Brian Hawley

On October 20, 1910, RMS Olympic was launched at Belfast. She was the first of a trio of steamships constructed for the White Star Line and, when built, was the largest ship in the world. Although she has frequently been overshadowed by the tragedy of her younger sister Titanic, Olympic had a long and illustrious career. Serving her country as a troopship during World War I, she was the only major passenger vessel ever to sink an enemy submarine. After the war, Olympic was refitted, and throughout the 1920s, she was a favorite liner of the rich and famous. Although sent to the breaker's yard in 1935, much of her decor remains because her fittings were sold at auction and many houses, hotels, pubs, offices, and factories were fitted with her sumptuous interiors. Nicknamed 'Old Reliable' and proudly advertised as the 'Ship Magnificent,' Olympic was one of the most beautiful liners to sail the transatlantic route and was a firm favorite of passengers. In this work, Brian Hawley brings together many previously unpublished images of White Star's finest vessel.

Painted in shades of green and known affectionately as the ‘Green Goddess’, Cunard’s Caronia of 1949 ushered in the era of modern cruising. Designed almost exclusively for an untapped passenger market – luxury cruising – she represented Britain’s recovery and moreover the rebirth of the world’s maritime industry after the devastation of the Second World War. With such illustrious Cunard predecessors as the Queen Mary, the ill-fated Lusitania, and the record-breaker Mauretania, Caronia was an instant favourite with the world’s rich and famous. She gathered an exclusive, often American, clientele – the ‘mink and diamonds set’ – who sailed on her year after year. Many passengers lived on board for years, giving her the air of an ultra-wealthy country club. Yet she ignominiously met her end while under tow to the breaker’s yard, ending up on the rocks at Guam after running aground during a typhoon. Her subsequent salvage was the largest ever undertaken by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Illustrated with previously unpublished photographs and rare memorabilia, including work from maritime artist Robert Lloyd, this history of one of Cunard’s most beloved liners is a must for all those who fondly remember the ‘Green Goddess’.