Merchant Shipping: 50 Years in Photographs

Over a period of about 40 years, world shipping has undergone huge changes. Up to the early 1960s it was dominated by vessels of well-established companies usually following regular routes at predictable intervals. The 1960s, however, marked the start of the container "revolution: and, with it, the redundancy of fleets of relatively modern, fast, cargo liners. The "box ship" also precipitated the closure of many cramped city docks throughout the world. Change continues and, with the exception of bulk cargo carriers and tankers, versatile vessels that can accommodate cars, containers, and general cargo are now commonplace. This is a collection of David's superb black-and-white photographs, taken over a lifetime as a shipping enthusiast, and supported by well-researched captions. Showing a wide range of ships and ports across the UK and Europe, and also in locations as far apart as West Africa and Japan, it will fascinate and delight ship-lovers wherever they are.