, she isn't planning to hang around. But if she leaves her hiding place the constable might catch her: sitting tight is worth the risk. Too late, she realises the ship is setting sail! Patch has become an accidental stowaway.Luckily, Patch's unconventional past has made her pretty fearless when it comes to fending for herself, and besides there are friends in high and low places to be made onboard.But hiding away becomes less and less easy: her new friends urgently need her help and there's a mystery that needs solving, all before they reach New York . . .With gorgeous chapter head illustrations by Kim Geyer.'Sucked me in like a whirlpool.' Clare Povey'A page-turning adventure.' Nicola Penfold'An engaging historical adventure.' The Bookseller'Full of adventure and fun.' The Book Bag'Exciting, funny and full of warmth.' LoveReading4Kids'Exquisite storytelling.' Jo Clarke, BookLoverJo'A gem of a book.' Kevin Cobane, VIP Reading
£7.99
Harvey Map Services Ltd The Great Trossachs Path: and the Great Trossachs Forest
The Great Trossachs Path and Great Trossachs Forest is a 30 mile (48km) long distance path from Callander to Inversnaid linking together three of Scotland's Great Trails : the West Highland Way, the Rob Roy Way and the Three Lochs Way. It is therefore a fantastic long distance walk on its own or can be extended by connecting to one of the existing Great Trails. The path is suitable for walkers and cyclists. As it passes by five different lochs, numerous ferry, steamship and kayak opportunities can also add to your experience. XT40 New generation of tough polyethylene maps. The HARVEY series of Long Distance Route maps is an established success. Now the advanced technology used in the creation of our best-selling British Mountain Maps is also applied to the route maps. These maps are a leap forward in technical excellence. They are tough, durable, light, and 100% waterproof virtually indestructible in normal use. They are light to carry, and compact not the great bulky package you get with a laminated map. The map is detailed, with the route clearly marked. It also contains general information and useful telephone numbers to assist with planning. A full key is also included. Main points at a glance: Detailed, clear and easy to read, printed on tough 100% waterproof, tearproof paper, light to carry less than half the weight of a laminated map. Good value whole route on one map, information on accommodation and services. Great value at £7.95
£10.37
Stanford University Press The Lives and Deaths of Jubrail Dabdoub: Or, How the Bethlehemites Discovered Amerka
This is the fantastical, yet real, story of the merchants of Bethlehem, the young men who traveled to every corner of the globe in the nineteenth century. These men set off on the backs of donkeys with suitcases full of crosses and rosaries, to return via steamship with suitcases stuffed with French francs, Philippine pesos, or Salvadoran colones. They returned with news of mysterious lands and strange inventions—clocks, trains, and other devices that both befuddled and bewitched the Bethlehemites. With newfound wealth, these merchants built shimmering pink mansions that transformed Bethlehem from a rural village into Palestine's wealthiest and most cosmopolitan town. At the center of these extraordinary occurrences lived Jubrail Dabdoub. The Lives and Deaths of Jubrail Dabdoub tells the story of Jubrail's encounters, offering a version of Palestinian history rarely acknowledged. From his childhood in rural Bethlehem to later voyages across Europe, East Asia, and the Americas, Jubrail's story culminates in a recorded miracle: in 1909, he was brought back from the dead. To tell such a tale is to delve into the realms of the fantastic and improbable. Through the story of Jubrail's life, Jacob Norris explores the porous lines between history and fiction, the normal and the paranormal, the everyday and the extraordinary. Drawing on aspects of magical realism combined with elements of Palestinian folklore, Norris recovers the atmosphere of late nineteenth-century Bethlehem: a mood of excitement, disorientation, and wonder as the town was thrust into a new era. As the book offers an original approach to historical writing, it captures a fantastic story of global encounter and exchange.
£21.99
The History Press Ltd RMS Olympic: Titanic's Sister
Launched as the pride of British shipbuilding and the largest vessel in the world, Olympic was more than 40 per cent larger than her nearest rivals: almost 900ft long and the first ship to exceed 40,000 tons. She was built for comfort rather than speed and equipped with an array of facilities, including Turkish and electric baths (one of the first ships to have them), a swimming pool, gymnasium, squash court, á la carte restaurant, large first-class staterooms and plush public rooms. Surviving from 1911 until 1935, she was a firm favourite with the travelling public – carrying hundreds of thousands of fare-paying passengers – and retained a style and opulence even into her twilight years. During the First World War, she carried more troops than any other comparable steamship and was the only passenger liner ever to sink an enemy submarine by ramming it. Overshadowed frequently by her sister ships Titanic and Britannic, Olympic’s history deserves more attention than it has received. She was evolutionary in design rather than revolutionary, but marked an ambition for the White Star Line to dominate the North Atlantic express route. Rivals immediately began trying to match her in size and luxury. The optimism that led to her conception was rewarded, whereas her doomed sisters never fulfilled their creators’ dreams. This revised and expanded edition of the critically acclaimed RMS Olympic: Titanic’s Sister uses new images and further original research to tell the story of this remarkable ship 80 years after her career ended.
£31.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Breaking Seas, Broken Ships: People, Shipwrecks and Britain, 1854-2007
Following _Britain and the Ocean Road_, Ian Friel expertly navigates the history of Britain and the sea from the Middle Ages to modern times. With _Breaking Seas, Broken Ships_, we follow the story of Britain's maritime history through some of it's most dramatic shipwrecks. From the country's imperial zenith to the very different world of the early twenty-first century we encounter an extraordinary range of people, ships and events, including... the crew and passengers of a state-of-the-art Victorian steamship who vanished in the Atlantic; the sailors of a doomed collier brig in the dying days of sail - and the wives and children they left behind; a lowly ex-naval stoker who went into showbiz with his version of a disaster caused by an admiral; a First World War merchant ship captain who fought a running battle with German U-Boats; the courage and compassion shown by British sailors who escaped their dive-bombed ships; the people who confronted the 'black tide' left by the oil tanker Torrey Canyon; how the container ship has helped to make a new world for us all - for better or worse. With people at the heart of every chapter, it explores major environmental themes alongside the traditional concerns of maritime history, such as trade, social issues and naval warfare. Their experiences tell us the story of Britain's maritime past, one that is remarkable, moving and at times horrifying. Based on brand new scholarship, it is perfect for history enthusiasts, professional historians and archaeologists alike.
£22.50
Princeton University Press The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century
A monumental history of the nineteenth century, The Transformation of the World offers a panoramic and multifaceted portrait of a world in transition. Jurgen Osterhammel, an eminent scholar who has been called the Braudel of the nineteenth century, moves beyond conventional Eurocentric and chronological accounts of the era, presenting instead a truly global history of breathtaking scope and towering erudition. He examines the powerful and complex forces that drove global change during the "long nineteenth century," taking readers from New York to New Delhi, from the Latin American revolutions to the Taiping Rebellion, from the perils and promise of Europe's transatlantic labor markets to the hardships endured by nomadic, tribal peoples across the planet. Osterhammel describes a world increasingly networked by the telegraph, the steamship, and the railways. He explores the changing relationship between human beings and nature, looks at the importance of cities, explains the role slavery and its abolition played in the emergence of new nations, challenges the widely held belief that the nineteenth century witnessed the triumph of the nation-state, and much more. This is the highly anticipated English edition of the spectacularly successful and critically acclaimed German book, which is also being translated into Chinese, Polish, Russian, and French. Indispensable for any historian, The Transformation of the World sheds important new light on this momentous epoch, showing how the nineteenth century paved the way for the global catastrophes of the twentieth century, yet how it also gave rise to pacifism, liberalism, the trade union, and a host of other crucial developments.
£28.00
Editon Synapse Emergence of the World Tour (ES 5-vol. set)
This is a facsimile reprint in five volumes of nine travel guides and handbooks published for Western travellers in the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century.The opening of the Suez Canal and the transcontinental ‘Pacific’ railway in America, both in 1869, made the world drastically smaller and initiated a new phase of word travel. Regular international services by steamships and the Pacific railways made travel to the Far East from either Europe or from America far simpler and cheaper.In order to respond to the demand from the growing number of steamship and rail passengers, many of whom were making a ‘world tour’, various guide books were published around this time. Some were small booklets, including timetables and/or tourist guides distributed only to the passengers, while others were thick handbooks, including encyclopaedic information about routes, ports, and towns. They included many illustrations, charts, and maps. These publications are now a vital source of historic data for anyone interested in the history of travel and tourism. They are also an important source for historians of the modernization of Asia and Japan, but, until now, most of them have been extremely difficult to obtain in good condition, their many fold-out pages being especially susceptible to damage.This new facsimile collection from Edition Synapse—now available outside Japan from Routledge—includes nine of the most important guides. Along with the entire texts, the collection also reproduces all the original maps, charts and tables.
£1,200.00
Penguin Books Ltd The Ship Asunder: A Maritime History of Britain in Eleven Vessels
A Sunday Times Book of the Year 'Three and a half millennia of British Maritime history, from the Middle Bronze Age to the early 20th century ... This book is written with passion and sympathy. It will live with me for a very long time' Francis Pryor, author of The FensIf Britain's maritime history were embodied in a single ship, she would have a prehistoric prow, a mast plucked from a Victorian steamship, the hull of a modest fishing vessel, the propeller of an ocean liner and an anchor made of stone. We might call her Asunder, and, fantastical though she is, we could in fact find her today, scattered in fragments across the country's creeks and coastlines. In his moving and original new history, Tom Nancollas goes in search of eleven relics that together tell the story of Britain at sea. From the swallowtail prow of a Bronze Age vessel to a stone ship moored at a Baroque quayside, each one illuminates a distinct phase of our adventures upon the waves; each brings us close to the people, places and vessels that made a maritime nation. Weaving together stories of great naval architects and unsung shipwrights, fishermen and merchants, shipwrecks and superstition, pilgrimage, trade and war, The Ship Asunder celebrates the richness of Britain's seafaring tradition in all its glory and tragedy, triumph and disaster, and asks how we might best memorialize it as it vanishes from our shores.
£10.99
Rowman & Littlefield Many Were Held by the Sea: The Tragic Sinking of HMS Otranto
At 8:43 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, October 6, 1918, HMS Kashmir rammed HMS Otranto off Islay, Scotland. Both ships were former British passenger liners from the P&O Steamship Company that had been pulled into the war to ferry American soldiers between New York and various British ports. On this stormy morning, however, they were part of Convoy HX-50 carrying troops to Liverpool. On board were 372 British officers and sailors and 701 American soldiers. The Americans were mostly Southern farm boys from Fort Screven in Savannah under the command of Lt. Sam Levy, a Georgia Tech graduate from Atlanta. The Kashmir managed to back away and follow the harsh wartime order that required her to ignore any maritime disasters that might befall her sister ships and to continue on her prescribed course rather than stop and take on survivors. Thus it was that—with winds blowing at 70 to 75 mph and waves at more than 60 feet—the severely damaged Otranto was left dead in the water with more than a thousand souls aboard. Many Were Held by the Sea: The Tragic Sinking of HMS Otranto, tells the story of what happened during that voyage—mostly from the perspective of the American soldiers—and builds to the disastrous conclusion. The narrative details the courage of the young men on board, men who, for the most part, had never seen the ocean or learned to swim. It tells of the anguish from the home front, as family members had to wait weeks to learn the fate of their relatives. In addition, Scott’s narrative tells the personal story of Lieutenant Craven of the Royal Navy, serving as Commander of the rescue ship, who was forced to gamble with the lives of those on both ships in order to save the maximum number of passengers.
£43.00
University of Georgia Press Love, Liberation, And Escaping Slavery: William and Ellen Craft in Cultural Memory
The spectacular 1848 escape of William and Ellen Craft (1824–1900; 1826–1891) from slavery in Macon, Georgia, is a dramatic story in the annals of American history. Ellen, who could pass for white, disguised herself as a gentleman slaveholder; William accompanied her as his “master’s” devoted slave valet; both travelled openly by train, steamship, and carriage to arrive in free Philadelphia on Christmas Day. In Love, Liberation, and Escaping Slavery, Barbara McCaskill revisits this dual escape and examines the collaborations and partnerships that characterized the Crafts’ activism for the next thirty years: in Boston, where they were on the run again after the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law; in England; and in Reconstruction-era Georgia. McCaskill also provides a close reading of the Crafts’ only book, their memoir, Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom, published in 1860.Yet as this study of key moments in the Crafts’ public lives argues, the early print archive—newspapers, periodicals, pamphlets, legal documents—fills gaps in their story by providing insight into how they navigated the challenges of freedom as reformers and educators, and it discloses the transatlantic British and American audiences’ changing reactions to them. By discussing such events as the 1878 court case that placed William’s character and reputation on trial, this book also invites readers to reconsider the Crafts’ triumphal story as one that is messy, unresolved, and bittersweet. An important episode in African American literature, history, and culture, this will be essential reading for teachers and students of the slave narrative genre and the transatlantic antislavery movement and for researchers investigating early
£23.85
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Transport Recalled: North and Mid-Wales
This book takes readers on a spectacular journey across North and Mid-Wales in the thirty-year period from the mid-1950s onwards. In full colour, it features scenic railway main lines and branches; ports, canals and shipping including the Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company; cable and electric tramways; all manner of connecting bus and coach services in urban and rural settings; and a few surprises along the way. Highlights include superb views of the trams owned by Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway; long-gone branch lines; much-loved locomotive types; very rare colour views of some Crosville bus types; and a remarkable assembly of horse drawn, steam-powered and electrically-operated narrow gauge railways which survived in industrial locations barely changed in well over a century. These include the imposing slate quarry settings of Dinorwic and Penrhyn, recorded by intrepid photographers, who captured the arduous and dangerous working conditions of the miners as well as the hustle and bustle of the internal rail systems and their links to the coastal ports. The historic nature of these sites has now been recognised globally, with the awarding of UNESCO World Heritage status to the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales. With the authors drawing on their own early personal memories, this book should evoke nostalgic memories for local residents as well as for those who were fortunate enough to have holidays or arrive as day-trippers. It will also hopefully encourage today's travellers to seek out the spectacular coastlines, dramatic hills and mountains, rolling countryside and farmland - not to mention the Great Little Trains of Wales - for which the region is renowned.
£27.00
Whittles Publishing Henry Robb Ltd. [1945-1965]: 3
The story of Leith-built ships continues in this third volume from just after the conclusion of World War Two to 1965. However, the world was different; the men came back from the front and those women who had been working in the shipyards lost their jobs. All shipyards were experiencing full order books, replacing, or repairing ships lost or damaged in the conflict, but the industry was changing albeit slowly at first. The advent of electric welding would eventually change the way ships were built leading to the demise of the Rivet Squad, which was replaced as a cost cutting exercise as it became the accepted method of ship construction. Henry Robb Shipyard participated in the massive new shipbuilding programme with a great many vessels being ordered from two of the largest customers of the yard. Many orders came from the giant Ellerman Lines, while a great many more were ordered by other customers, such as the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. The Admiralty also remained a customer and a few large supply ships would be built in this time. In this volume the author has not forgotten the people who were the very fabric of the yard and community. Personal accounts are included from those who built or sailed on these vessels. This is the story of a mighty industry, but one which nonetheless had begun its decline. In the century from 1893, this nation went from producing 80% of all the worlds' commercial ships to producing no commercial ships at all. It is a sad fact, but this volume keeps alive the story of the Leith-built ships and the vibrant industry that once existed.
£17.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Lost Child
A sweeping dual-timeline novel from the bestselling author of The Girl from Bletchley Park. All she wanted was a child of her own… 1912. As the steamship Carpathia takes the survivors of the Titanic to New York, Lucy desperately searches the decks for her baby, thrust into the arms of another woman as a lifeboat left, and now nowhere to be found. Madeleine is helping her journalist husband to interview the survivors, and when she meets Lucy, she promises she will do anything she can to help her find her lost child. 2022. When archivist Jackie finds a notebook containing the stories of women saved by the Carpathia amongst an auction lot, she learns the story of the missing baby. Desperate to start a family of her own, she feels compelled to dig further. And her search will lead her to a century-old mystery… Inspired by true events, bestselling author Kathleen McGurl weaves history and fiction together in this captivating, deeply moving story. Readers LOVE The Lost Child! 'Such a great story… it blends the two eras so well' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A story that will haunt you, in a good way!, long after you have finished the last page' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A fantastic, heart wrenching novel' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A must read' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This compelling read was hard to put down' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Made my heart smile' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Well-researched and fast-paced… I thoroughly enjoyed it' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
£9.99
Stanford University Press The Lives and Deaths of Jubrail Dabdoub: Or, How the Bethlehemites Discovered Amerka
This is the fantastical, yet real, story of the merchants of Bethlehem, the young men who traveled to every corner of the globe in the nineteenth century. These men set off on the backs of donkeys with suitcases full of crosses and rosaries, to return via steamship with suitcases stuffed with French francs, Philippine pesos, or Salvadoran colones. They returned with news of mysterious lands and strange inventions—clocks, trains, and other devices that both befuddled and bewitched the Bethlehemites. With newfound wealth, these merchants built shimmering pink mansions that transformed Bethlehem from a rural village into Palestine's wealthiest and most cosmopolitan town. At the center of these extraordinary occurrences lived Jubrail Dabdoub. The Lives and Deaths of Jubrail Dabdoub tells the story of Jubrail's encounters, offering a version of Palestinian history rarely acknowledged. From his childhood in rural Bethlehem to later voyages across Europe, East Asia, and the Americas, Jubrail's story culminates in a recorded miracle: in 1909, he was brought back from the dead. To tell such a tale is to delve into the realms of the fantastic and improbable. Through the story of Jubrail's life, Jacob Norris explores the porous lines between history and fiction, the normal and the paranormal, the everyday and the extraordinary. Drawing on aspects of magical realism combined with elements of Palestinian folklore, Norris recovers the atmosphere of late nineteenth-century Bethlehem: a mood of excitement, disorientation, and wonder as the town was thrust into a new era. As the book offers an original approach to historical writing, it captures a fantastic story of global encounter and exchange.
£68.40
Rowman & Littlefield A Delaware Album, 1900-1930
A Delaware Album, 1900-1930 contains over 300 postcard photographs from the entire state taken during the period from 1900 to 1930. Arranged by subjects—City and Town Views; Delaware Beaches; Amusements; Industry and Agriculture; Signs of the Times; Trains, Trolleys, and Automobiles; Water Transportation; Schools; Religion; Businesses; Hotels and Motels—each photo has a caption ranging from a sentence or two to several paragraphs. The book's introduction details how the cards were produced, analyzes the subject matter depicted on the cards, documents the history of several of the most prominent local photographers in the state whose work is found almost only on postcards, and traces the evolution and popularization of postcard photography. Through the photographs readers can witness the development of Delaware agriculture and fisheries, the expansion of the railroad into southern Delaware, the declining days of steamship service on Delaware rivers and creeks, the fate of Middletown's last trolley, and Delaware's unsuccessful campaign against "King Alcohol." They can see how Delawareans worshiped, worked, and shopped. They can visit local amusement parks and beaches from New Castle county to Sussex county. For the early decades of the twentieth century the postcard recorded every aspect of American life. As local historians will tell you, the photographic record of small town America during the period from 1900 to 1930 exists almost only on postcards. That is why historical societies, libraries, and museums have begun to amass postcard collections. In the last twenty years, historians and scholars have increasingly turned to the postcard as a way of seeing what our past literally looked like, what we enjoyed doing, where we worked and played, how we viewed one other, what we thought was important, and what prejudices we held.
£56.40
Skyhorse Publishing Unspeakable Horror: The Deadliest Shark Attacks in Maritime History
The story of the USS Indianapolis is well-known. After delivering crucial components of the atomic bomb that would level Hiroshima in 1945, the Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine in the South China Sea. Of the nearly 1,200 men aboard, 900 survived the torpedoing, spilling into the sea. White tip sharks began attacking the next morning and after four days only 300 sailors were alive to rescue.Less famous are the many stories of ships sinking in shark-infested waters with gruesome results. Such as the Cape San Juan, a US troop transport ship that was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Pacific Ocean near the Fiji Islands; nearly 700 of the survivors were killed by sharks. Or the HMS Birkenhead, which sunk off Danger Point, South Africa, in 1852, resulting in 440 shark-related fatalities. In 1927, the luxury Italian cruise liner Principessa Maldafa sank ninety miles off the coast of Albrohos Island while heading to Porto Seguro, Brazil. Nearly 300 who survived the wreck were killed by sharks. In 1909, the French steamer La Seyne collided with British India Steamship Co. liner Onda near Singapore, twenty-six miles from land. One hundred and one people were eventually killed by sharks.In the water, human intelligence is no match for a shark’s brutal, destructive instincts. Sharks are born to kill and eat: They detect distress, smell bloodand attack. Marine disasters such as those above result in humans becoming prey, floating in inner space as shadowy sharks swim below, ready to attack. Helpless to save yourselffloating and waiting, watching the malevolent creatures circle, knowing what will happen . . . a sudden swirl of water, a cloud of blood, the searing pain . . . until there is no more. This is unspeakable horror
£13.05
University of Pennsylvania Press John Randolph Clay: America's First Career Diplomat
This is the biography of a nineteenth-century gentleman whose career in the diplomatic service of his country contributed greatly to the worldwide expansion of American trade and commerce. John Randolph Clay (1808-1885), son of a Philadelphia Congressman, was named in honor of John Randolph, his father's friend and political associate, with whom he lived after his father's death. In 1830, John Randolph, appointed Minister to Russia, secured the appointment of Clay as Secretary of Legation. Randolph soon returned home, seriously ill, leaving Clay as Charge d'Affaires. Although youthful and inexperienced, Clay acquitted himself well, continuing in diplomatic posts in Russia and Austria for seventeen years. From 1847 to 1860, Clay was the diplomatic representative of the United States in Peru. He worked tirelessly, whether applying pressure for the payment of claims, protecting the business and personal interests of Americans, or insisting on the rights of our citizens to participate in the guano trade. He negotiated treaties of commerce, maritime rights, and whaling rights with the Peruvian government. His greatest triumph came in avoiding a rupture with Peru at the time of the Lobos Islands controversy. During the thirty years in which he served his country in foreign lands, Clay saw the coming of the steamship, the railroad, and the telegraph. He met or was on terms of personal friendship with many of the great men of the age: Prince Metternich, Louis Phillipe, Count Nesselrode, and the Peruvian dictator-president Castilla. He was equally at ease amid the splendors of court life in St. Petersburg or Vienna or in the shabby palace of the Peruvian president in the ancient city of Lima. His story, fascinating in itself, is also the story of the growth of the United States diplomatic service.
£72.90
Fordham University Press North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City
Few people today have ever heard of North Brother Island, though a hundred years ago it was place known to—and often feared by—nearly everyone in New York City. The island, a small dot in the East River, twenty acres slotted between today’s gritty industrial shores of the Bronx and Queens, was a minor piece of the New York archipelago until the late 19th century, when calls for social and sanitary reform—and the massive expansion of the city’s population—combined to remake NBI as a hospital island, a place to contain infectious disease and, later, other societal ills. Abandoned since 1963, North Brother Island is a ruin and a wildlife sanctuary (it is the protected nesting ground of the Black-crowned Night Heron), closed to the public and virtually invisible to it. But one cannot mistake its abandoned state as a sign of its irrelevance to the city’s history and culture. Traces of the extensive hospital campus remain, as do sites linked to notorious people (it was the final home of “Typhoid Mary”) and events (the steamship General Slocum sank by its shores). It has stories to tell. Photographer Christopher Payne (Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals) was granted permission by New York City’s Parks & Recreation Department to photograph the island over a period of years. The results are both beautiful and startling. On North Brother Island, devoid of human habitation for fifty years, buildings great and small are being consumed by the unchecked growth of vegetation. In just a few decades, a forest has sprung up where once there were the streets and manicured lawns of a hospital campus. North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City includes a history by University of Pennsylvania preservationist Randall Mason, who has studied the island extensively, and an essay by the writer Robert Sullivan (Rats, The Meadowlands), who came along on one of the rare expeditions.
£35.10
Workman Publishing Minding the Store: A Big Story about a Small Business
“I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I could go for a second helping!”—Amy Sedaris “Entrepreneurs will learn a thing or two about translating a dream into thoughtful business growth, and everyone will laugh, cry, and nod along with a woman who has chosen to live an extraordinary life amidst many piles of dishes.” —Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, founder of Shake Shack, author of the New York Times bestseller Setting the Table In this charming graphic memoir, the founder of an iconic housewares shop recounts the ups and downs—and ups again—of starting a family business, starting a family, and staying true to one’s path while trying to make it in the Big City. Whether it’s a set of vintage plates from a 1920s steamship, a mug with a New Yorker cartoon on it, a tin of sprinkles designed by Amy Sedaris, or a juice glass from a Jazz Age hotel, Fishs Eddy products are distinctly recognizable. A New York institution, Fishs Eddy also remains a family business whose owners endured the same challenges as many family businesses—and lived to write about it in this tale filled with humorous characterizations of opinionated relatives, nosy neighbors, quirky employees, and above all the eccentric foibles of the founders themselves. Readers come to know author Julie Gaines and her husband, with whom she founded the store, and because this is a family business, the illustrations are all in the family, too: their son Ben Lenovitz’s drawings bring Fishs Eddy to life with a witty style a la Roz Chast and Ben Katchor. Over the years the store has collaborated with artists and celebrities such as Charley Harper and Todd Oldham, Alan Cumming, and many others to produce original designs that are now found in thousands of stores throughout the country, and Fishs Eddy has garnered a huge amount of media coverage. A great gift for anyone who has ever dreamed of opening a little business—or anyone with any kind of dream—Minding the Store offers wisdom, inspiration, and an exceedingly entertaining story.
£16.99
Whittles Publishing In the Treacle Mine: The Life of a Marine Engineer
If anyone has ever wondered what happens in the engine room when the Captain on the bridge rings 'Full Ahead' on the telegraph then this book will enlighten the reader. This is a story of one man's life at sea, from his beginnings as a lowly cadet to his qualification as a Chief Engineer. There are many anecdotes about his experiences - some amusing and some terrifying - together with pen portraits of a few of his fellow seafarers and the places he visited. In the Treacle Mine starts in the 1960s when steam power was still the preferred option for larger and more powerful ships but over the following decade, the availability of ever more powerful and more fuel-efficient, diesel engines sounded the death knell for steam propulsion. Now there are only a few preserved steamships left as a reminder of how things used to be down below in the 'treacle mine', which was how Geordie marine engineers described the engine-room. Despite the fact that steam power has disappeared from everyday use, there are still a great many enthusiasts from all walks of life who are prepared to give up their spare time to ensure that steam lives on. This dedication means that heritage steam railways, steam traction engines and even the occasional preserved steamship, can continue to operate and give pleasure to millions of visitors every year. One whole chapter is devoted to a voyage with an 'up and downer' (a steam reciprocating engine) and although the remaining steamers were all turbine vessels which may lack the same visual appeal, there will still be much that will be of interest to any steam enthusiast. Following his experiences with steam, the author eventually began working on motor ships but these were also not without incident and there is much in this book that will spark the interest of anyone who enjoys stories of the sea and seafarers.
£16.99
Fordham University Press The Hudson-Fulton Celebration: New York's River Festival of 1909 and the Making of a Metropolis
“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.
£52.91
Simon & Schuster The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I
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).
£18.00
Orion Publishing Co Fevre Dream: The 40th anniversary of a classic southern gothic novel
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, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
£10.99