More historic objects, with a cargoship focus
Mariners’ Memorabilia Vol. 3, by Peter Laister
Those who are looking for detail should enjoy diving into volume three of this four-volume set by Peter Laister.
The author – a former seafarer, along with his wife – has put enormous effort into collecting china used aboard British merchant ships and taking high-quality photographs for publication. This volume looks mainly at coastal vessels, with some foreign deepsea ships included too.
The china is the star here in terms of the images, and there is also a good five-page introduction to this material. The rest of the text in the book is about the vessels and (often obscure) companies that owned them, with plenty of interesting titbits.
48 different companies are covered in detail, with plenty of others getting a mention – meaning that those readers who are more interested in maritime history than pottery will still find something to catch their eye.
Mariners’ Memorabilia Vol. 3: a guide
to the china of British shipping companies
of the 19th and 20th centuries
By Peter Laister
Bernard McCall Publishing, £12.00
ISBN: 978 19029 53984
Buy this book in the Nautilus Bookshop
While you're there, why not browse the rest of the titles in our unique maritime bookshop, which sells all the books reviewed on these pages.
Buy nowMore Books
Salvage story told through a treasure trove of images
In the Wake of the Empress of Ireland, by David Saint-PierreThe sinking of the Empress of Ireland in 1914 remains the worst peacetime disaster in Canadian history. Of the 1,477 people onboard, 1,012 died as the ocean liner went down in just 14 minutes.
Fighting on after D-Day
Normandy: The Sailors’ Story, by Nick HewittTo tie in with the 80th anniversary of D-Day last year, Yale University Press published this detailed and readable book by veteran ship restorer and historian Nick Hewitt, which puts the efforts of the Allied navies in the Battle for France centre stage.
Scotland's WW2 supply crews
Never to Return, by Roderick G MacleanAs remembrance season approaches, we often look out for new titles on the Merchant Navy in wartime, and Never to Return fits the bill this year.
New northern take on the Titanic tragedy
Titanic: The Greater Manchester Connections, by James W BancroftFew maritime tragedies have held such a place in the public imagination as that of the Titanic. The tales and testimonies of passengers aboard that doomed voyage in 1912 have inspired countless books and several film adaptations, some more fictionalised than others.