The illustrations are a fascinating mixture of coloured postcards by well known marine artists from W L Wyllie to Charles Dixon, Kenneth Shoesmith and Odin Rosvenge, baggage labels, menus, posters, brochures, letters on steamship headed notepaper, and passengers' black and white snapshots of life on board. As such it is certainly a book to pick up and put down, look ... Read moreat and enjoy at random but it is much, much more than that. Woven in between this kaleidoscope of colour is an introduction, thirteen very full chapters, a bibliography and index and end papers illustrating, again in colour, over 200 flags and funnels of the major British steamship lines from between the two world wars. The authors have collected together and cleverly worked into their narrative, the experiences of sea travellers gleaned from their letters home, diaries, postcards and journals which capture at first hand what it was like to travel by sea in this golden age. The result is a book that becomes compulsive reading from cover to cover, where the pictures actually become almost a distraction. As a traveller by sea both on traditional sailing craft and on contemporary cruise ships, I found this book a fascinating read, well written and researched, and I would unhesitatingly recommend it to all ship enthusiasts. In fact it should be essential reading for all cruise operators and their passengers alike. - South West Soundings Christopher Deakes and Tom Stanley have produces a beautifully illustrated maritime history from the perspective of those individuals who actually experienced voyages tot he four corners of the globe from the beginning of the steamship era (ca. 1840). The commentaries of the passengers selected from a profusion of letters, diaries, and newspaper accounts make most interesting and revealing reading. The result is that not only are we given the passengers' individual perspectives on the ports-of-call, but on every aspect of the voyagers. Certainly one of the most interesting aspects of Deakes and Stanley's book is the beautiful colour illustrations from all over the world featuring the ships, their interiors, and highlights of the ports-of-call. These serve to enrich the commentaries and narratives of the passengers to a superb degree. A Century of Sea Travel, Personal Accounts form the Steamship Era will be a greatly appreciated addition to any maritime collection. - The Northern Mariner Show Less