By Janette McCutcheon
From Baird Maritime:
An excellent collect of high quality photographs and lithographs describing the 170-year history of the Cunard Line.
These illustrations are linked by a brief but wholly adequate text which describes the development of the line and its ships.
Founder Samuel Cunard's motto for his company was "comfort, safety and speed". He envisioned a regular and frequent "trans-Atlantic railway".
The Line's success spawned many competitors and the line itself experienced the full gamut of business triumphs and disasters as well as many wartime losses. It was not until the mid-1930s that the company received government subsidies, apart from mail contracts.
They, as always, were the kiss of death. Despite owning the world's most impressive ships the company slid into decline. That continued until the 1960s when jet aircraft killed off the trans-Atlantic trade. Ill-advised takeovers and inadequate direction led to the company's final near demise.
The wonderful Cunard "brand" though could not be wiped out. It now adorns some of the enormous new cruise ships of Carnival Cruise Lines.
Ordering Information:{ma id=1848680643}