Age of Cunard [Hardcover]

Daniel Allen Butler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2004

In 1840 Samuel Cunard, a Halifax, Nova Scotia businessman, took possession of a quartet of small paddlewhell steamers and formed the which would become known as the Cunard Line, the first -- and ultimately last -- great transatlantic passenger service. "The Age of Cunard" brings the whole amazing tale of Cunards successes in the passenger shipping industry vibrantly alive, from the tiny Britannia of 1840, to the Queen Mary 2. From begginng to end, the years of the great passenger ships were truly the Age of Cunard.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Daniel Allen Butler is the author of "Unsinkable"—the Full Story of RMS Titanic; The Lusitania: the Life, Loss and Legacy of an Ocean Legend, and Warrior Queens: RMS Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in World War Two, and now his newest work, The Age of Cunard. Educated at Hope College, Grand Valley State University, and the University of Erlangen, Butler spent eight years as an officer in the United States Army, six of them in Intelligence. During his military service he began laying the foundation for a career as a military and maritime historian by taking every opportunity to do research into a wide range of subjects. He delved into museums, historical archives, public and private records and corporate archives in such diverse places as Dublin and Cobh (Queenstown), Ireland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; the Clyde, Glasgow, Inverkeithing and Perth, Scotland; and London, Liverpool and Southampton, England; Brussels and Mons, Belgium; and Bonn, Germany . In North America, his research has taken him to Halifax, Nova Scotia; New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Newport News, Virginia.

His career as an author began with the publication of "Unsinkable" by Stackpole Books of Mechanicsburg, PA, in March 1998 to considerable critical acclaim and public acceptance. Hailed for its breadth of scope as well as depth of analysis, "Unsinkable" went through four printings in as many months, and sold almost one hundred thousand copies in less than two years, reaching Number 3 on the UPI Bestseller List in late March, and Number 20 on the New York Times Bestseller List in mid-April of that year. A nationwide, three-month signing tour resulted in over 75 public appearances, including a featured lecture at the National Archives, and extensive media coverage. The late Walter Lord, dean of Titanic historians, called the book "a masterful retelling of the Titanic story," while British historian Donald Hyslop praised it as "extensively researched, well written, and eminently readable," and a reviewer for the London Times said that Butler’s writing makes "history become alive again." Butler’s next book, The Lusitania, published by Stackpole in October 2000, is already in its second printing, and has received its share of critical approval as well, American History magazine declaring it to be "the most thorough book yet written about the ill-fated Lusitania," while the Flint (MI) Journal calls it "unforgettable" and "riveting." Noted military historian Albert Nofi declared that "Butler does a masterful job at unraveling the complex issues involved." Butler’s next book, Warrior Queens: RMS Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in World War Two, was released by Stackpole in February 2002.

Currently Butler is writing his fifth and sixth books, The Other Side of the Night: the Carpathia, the Californian, and the Night the Titanic was Lost, the first book ever dedicated to telling the story of the rescue of the Titanic survivors; and The Return of the Queen, a chronicle of the design, construction and maiden voyage of the new super-liner Queen Mary 2. Plans are in hand for Butler’s first venture into pure military history, Khartoum: the Mahdi, Gordon, and the Dawn of Militant Islam, which will recount the great Islamic uprising in 1880, under the charismatic holy man, Muhammed Ahmed, known as the Mahdi, the "Expected One." Butler is also currently working with screenwriter Gail Price to develop a screenplay based on his book The Lusitania.

Following the success of "Unsinkable" Butler became a popular commentator on maritime history, in particular the Titanic disaster, on both radio and television, and was featured prominently in the Miramax Studio’s new edition of their IMAX film "Titanica" (released on video in the fall of 1998) and in A & E’s documentary "Beyond Titanic," first broadcast in September 1998. He has also been a featured lecturer at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., the Mariners Museum in Ne

Product Details

• Hardcover: 467 pages
• Publisher: ProStar Publications, Inc. (January 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577853482
• ISBN-13: 978-1577853480
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,030,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel Allen Butler is a maritime and military historian, the author (through September 2011) of nine books. Some of his previous works include "Unsinkable"--the Full Story of RMS Titanic; Distant Victory-the Battle of Jutland and the Allied Triumph in the First World War; The Age of Cunard-A Transatlantic History, 1839-2003; The Other Side of the Night: The Carpathia, the Californian, and the Night the Titanic was Lost; The Burden of Guilt: How Germany Shattered the Last Days of Peace, Summer 1914; and Shadow of the Sultan's Realm: the Destruction of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East.

Educated at Hope College, Grand Valley State University, and the University of Erlangen, Butler served in the United States Army before becoming a full time author. He is an internationally-recognized authority on maritime subjects and a popular guest-speaker, having given presentations at the National Archives in Washington DC, the Mariners Museum, and in the United Kingdom. He has also been frequently included in the on-board enrichment series of Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2, as well as the ships of the Royal Caribbean and Norwegian cruise lines.

Butler is currently at work on two new projects: The Field Marshal, a biography of Erwin Rommel; and The Last Field of Glory: Waterloo, 1815, a history of the Hundred Days.

A self-proclaimed "semi-professional beach bum," Butler divides what little time he spends away from his writing between his love of woodworking, his passion for British sports cars, and his fascination with building model ships. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The golden age of cruising, August 11, 2008

By 

rebrivved "Rebecca Rivera" (Cambridge, MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age of Cunard (Hardcover)

Once upon a time, a transatlantic crossing was literally a rite of passage for the world's elite. This book captures the rich history of Cunard and is a must read for everyone who loves the sea and/or cruising. Lose yourself in page upon page of period imagery.