Monarchs of the Sea: The Great Ocean Liners [Hardcover]

Kurt Ulrich (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1860643736 | ISBN-13: 978-1860643736 | Publication Date: April 15, 1999

The mythology surrounding the Titanic overshadows the fact that the ship heralded a new age of transportation that forged the modern travel industry. The decades that followed the saga of the Titanic are laden with the names of even greater liners--the Ile du France, the Normandie, Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth, the S.S. United States and many others. This stunning book presents their fascinating history in words and beautiful photos.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This beautiful book documents the history of the great ocean liners, from accounts of early ocean-crossing vessels such as the Mayflower to modern state-of-the-art cruise liners used exclusively for holiday travel. The great ships--including Imperator, Île de France, Normandie, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth--are portrayed as ambassadors for their countries of origin, with each ship epitomizing the designs and fashions of its age as it competes in terms of elegance, luxury, technology, and speed. Monarchs of the Sea is well documented and full of interesting facts, figures, and personal accounts. Wonderful photographs, plans, and cutaways have been included. This is a book that anyone with an interest in maritime history should have.

About the Author

Kurt Ulrich has specialized in travel writing and photography for more than 25 years. He has taken 180 voyages, on every sea. He lives in Zurich, Switzerland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (April 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860643736
• ISBN-13: 978-1860643736
• Product Dimensions: 13 x 12.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,708,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Professional & Technical > Transportation > Ships > Passenger

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate History of Cruising, September 18, 2000

By 

Andreas Horn - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monarchs of the Sea: The Great Ocean Liners (Hardcover)

Being a Swiss, I know Mr. Ulrich personally and I know how much effort he put into his book. He really is an expert on the subject and he published hundreds of articles on cruises all over the world. His book, starting with the first cruises in the late 19th century and ending with the huge cruise ships now operating in the Caribbean, is extremely well written and a real joy to read - though I must admit that I read it in Germnan (published as "Luxusliner"), but I assume that the translator did a good job. Unfortuantely, the development of new cruise ships is so fast, that the book should be updated every year. Nevertheless, it has excellent pictures, probably the best ever published in a book on this subject. And though it is not a guide to cruising, the book tells much about what a cruise is all about.

2.0 out of 5 stars Definetly not worth the cost., January 8, 2010

By 

J. Shipton "JAS" (Bunker Hill, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monarchs of the Sea: The Great Ocean Liners (Hardcover)

While it does have a number of good photos, it has a number of glaring historical errors. In addition half the book is about modern cruise ships and cruising. The stuff about the liners is basic and can be found in many books for far less $. Again, lots of good photos, but not worth the high price.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book, March 8, 2008

By 

J. Karli - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Monarchs of the Sea: The Great Ocean Liners (Hardcover)

I originally purchased this book as a gift for my 6-year-old son who is fascinated by oceanliners and cruise ships. I had no idea how much our entire family would enjoy the beautiful layout and history contained in this book. Having sailed on many ships prior to having a family, we were familiar with some of the newer ships and a few of the vintage ships as well. But this book provides a detailed look at the design, construction and day-to-day operations of many vessels. It is such a nice book, however, it is off-limits to sticky fingers and is kept firmly on our coffee table. I would highly recommend it to anyone with a passion for ships.