Queen Mary 2: The Greatest Ocean Liner of Our Time [Hardcover]

John Maxtone-Graham (Author), Harvey Lloyd (Contributor), Harvey Lloyd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2004

In January 2004, Cunard Line's latest flagship, the stupendous Queen Mary 2, will sail on her maiden voyage from England. Not merely a cruise ship, this fourth Cunard Queen is a true ocean liner, able to cross the Atlantic in all weathers at high speed, sustaining the company's celebrated heritage. The Queen Mary 2 book documents the creation of this remarkable vessel from keel laying to christening. This book features stunning four-colour photographs and paintings, details of design, construction, engines, lavish interiors, sea trails, and christening. It also contains archival images juxtaposing her significance against her predecessors. An eight-page gatefold shows a detailed cutaway of the remarkable interiors.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If military historian Maxtone-Graham is at times a bit breathless in his praise of the Queen Mary 2, the Cunard line’s new $800 million luxury liner, it’s easy to forgive his enthusiasm after thumbing through the sumptuous photography in this oversized tome. Four city blocks long and taller than the Statue of Liberty, the Queen Mary 2 boasts the customary amenities as well as a planetarium, spa and fanciful children’s playrooms. Maxtone-Graham celebrates this unprecedented hulk with romantic hyperbole: "Her 147-foot (45-meter) beam at the bridge betrays her as definitively—nay, defiantly!—too wide for Panama’s canal. For this monster to circumnavigate the globe, it’s either around Cape Horn or threading her way cautiously through the icy wastes of northern Canada’s archipelago." He also dishes a little history in the chapter on 19th-century transatlantic travel, when crossing the ocean was rarely comfortable and often terrifying by today’s standards. The historian explains that in the 1840s, "a covered chamber pot remained a cherished cabin perquisite because Brittania’s lavatories were out on deck, an invariably damp nocturnal excursion." Another chapter relates the seafaring lives of past "Queen" vessels—touching briefly on the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary’s transformation into troop ships during WWII and chronicling their important passengers, including Sir Winston Churchill, Cary Grant and a long list of Atlantic-hopping VIPs. Serious maritime enthusiasts will delight in Maxtone-Graham’s adoring account of the major "Cunarders" from 1840 to 2004, while Harvey Lloyd’s vivid, full-bleed photos of the vessel’s interior will thrill those readers more interested in the creature comforts on board. 200 four-color illustrations. FYI: Like an extended advertisement for the ocean liner, this lush, glossy volume might help readers and would-be cruisers forget the November, 2003 shipyard tragedy, when the ship’s gangway collapsed, killing 15.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

"Destined to astonish" was how the designers of the new grand lady of ocean liners conceived of their project. As of just a few months ago, the Queen Mary 2, sister ship to the popular and still busy Queen Elizabeth 2, entered transatlantic service and is now the flagship of the venerable Cunard Line. The QM2 is not only the most expensive passenger liner ever built but also the largest, broadest, and tallest. Written by a renowned maritime historian, whose engaging text is augmented by spectacular photographs by Harvey Lloyd, a photographer recognized as a specialist in the cruise industry, this large-format book follows the "life" thus far of this spectacular ship, from concept to launch. The author, with the photographer at his side, ushers the reader on an awe-inspiring tour of the Queen from stem to stern; fascinating, too, is the detailed history of the Cunard Line and its most famous liners, including the previous Queen Mary, now permanently docked in Long Beach, California. A feast for technology and travel enthusiasts. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (April 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821228846
• ISBN-13: 978-0821228845
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 0.9 x 13.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #778,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Professional & Technical > Transportation > Ships > Passenger
  • #80 in Books > Professional & Technical > Transportation > Ships > Pictorial

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Ship - Amazing Book !!!!!, May 1, 2009

By 

panamaline (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Queen Mary 2: The Greatest Ocean Liner of Our Time (Hardcover)

This book by John Maxtone-Graham is a worthy tribute to a wonderful ship and the only ocean liner plying the seas today, the Queen Mary 2.

The book covers the ship from its inception through its construction to its launch and maiden voyage. It also ties the QM2 into its predicesors, the ocean liners of the past that once ruled the waves and were in the words of another John Maxtone Graham book The Only Way to Cross: The Golden Era of the great Atlantic express liners---from the Mauretania to the France and the Queen Elizabeth 2.

We were lucky enough to be on the QM2 for the maiden voyage from Southhampton the Ft. Lauderdale in 2004 and bought this book to be a family keepsake and reminder of our fantastic voyage.

We actually booked our maiden voyage trip two weeks after the first piece of steel was laid in the QM2's hull and followed the progress until we arrived in Southhampton the day of sailing. John's book does an excellent job of bringing all these memories back to life everytime we look at it.

You will not be disappointed in this wonderful book!!

Ewald Wiberg
author of The Perfect Vacation: One Couple's Adventures at Sea With and Without the Kids

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book, March 24, 2007

By 

L. Naess - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Queen Mary 2: The Greatest Ocean Liner of Our Time (Hardcover)

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in cruising, as well as anyone who is interested in wonderfully engineered machines. We hope to go on the Queen Mary 2 someday, and having read the book will make the experience all the better!