This is the remarkable story of paddle-wheel steamers Delta King and Delta Queen, California'slast and most beloved riverboats. Since moving to the Mississippi and Ohio over half a century ago, the Delta Queen has become the world's most famous steamboat. Born in the Roaring Twenties, these historic vessels carried passengers nightly between San Francisco and Sacramento from 1927 to 1940. They offered romantic overnight cruises with dining, dancing and jazz. After serving the U.S. Navy in World War II, they went their separate ways--the Queen through the Panama Canal to America's heartland and the King to Canada where for seven years it was stranded on dry ground. The Delta Queen found fame and fortune in her new life on rivers of the Midwest and South--and still operates there today. In sharp contrast, the Delta King suffered 40 years of hardship, gloom, heartbreak--with sinkings, landlocking, fires, and piracy. Finally, the King was restored at Sacramento as a beautiful floating hotel. This is truly a tale of "riches to rags to riches." Through lively interviews, anecdotes, photos, maps, and lyrical prose, King & Queen of the River covers the unknown story of these legendary steamboats from the Roaring Twenties to the 1990s.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Upon taking early retirement from Sunset Magazine more than a decade ago, California-born author Stan Garvey went full-time researching the history of the famed Delta twins. After searching countless archives, reviewing hundreds of photos, and interviewing former crew members and scores of passengers from the boats' vintage years, he spent four years writing the book. It's the definitive work on the Delta King and Delta Queen.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Riverboats: The way they were,
By F.F. Fletcher CDR USNR RET (The capital of California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: King and Queen of the River : The Legendary Paddle-Wheel Steamboats Delta King and Delta Queen (Hardcover)
Author Garvey takes us back in time, initially allowing us in on the construction of two steam powered stern-wheelers built in 1927 in Stockton, California. These craft plied the Sacramento River between San Francisco and the state capital from the late 1920s to the early 1940s. Both - however - served (in grey paint) during World War IIGarvey takes particular care in tracking the various machinations which leave the "Delta Queen" still steaming today on the Mississippi River. By means of the same careful process, Garvey indicates that the "Delta King" is tied up sans boilers or engines pierside right in the middle of Old Sacramento.....as a floating hotel and restaurant. Commentary, photographs and interviews from the bygone days when these two ships carried passengers (and their automobiles) plus cargo in elegant style are reflected in this charming book which points to a differing pace of life. Included are such variables as fog, change of ownership, schedules, emergencies, piracy, lawsuits and the community leadership which befell this pair of 285-foot, circa 1850-ton displacement vessels. I was on vacation when I checked this wonderful book out from the California State Library. The book took four delicious days to read and - to an admitted history buff - become touched by the sensitive and insightful look at the way it was on the Sacramento River - steaming at 8 to 10 knots - during 1927 to 1940.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Steamboats: EXCELLENT History of these two SPECIAL boats,
By Pat Traynor (Marco Island, FL United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: King and Queen of the River : The Legendary Paddle-Wheel Steamboats Delta King and Delta Queen (Hardcover)
For anyone who is a steamboat and/or history buff, this is a must book to read. Very clearly written and thoroughly descriptive of these 2 boats from their construction until 1999. Wonderful pictures! An interesting update should be written about the Queen's latest brush with going into oblivion in 2001. This is a part of our American heritage that all too few people know about. If I hasn't already been acquainted with the DQ after reading Mr. Garvey's book, I would have immediatly booked a cruise to find out what it's all about - once aboard that boat, a person becomes hooked on riverboat cruising. Next goal if to visit the DK in Sacramento! GREAT BOOK!!
4.0 out of 5 stars
Steamin' Down the River,
By
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This review is from: King and Queen of the River : The Legendary Paddle-Wheel Steamboats Delta King and Delta Queen (Hardcover)
This book has special meaning to me and my family, so I was thrilled to be able to find and acquire a copy. Not only is it a historical documentary about an area and boat I've come to love, but, my late father-in-law is mentioned in the book. He was the "river rat" who navigated the river pulling the Delta King to Sacramento after drudging it out of it's sunken state. Having this book in my collection is a gift, as my father-in-law (Herman "Dee" Heaberlin) recently passed away after a gallant fight against spinal bone/lung/lymph cancer. "King & Queen"...immortalizes him!
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