Seaforth Publishing

Cargo Liners: An Illustrated History

by  Ambrose Greenway

Reviewed By  Luke R. Bucci, IPMS #33459

MSRP: $50.00 ISBN: 978-1-84832-006-2 Review Sample from Casemate Publishing Website: www.casematepublishing.com This book fills a gap of knowledge for an important, but extinct, ship type – the cargo liner. A twelve-page introduction describes the definition of a cargo liner – a cargo ship that also had accommodations for 10-24 passengers. Unlike tramp steamers (bulk cargo carriers), cargo liners kept a regular schedule of many ports of call to far-flung places. Cargo liners were the backbone of empire, and were the primary means of transport for a century. They were fast (relatively speaking), adaptable to different kinds of cargo, possessed their own cargo-handling arrangements, and easily converted to become transports, hospital ships or pilgrim/emigration ships. Many nautical firsts were introduced by cargo liners. In short, cargo liners busily held together commerce and nations in a quiet, workmanlike fashion. This book is 9.5 x 10.5 inches and only 176 pages. "Only" because this is a large topic. Mr. Greenway, a passionate devotee of cargo ships, has crafted an encyclopedic reference that details the development of cargo liners from the 1860s to 1970 – the peak of development. From then on, container ships ruled the seas. No sailing ships are covered – they were not cargo liners. No Liberty ships or tramp steamers. No Savannah, the first nuclear-powered merchant ship. No ocean liners either. Rather, many familiar and unfamiliar steamships and motor ships are covered chronologically, class by class. Thus, a one-off ship is given almost as much attention as a several hundred ship class such as the US C2 series. There is a quality black-and-white photograph of a ship from each class – a tremendous and life-long undertaking. There are no guns or military versions depicted – this book is about the merchant marine exclusively. Since this book is an encyclopedia, it is not a technical resource for modelers. Rather, it is a history book and depicter of the mundane, the odd and the vanished. Fates of most ships are detailed, and fascinating. Mr. Greenway does not explain nautical terms or have a glossary, so landlubbers may not understand all the text. But reading this book educates the reader by pointing out distinguishing features that can be seen in the photographs. This book is almost a coffee table book, but the photographs are small (1-3 per page). This book will appeal to anyone curious about all those silent, unseen merchant ships that plied the seas. I was unexpectedly and pleasantly drawn in to the history of these important ships, and was sad to get to the end. Cargo Liners is a labor of love that affects the reader. Recommended for those tired of warships and wanting to see what they protected or preyed upon. Thanks to Casemate Publishing for the review copy. Some examples of what you will find in this book: George Washington, Norway's third motor ship (diesel) in World War One markings. Swedish Star Alcyone in 1959, ex-Alcyone, a US C2 type cargo liner launched in 1940 and a naval stores ship in World War Two. Dutch Neder Waal launched in 1959, the largest postwar Dutch cargo ship. Swedish Maersk series from the late 1960s, converted to carry containers in the late 1980s.