The heyday for ocean liners was the period just prior to WW I. The ships grew in size and luxury. Emigration paid the way. The peak year, 1907, witnessed the departure from Europe of 1,300,000 new emigrants to the United States. Most traveled third class, steerage, in dormitory style bunks, with adequate food.

It was abuse of emigration that abetted its demise. The steamship lines tried all sorts of ways to persuade people to ship out on their ships. Their agents would often pay bureaucrats to deliver potential emigrants. Countries willingly complied, delighted to rid themselves of undesirables. That fueled the call for more anti-immigration bills in Congress, and in 1921 Congress passed a law drastically cutting back the number of legal immigrants.

Maxtone-Graham obviously loved travel by ship, and the book is a delight to read. It's filled with amusing anecdotes and information about what it was like.

Coal dust was a major problem. Before loading, all the vents and louvers and interior spaces were shut off. The coal was then loaded manually off barges, a process that took about 24 hours. But then the entire ship, layered in coal dust, required cleaning. The switch to oil-fired burners occurred following WW I. The ship's doctor was the first to benefit. No longer was he inundated with passengers who had cinders in their eyes.

My favorite story pertains to the infamous Foo-Foo Band. They were a cacophonous group of musicians who greeted the arrival of every steamer with raucous music, parading up and down the gang plank and over the ship. This went on for some time until one very sharp-eared customs agent realized that the tuba sounded flatter leaving the ship than it had boarding. A search revealed drugs hidden in the tuba's bell.

( )

autographed copy ( )

And one of the best ways to read of crossing the ‘ditch’ on the big liners of yesteryear. Along with John Malcolm Brinnin’s work [Beau Voyage: Life Aboard Last Great Ships] this book stands as defining the period, and the grace, power and engineering of the industry. The writing is graceful too, and the photographs ravishing and – to my generation – evocative.

It was the Jumbo Jets that killed the industry of course, crossing the Atlantic in hours rather than days, and, originally and only initially of course, more economically. Of course, on the liners one was treated not only royally but even – gasp! – as though one was a welcomed guest and even a human being.

So, having killed off the competition, except for one or two of the majestic queens of the sea now degraded to floating holiday camps and ‘cruising’, and with a gradual erosion of expectations of service and courtesy, the airlines took over “The Crossing”. Then, having evaded true competition, those offering the “economic and quicker passage” rapidly escalated the fares up to near parity, unless one would accept “Steerage” (in Tourist) or pay exorbitant additional fees for a more humane seat and a faint echo of services.

But do not bring any bags!

"When you read this book, it is so evocative tht you can close your eyes and almost imagine that you are there on a chilly quai in New York City about to depart for the great cities of Europe on one of the great liners. An absolute MUST READ for any ocean liner fan." IT WAS A GOOD/EASY READ -INTERESTING - PLB

Excessively opinionated. Starts well, but gets bogged down in his opinions. ( )