Buy 1911 Olympic & Titanic Shipbuilder Distinguished Liners from The Shipbuilder Volume 1 and Volume 2: 1911 Olympic & Titanic Shipbuilder The Shipbuilder Volume 1 Complete Review

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Complete Volume 1 Book Review published in Nautical Collector Magazine

"The prospect of traveling through time has captured the imagination of enlightened man since the dawn of the twentieth century. In 1895, H.G. Wells tapped into an unlimited source of contemplation by presenting to the world his vision of the unquestionably miraculous concept of time travel in his classic novel, The Time Machine. Now, one hundred years later, author and historian Mark D. Warren has placed the possibility of transcending the fourth dimension right into our very hands. Although not founded in physics as was the mechanism envisioned by Wells, Mark Warren’s Distinguished Liners from The Shipbuilder, Volume 1: 1906-1914 nevertheless serves the same purpose. A voyage between the covers of this exacting piece of literary brilliance will render the reader cognizant of coal dust, cuspidors and a class-conscious Edwardian world now all as extinct as the mastodon.

"A brief overview of this publication would describe it as thus: A compilation of ocean liner related articles that appeared in the now famous (and oh, so elusive) Shipbuilder magazine ("Quarterly Magazine devoted to The Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering and Allied Industries," began publishing in 1906 and survives today as Shipping World and Shipbuilder), comprising 39 different ships and two tenders from 1906 to the outbreak of World War I. But such a description would be too simplistic. Mr. Warren has gone beyond the painstaking realms of practicality to present to the world a ruthlessly authentic replication of the best that The Shipbuilder has to offer. In the case of this book, authenticity is as imperative as the content.

"More specifically, this encyclopedic collection comprises an aggregate total of 176 pages of original Shipbuilder text with 145 text photographs, along with 37 pages of original advertisements involving 63 shipbuilding related services and products, including 24 for the Lusitania and Mauretania as well as another 24 for the Olympic and Titanic. In total, the ads are illustrated by 18 engravings and 40 additional photos; all this in addition to 22 foldout blueprint plans, five color plates, a two-color Titanic cutaway folding advertisement and even two facsimile subscription forms. Eureka! Finally someone has published a book one would be very proud to own!

"The ships represented in Distinguished Liners from The Shipbuilder run the gauntlet of passenger ship design and application from the early years of our current century. The legendary sea roving denizens are all here: Mauretania, Rotterdam, Balmoral Castle, Olympic, France and the Empress of Russia. The famous ships of ill-fated fortune are likewise included: Empress of Ireland, Volturno, Lusitania and Titanic. But also included are those vessels that history seemed to have forgotten except as footnotes to its own perpetuity: Amazon, Laurentic, Traffic, Paul Lecat, Reina Victoria-Eugenia and Missanabie to name a few. Of these 41 vessels, 15 were sunk in the "Great War," six were lost in World War II, peacetime disasters destroyed three more and the Spanish Civil War claimed yet another. In addition to punctiliously "creating" this book by repositioning or importing 220 blocks of text, photos and advertisements, Mr. Warren has also written an introduction that gives added historical background as well as brief biographies of each ship. This volume then, is really a monument to the shipwrights who created these extraordinary products as well as the ships themselves – all now lost forever. To be sure, the subject matter is solid, interesting and at times, even amusing.

"To house this fleet of long departed transoceanic conveyances, Mark Warren has produced a literary dry dock that in all respects is actually clearer, sharper and better than that found in the first 52 issues of the original magazine from which this material was gleaned. Using the most sophisticated laser scanning technology known today, the 145 text photographs and 40 advertisement photos were scanned and reprinted at 4,000 dots per square inch which is a considerable upgrade over laser quality printing of 600 d.p.i. By controlling contrast of each photo in this book it is hard to believe they were not taken this year. The resulting computer-enhanced photos are what perhaps can best be described as "photographic archaeology."

"At first glance, one may notice that 32 photos of the 185 found in Distinguished Liners from The Shipbuilder (17 of the Titanic), have been previously reprinted by Patrick Stephens in their Shipbuilder Ocean Liners of the Past series. However, that is where the comparison stops.

"Even the paper selected for this archival achievement is as close to the original clay coated paper as is possible. And as with clay coated paper, the quality of Blue Riband’s acid free paper allows detail to be seen with unprecedented clarity, giving a view as fresh and new as if seen in computer-generated "virtual reality."

"Also delineated with great clarity in Blue Riband’s newest publication are the magnificent gatefolds of general arrangement plans for the Mauretania, Olympic & Titanic, France, Regina Victoria-Eugenia, Empress of Russia & Asia, Ceramic and Missanabie & Metagama. It should also be mentioned that these gatefold plans have been "tipped-in" – as well as sewn in – by hand, at the appropriate locations in the text, and not all thrown together at the end of the volume as would have been far cheaper and easier to have done. The result is a cohesive, flowing pageant of seagoing architectural history.

"And it is this pageant parading before the reader that is as remarkable as the medium in which it is presented. Sheer magnificence rendered in cold rolled steel and forged from the guts and tenacity of shipowner and journeyman alike. Nothing like the liners displayed here will ever grace the seas again.

"Take the four-funneled France, for example. Long, low, sleek and noble, her maiden voyage took place only five days after the loss of White Star’s Titanic. Compounding this tragedy, it is also sad to note the craftsmanship of this Gaulic contender was overshadowed by the events of the day – if not overlooked altogether. Her 534 first class patrons were housed in one of the most lavish and incomparable of all passenger ship accommodation; her first class dining saloon being one of the finest ever to go to sea.

"Yet just forward this room that provided such frivol and fuss for 250 patrons on its lowest floor, was a bleak dormitory offering wrought iron berthing arrangements in triple high spartan bunks for 288 emigrant men. The square footage of the first class dining saloon greatly exceeded the dimensions of this human stable, and this was only one of 11 such communal enclaves found on this seemingly utopian vessel that housed 810 weary third class passengers in quarters reminiscent of slave ship conditions of centuries past. To be fair, it should be mentioned that the France did offer third class accommodation for an additional 140 emigrants in cabins that offered the luxury of rough-hewn privacy – but little else. It’s all here, in photos and deck plans. One only has to read between the lines of the text and diagrams first typeset over eighty years ago to truly understand the full story.

"Clearly this ship was designed to show off her finest lodgings. However, only one bathtub was reserved for the entire third class and this was located in the hospital aft the mess hall. Dining room stewards in second class were required to transcend a fourth of the ship’s length in order to fill their silver serving trays for the long haul back down the rolling corridor to their waiting charges. And speaking of overland journeys for the trodden masses, those 288 guys crammed like sardines had to hike forward fully one-third of the ship’s length and ascend one deck in order to simply gain access to the latrine.

"But it is this very juxtaposition and contrast of wealth and station that lent these floating social orders their mystique and allure that we, in the comfortable security of our late twentieth century abodes, find so compelling. Witness the mighty Titanic. This, the world’s most famous ship, remains legendary not only in the divergent treatment of her passenger classes, but also in their fates as well. Seen here in Mr. Warren’s book is a very clear – and remarkably rare – view of the 21-light "bronze and mercurial gilt candelabrum" that graced the first class grand staircase of the Titanic. Also included is a photo of the Mauretania under construction with here quartet of unfinished funnels only half their final height. Equally noteworthy are more scarce photos of the first class kitchen and pantry of both the Olympic and Titanic. But what makes these reproductions so exceptional is the fact that they have not been seen in over eighty years, and thanks to the most advanced laser scanning technology known, they now appear with three-dimensional clarity. Additionally, the reader will discover many other hidden surprises, including a marvelous full length shot of the Titanic in dry dock which until now has been virtually unknown, as well as illustrations of her interiors that are immeasurably more detailed than those previously printed.

"Yet, despite her grandeur, the specter of the Titanic can be noticed chillingly laced into the contemporary quaintness of the text. The staunchness of the Ceramic of 1913 is attributed to her bulkheads which, "…are carried much higher than has been the usual practice in times past, and thus provide exceptional flotation capacity in the case of danger." The references regarding the Missanabie of 1914 are grimly closer to the point: "Extra strengthening has been applied so as to enable her to withstand the buffeting experienced in the North Atlantic, including contact with ice." Cold and to the point. But even should this most dire of circumstances become reality, the ensuing description of the lifesaving appliances of the Missanabie ironically borders on the apologetic by saying her lifeboats, "…anticipate every contingency for which human ingenuity can provide." But is the seaworthiness of the open boats being questioned – or that of the mother ship? That is for the reader to decide.

"Social understatements are also sprinkled throughout Distinguished Liners from The Shipbuilder. The first class glories of the Empress of Russia are loudly proclaimed. But for some reason no mention is made in the text of the opium smoking room found in third class even though it is clearly shown in the deck arrangements. The partition on the open expanse of her Shelter Deck, marked "steel bulkhead" on the plans, in fact serves no other purpose than to separate the promenading second class passengers from the aromatic delights of the "third class airing space" further aft. And every set of deck plans in this book contain in their higher grades of accommodation, a male lavatory adjacent to the smoking room demarcating them as the final bastions of masculine sanctuary before being lost into the sea of equality. Even our own Surgeon General would approve of the first class social hall in the Amazon of 1906 where, "…passengers will be able to take their coffee and cigarettes, while the fore end will be practically reserved for those who do not wish to indulge in the fragrant weed."

"With all this attention to accommodation it is easy to forget these ocean-going cities were also the technological marvels of their age. The razor pointed bow of the Lusitania stands out in dry dock proving the axiom that, "form follows function." Laser technology also shows this greyhound slicing through the Atlantic at over 25 knots. At this speed we are reminded that the ship could be braked to an "all stop" in just under four minutes. Not unlike the Concordes of today, the Lusitania, as well as her sister the Mauretania, displayed the precision of express trains as they pounded across the Atlantic with unprecedented regularity. In his introduction, Mark Warren points out that of the 88 crossings – each amounting to more than 3,000 miles – that Mauretania made between January 1909 and the end of November 1911, "70 averaged over 25 knots, and of those 32 averaged 25.5 knots, while two averaged over 26 knots. So uniform was her performance, not one of those 88 crossings varied in length by more than five miles, and out of 14 made in 1911, the mileage was exactly the same for ten." Sadly had not a Teutonic torpedo found its target and cut short a glorious career, the "Lucy" would have, in all probability, continued unabated as the "Maury" did until replaced by the Queen Mary, whose design they so clearly influenced.

"No less amazing is the launch of the Olympic in 1910. Her deadweight of 27,000 tons traveled in 62 seconds a distance of nearly 900 feet at over 12 knots only to be brought to a halt in a minute-and-a-half 500 feet from the end of the launching ways. Not bad for a world that considered pit toilets normal and horses as reliable modes of transport.

"Between articles and advertisements selected for inclusion in Distinguished Liners from The Shipbuilder, a new view of the old order can also be appreciated. Read how 70 ancient motor cars were hoisted aboard the Grosser Kurfurst in a snow sled contraption that took special care to protect the "pneumatic types" of the horseless vehicles. Or how the elevator in the Adriatic was considered an unnecessary novelty. The advertisement for watertight doors proclaiming the Mauretania as "practically unsinkable" makes one wonder why her sister, the Lusitania, sank in only 15 minutes when both vessels were identically constructed with the same watertight doors and the same number of 175 watertight compartments. And what about the Titanic? Was she labeled unsinkable too?

"Please be aware that Mr. Warren’s magnificent volume is not just another tired reprint of The Shipbuilder. Other than sharing some of the same photos, the sections detailing the launch of the Mauretania and the Olympic are completely different from those found in the now famous Souvenir Numbers. Mark Warren has included 376 lines of original text detailing the launch of this White Star giant as compared with a meager 40 lines found in the "souvenir edition." Likewise, we can now read 381 lines of text regarding the launch of Cunard’s Mauretania against only 88 lines in that souvenir reprint, earning both descriptions the distinction of being the most comprehensive ever published. In fact, both souvenir volumes make reference to these far more extensive narratives now found in the Blue Riband publication.

"Included in Distinguished Liners from The Shipbuilder are five color plates, assembled here as a set for the first time in 88 years as brilliant and lifelike as when first viewed over eight decades ago. These color reproductions have been varnished with a matte finish to replicate the original hand-tinted hues. You will also find between the volume’s heavy covers, 41 text diagrams including transverse cutaways and engine room plans. The two-color Titanic folding advertisement is likewise another jewel in the crown of this triumphant hand-stitched and hand-bound historical recreation.

"Distinguished Liners from The Shipbuilder will be formally introduced to the world at a gala book party from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Tuesday, November 14, 1995 at the Seamen’s Church Institute, 241 Water Street, New York, New York 10038. On display will be numerous ocean liner artifacts from Mark Warren’s private collection that pertain exclusively to the vessels in this book. Among the many pieces on display will be a wonderful array of Titanic-related ephemera including a first class restaurant receipt; a wealth of Lusitania and Mauretania material including gold and silver pocket watches exhumed from the shattered Lusitania (some still half-filled with sea water), and a sizable piece of paneling from the Mauretania’s grand lounge; the only complete set of coffee & tea service salvaged from the wreckage of the Empress of Ireland along with a number of mint-condition first and second class plates; in addition to a wide variety of ocean liner memorabilia. Alongside the Normandie’s bronze bell in the spacious, well-lit surroundings of this lower Manhattan Bauhaus structure, Mr. Warren will discuss, autograph and present his bound and gold-stamped time machine to the readers of the current epoch.

"For those of us who cannot attend the party, copies of Distinguished Liners from The Shipbuilder, Volume 1 can be purchased directly from Blue Riband Publications, Rockefeller Center, New York, NY. The price is $79.00 plus $4.00 shipping in the United States. It is a limited printing the likes of which we will not see again – that is until Volume 2 is ready for release sometime next year.

"And don’t be fooled by the sepia onionskin paper subscription forms found bound into each book. No, you cannot obtain deluxe copies of the original Olympic & Titanic Shipbuilder sent "post free to all places abroad" for only 2 shillings and 8 pence apiece. Even perforated order forms have been created with inordinately detailed accuracy and one must remember this book is only an archival time transporter. After all, this is 1995 and not 1911. Even so, I wonder how many of these subscription forms will be filled out and sent in with the hope of receiving an original edition of the Olympic & Titanic Shipbuilder for the equivalent of only 30 cents… Hmm… Maybe that’s not such a bad idea after all… "

Gordon R. Ghareeb, Lakewood, California

Born and raised in the Wilmington District of the Los Angeles Harbor, Gordon R. Ghareeb has always been at home around and aboard the great ships of the West Coast. His love of the sea was inherited from his father, a battle hardened boson’s mate, who began taking him aboard the Pacific liners as soon as he could walk. Gordon served for three years as one of the first Tour Guides aboard the retired Queen Mary in Long Beach soon after the ship opened in 1971 and is acknowledged as one of the local experts on the fabled Cunarder. He resides with his wife and three daughters in Lakewood, California.