During the late nineteenth century, the Atlantic liners underwent a tremendous transformation. Previously only an unpleasant, uncomfortable and slow means of crossing a frequently vicious ocean, they suddenly became symbols of luxury, power, and strength. Each one, in turn, became legend. Some attained this mythic status for their distinct record of service during both peace and war; others are remembered for their catastrophic and ignominious fates. Their stories – their histories – are insightful, fascinating, and inextricably intertwined with the history of the world throughout the first half of the twentieth century.
The site contains material not in the volumes, and vice versa. It is meant to supplement the volumes and help people to gain further information about them; it is also meant to serve as an informational aid for enthusiasts and researchers.
COMING SOON FROM AMBERLEY BOOKS:
On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the RMS Titanic
by Tad Fitch, J. Kent Layton & Bill Wormstedt.
Re-think everything ... and prepare to experience the complete history of the Titanic as you never have before.
NOW AVAILABLE: Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography (December 2010 / Amberley Books)
Today the Lusitania is remembered
mostly for her tragic sinking
on May 7, 1915, and the political
ramifications of that disaster. That
sinking, however, was merely the
startling and grim finale to an
incredibly eventful life, the death
of one legend and the beginning of
another.
Just off the presses in late December of 2010, the all-new first edition book Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography (Amberley Books, 424 pages, A4 Hardback with dustjacket) relives the entire life of
the Lusitania, from her beginnings to
her demise; it is an unprecedented
biography of the great ship and the
people who sailed on her. From the
ship’s technical design features to
the greatest events in her career,
her story is told in both words and
pictures. Hundreds of photographs
and illustrations, breathtaking new
artwork, and all-new plans of the ship
reveal the liner as never before...
This book stands as the first publication by the author released through a prestigious publishing company, rather than from self-publishers.
For those who were familiar with my similarly-titled book from 2007, (Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor; hardcover and softcover editions by Lulu Books), make sure to pick up this all-new 424-page volume by Amberley Books in the United Kingdom. The paper is thick and glossy, and photo reproduction quality is razor-sharp. All corrections from the 2007 book have been rolled into the text, the text itself has been expanded, and the photographic and illustrative material has been profoundly increased and improved. The book also includes all new color artwork by digital artist Tom Lear. The excellent Introduction by Mike Poirier and Jim Kalafus has been retained from the 2007 book, as has the special Survivor's Note by Barbara Anderson McDermott. This, by far the largest book ever published about the Lusitania, is not a book to be missed by any liner enthusiast. Secure your copy today...
Also Coming Soon from Amberley Books: The Edwardian Superliners: A Trio of Trios
by J. Kent Layton
For the first time, experience the greatest ships conceived during the Edwardian era as they were meant to be seen ... See them in all their splendor in this beautiful A4 hardback with dustjacket and color section, coming soon from Amberley Books. Click here for further details.
This site is meant to accompany the author's books and further the ever-expanding realm of online research into the Atlantic liners; it is the “home port” for the beginning of your journey into some of the most memorable ships in history. Here you can find all of the latest updates and research on the vessels, as well as technical specifications and additional information. There are also many photographs and digital illustrations of the liners that could not be included in the finished volume. On the Links page there are many other web pages and sites listed that can help you to continue your journey of research and discovery. In the Books page, you will find a comprehensive listing of some of the best publications available on the Atlantic liners, which have been given the "Blue Riband Book Award."
Six Years and Getting Stronger...
This site was formally launched on March 28, 2004. In the intervening six years, "Atlantic Liners" has accumulated over 1.27 million hits, and traffic to this site continues to increase. On any given day, there are between 800 and 1,500 page loads by an average of 200-300 "passengers."
Contributing To Atlantic Liners
Since this site was first launched, many have contributed material - either information or photographic and illustrative - to its pages, and to the pages of both Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios and Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography. To these contributors go my sincere thanks. If you have material on these liners that you would like to share – either information or photographs and illustrations, then please feel free to contact Mr. Layton. All photographic and illustrative material supplied by contributors is credited to their collections unless otherwise specified.
Materials Use
I am always willing to lend a hand to other researchers and authors in their own book projects. My personal collection, while modest compared to some, is quite extensive, and covers a wide variety of ships. If you are an author and are interested in acquiring material to use in your upcoming book, please feel free to contact me directly on the matter, via the contact page links. My rates for image reproduction are quite fair and you can usually acquire 5-10 images from me for the price of some of the more expensive stock photography agencies.
Online use: While all of the materials presented on this site is from my own collection (or used with the permission of other contributors), rampant online image "recycling" - or as some would say, piracy - has forced me to digitally watermark all displayed images. Additionally, images be specially altered in a variety of other ways to make them more readily identifiable even if the watermarks are somehow removed by clever means. Please do not use any of the images on this site in your web projects without asking me directly for permission. In most cases, I will merely request that the image be credited to my collection and a direct link be provided near the image back to my own web site. Special situations (including the use of non-watermarked images) may be allowed for on a case-by-case basis. However, such situations may include a requirement of maximum display dimension, and/or reproduction fees depending on the situation. Please contact me directly for details.
The author's 2007 book, Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor (Lulu Books, 2007, hardcover no ISBN, softcover ISBN-10 1430319623, ISBN-13 978-1430319627) was a unique look at the history of the Cunard liner Lusitania. After a three-and-a-half year run as the most detailed study of the ship's technical design, her life and her death ever published, this book was retired from circulation in January of 2011. Through the years, this volume - which sold hundreds of copies despite its self-published availability issues - had received wonderful critical acclaim from the general public and from other liner researchers and authors. However, its retirement has paved the way for something new and far more exciting...
The volume that has replaced it is the all-new first edition book, Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography (Amberley Books, 2010, Hardcover with dustjacket, A4 size, ISBN-10 1848688342, ISBN-13 978-1848688346.) Amberley Books, one of the United Kingdom's leading specialist history publishers, has now given the ship's history the quality format volume that is so richly deserved. When ordering the new book, please make sure to get the all-new 2010 volume, and not the old 2007 book with the similar - if lengthier - title. This new book is one that anyone with even a passing interest in the Lusitania will want. For further details about the new book Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography, as well as ordering information, please click here.
Released in 2005, the author's first book was entitled Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios. (CafePress, 2005, softcover, no ISBN number). This small self-published publication had a great deal of information and illustrative material, and was well received by the public. However, in the following years, it became clear to the author that it needed to be significantly revised and expanded. This led to the creation of the 2009 book, Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios (Lulu Books, 2009, hardcover, no ISBN number). Although the book has been retired from active promotion, enthusiasts can still acquire a copy of the author's seminal work directly through CafePress.
A few years ago, I put together a lengthy two-part article on the possibility that the Titanic was going to be brought into New York Harbor on the night of Tuesday, April 16, 1912, rather than on Wednesday morning, as had originally been scheduled. This is a relatively controversial topic, and this article, entitled, "The Arrival That Never Took Place…" studies the evidence in a clear, objective manner. No article like this has, to this author’s knowledge, ever found its way to print before. The Titanic International Society recently picked the article up and published it in a fully illustrated edition, spanning two of their quarterly issues (Nos. 54 and 55). You can contact the TIS directly to request a copy of either or both of these issues.
Additionally, I have created a comprehensive tutorial for building a super-detailed model of the Lusitania from the kit in 1/350 scale for the Titanic Research & Modeling Association. It can be found here. This article will shortly be revised and updated with some of the latest research from the 2010 book, Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography.
Meanwhile, preliminary work is also proceeding to bring to this website the stories of a number of other ocean liners, including the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2, Normandie and France/Norway. These pages will be slowly brought on line and expanded as research on them continues.
There are many good sites about the old Atlantic liners, but the information contained within the pages of this site is certainly unique. Make sure to stay tuned for further updates and news through the News Page. It is sincerely hoped that you will enjoy your time spent here, and that you will also be enriched in your knowledge of these great ships. Welcome aboard.
Mr. J. Kent Layton
Quick Links: Purchasing the all-new Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography
(2010 Amberley Books)
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Quick Links: Purchasing Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios (2009)
This volume is no longer available directly from the author. To purchase a copy of this book, please buy directly from the publisher.
