Customer Reviews

Picture History of the Normandie: With 190 Illustrations

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a big fan of the famous, luxurious old transatlantic liners. The Normandie is perhaps my favorite, as the most beautiful and gracious of the pre-WWII ladies of the sea. The fact that the Normandie was tragically and negligently destroyed well before she'd passed her prime has made knowing her much more difficult than her still-opulent rival, the Queen Mary. This mystery shrouds she was REALLY like...and remains a big part of her attraction. This book really helped me get closer to the Normandie, with lovely pictures of her construction and her glorious career, as well as saddening photos of her destruction. Though depressing, one sight I'd longed to see was her first class dining salon post-fire, which this book includes. I just had to know what fire and salvage would do to it...and know I know!

Though you'll never get to step on board this wonderous ship, you can learn an awful lot about her in this book!

This book treats the First Class area of the Normadie in great detail and lush photographs, but I was slightly disapointed by the lack of information about the 2nd and 3rd classes. From what I have heard, these two classes were far superior to any other liner of the 1930's, and it was a bit let-down not to see any photos of these areas of the fabulous Normandie.

On the other hand, I had never seen some of the 1st Class photos before--- In general, a great visual(but slightly limited)find.

Braynard's history of the Normandie is an eloquent photographic argument that the Normandie was probably the most beautiful liner ever built. Although the historian or marine engineer would likely prefer more historical or technical narrative than is presented in this book, for the lay person and ship lover this collection of stunning photographs says it all. All phases of the ship's brief life are represented -- the boldness of her design and construction, the excitement of the maiden voyage, the glamor of her glory years of transatlantic and cruise service, the loneliness and decay of the early war years, and of course her horrible demise. Through these well-organized and high-quality photographs, the reader can immerse himself/herself in the bygone era of the great liners and experience something of this wonderful ship. Such a nostalgic trip is more than worth the low price of admission!

So many pictures, so little time... the book is totally awesome. Pictures of the Normandie from conception to the moment when the last piece of her is lifted from the water at Lipsett document this grand lady of the sea "at every waking moment" of her life. If you don't have this book, and you like the Normandie, what are you waiting for?

This is a very beautiful book, with pictures from the interior designs of memoriabilia in Normandie to the whaling over of Normandie. The book has a very detailed description or caption for every picture (all 190!), and they give much insight to this grandest ship in the world. I particularly like the pictures showing Normandie lying on one side, even though gloomy, Normandie must have looked really majestic! Braynard has done an obvious research about all this, you will not be disappointed!

I have been captured by the majesty and beauty of Normandie ever since reading the historical "Normandie: Her Life and Times" which was mostly text. Finding a pictoral companion book was absolutely fabulous! I could finally see how truly magnificent she was, and appreciate how tragic it was to lose her.

Frank O. Braynard has a special place in his heart for the first ladies of the seas, and it shows in all his books. He has done a wonderful job! The only improvement would be to have some pics in color.

I am a lover of ships, and books, and this particular volume has me over the moon. Every page is a treasure, and while the book is in the end very depressing (the final photos are quite sad), it is still a magnificant book, which will go in pride of place in my book collection.

There is nothing like the classic Ocean Liners of the past...floating palaces, and wonders of the world at the time. The Normandie or Ship of Light as she was fondly called was certainly one of the most beautiful liners of all time. This is a photographic history of the ship from building to her untimely end. Well worth the price for ship enthusiasts.

The Normandie appeared to be a fantastic ship. A sleek greyhoud when comapred to the British Horizontal Queen Mary, the liner appeared to go all out to make crossing the Atlantic an experience in luxury that one would seldom forget. John Mantone Graham, author of Crossing & Cruising and other books on the great liners fantasiczed in one of his books how the Normandie would fare in the post World War II era, if she had survived the February 1942 fire and completed her transformation to a troop carrier and back to an ocean liner with such improvements as air conditioning, etc.

It's most interesting that the recently launched Queen Mary2 was constructed in the same ship yard as the Normandie was. Perhaps it was just an interesting coincidence.

I ordered this book to give to a collector as a Christmas gift. It arrived in plenty of time for the holiday, and was in the condition the ad specified. Unbeknownst to me, the collector already had this book in his collection. I was able to return the book to Any Book (the seller) with no trouble at all. I would definitely recommend buying from this seller.