RMS Aquitania: The Ship Beautiful Paperback – September 8, 2008

I was expecting that this book would be hardcover, but yet again no, I don't think it ever was.This is still a nice, pricey for the size (6 millimetre thick) SOFTCOVER book. I tend to want to see the ships through the eyes of the passengers, in colour. So, aside from the typical b/w photos, there are wonderful colour reproduction drawings, plans, posters, adverts, and photos unusual for books on liners of this era. But they are smallish. This could have been a more deliciously published book in hardcover with larger, page-bleeding and fold out visual items as in James Steele's "Queen Mary." The anecdotal/technical text is very interesting and enlightening. I give it five stars because it is a drop of water in a desert where good, name specific, ocean liner books are scarce.It is sad that the instant gratification banality of modern society has overlooked the joy of true ocean liner travel and history, replacing it with the rock climbing, put put golf, balcony encrusted, white shoe boxes floating around today. Among names which sound like slang for illegal substances, and visuals of plastic decor, they have questionable ability to handle the North Atlantic. This book gives more insight into that sadly bygone era when liners were really liners.

Cunard's famous and beloved Aquitania is finally getting her life story told in depth. Mark Chirnside has done an outstanding job in digging up many, never before published facts, about the last great four-stacker, which served longer than any other Express liner in the 20th century. His research covers the ship's very long and active sea career which spanned some 36 years. A career that included active service in various roles through two World Wars, as well as 443 voyages that saw her steam over 3 million ocean miles.Although her's is a lengthy story, he has included a number of individual recollections of the ship from personal diaries. These accounts draw the reader in and they serve to remind him that this ship was, first and foremost, a carrier of human life. Whether it was a first class passenger crossing the Atlantic on business, an immigrant, heading to a new life in a new land, or most certainly a soldier, heading to a war zone with unpredictable consequences; this great ship directly impacted people's lives every time she sailed. Their story is also her story, and with the realization that she carried well over one million people in her lifetime, her historical impact actually boggles the mind.I was lucky enough to be a contributor of some of the photographs used in this book, and it was a personal joy to have played a small part in the books creation. Mark wisely chose many photographs that have never been seen before, including a section of color views taken late in her life, which show the "Grand Old Lady" in her beautiful peacetime colors. Despite the passage of more than half a century since her last voyage, the Aquitania remains one of the most successful ships in maritime history, and this book tells you why. As a reader of books on historic ocean liners, and a collector of images covering the old ship that "did well to the end", I can tell you that this stunning and highly detailed book, was long overdue.

There is just enough over-all history of the ship to satisfy me and this is supplemented with enough anecdotes to make the passage of time not so distant. The photographs are primarily of the exterior but they are always interesting. This is not to say that there are not a very good assortment of photos of the public rooms of various classes and of various periods of her life. And - in addition, and it's a real plus for me - there are some very late color photos of the Aquitania's exterior and (what I think are) tinted photos of her public rooms. These colored additions are almost worth the price of admission in themselves. All in all, a beautiful souvenir of a beautiful ship.

Yes absolutely delighted with this book.Recently learned that my Mother's young brother served on this ship as an Able Seaman in the Merchant Navy in 1942 when he was only 22. He died on another ship,an Empire ship only months later.all lives lost when torpedoed by a U'boat in the North Atlantic.So happy to have this great paperback A wonderful book for my family, which cover's this Beautiful Ship " Aquitania"s.long history so well and with so many photos. A lovely keepsake to remind us,to think of our dear young uncle serving on it,"The Ship Beautiful", an honor which must have filled his boyhood dream to be a sailor and to go to sea.Very happy to have this great paperback.Arrived way before the expected date,too.Thank you, Amazon once again. J B

Excellent! This book thoroughly covers the history of the Aquitania from her inception to her ultimate scrapping in 1950. It also includes many B&W and color photographs and illustrations that I had not seen before. A well written book sure to please ship buffs.

Enjoying the book very much. I was hoping to find some prewar information on cruise dates as I am trying to track down someone who sailed on the ship. I know the month, but not the year. There appears to be more information on wartime sailings than prewar crossings. Having said that, I am very happy with the book . Thanks

First class

Il libro in sè è realizzato bene, anche se ad una prima occhiata l'impressione pre acquisto è quella di un libro "imponente", mentre dal vivo è un volumetto con semplice copertina cartonata. Buono per appassionati comunque.

This book by Mark Chirnside pays tribute to a passenger steamer that - despite being amongst the biggest, most elegant and most popular liners of the early 20th century - has always been a bit in the shadow of the more famous fleet mate Mauretania.Chirnside tells the eventful story of Aquitania's successful and extraordinarily long career, from her start of service in 1914 until her end in 1950. In fact, Aquitania was the only one of the famous "four stackers" that served in both world wars.The book features many high-quality photographs I haven't seen before (with some beautiful colour photographs among them) as well as deck plans and a wonderful cutaway profile.This book is a must-have for any ocean liner buff and/or Cunard historian.

Interesting book with some good pictures telling the story of this long serving ship. Fascinating time frame stretching from the Titanic disaster to two World Wars and then the arrival of the modern ships such as the Queen Elizabeth.