Luxury liners loved by their crews

Ian Sebire's illustrated history tells the story of the four major ships created by Italian ship designer Nicolò Costanzi.

Costanzi was born in the naval city of Trieste, and it was his home that inspired his builds. Sebire fills the reader in on the historical context behind Costanzi's career, including an interesting fact about the designer's last name, which was changed from Cossancig to Costanzi during Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's Italianisation policy.

The book tells the stories of Costanzi's four standout vessels: Galileo Galilei, Guglielmo Marconi, Oceanic and Eugenio C. Each ship had its own unique history, from births onboard to mutinies. However, one thing all the vessels had in common was the crews' love for them.

Passenger Marc Lewis, who sailed on the Oceanic many times, describes the dedication the crew had to the ship, with the experience onboard making travellers feel like they were in Italy. The high-quality images compiled by Sebire also give the reader a real feel for what it would be like onboard one of Costanzi's liners.

More than half a century since Costanzi's death, his legacy lives on, with the ending of the book noting how social media has brought past crew and passengers together to celebrate the memories made onboard.

Italian Liners of the 1960s: The Costanzi Quartet
By Ian Sebire
Amberley Publishing, £15.99
ISBN: 978 13981 08066