Passenger Ships - USA: Books - History and Shipping Lines

Great American Passenger Ships

America produced some of the world's finest, most interesting, advanced and innovative passenger ships, such as the brilliant SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever to sail the seas, ingloriously left lying in limbo for 42 years.

This book also documents passenger ships seized in wartime, notably the giant German Vaterland, which became the Leviathan of the United States Lines, as well as many newly built passenger ships, such as Santa Rosa, Lurline, President Cleveland, Independence and Brasil. Also included are peacetime troopships as well as 'combo ships', the once very popular passenger-cargo ships.

The great saga of American liners continues to this day with modern cruise ships in Hawaiian service. The cast of ships is both vast and varied, but endlessly fascinating. Presenting many unpublished images alongside historic, insightful text including personal anecdotes of the ships and voyages from passengers and crew alike, Bill Miller takes the reader on a nostalgic voyage and the great American passenger fleet sails once again!

America's Postwar Luxury Liners - An Illustrated History

It is hard for many to recall the great American passenger liners of the mid 20th century. Through creative use of period photographs, advertisements, menus, post cards and other memorabilia, the author tells the fascinating story of America's postwar luxury passenger liners - including the famed United States, the fastest liner in the world, and her consort America, Grace Line's fleet of luxury liners like the Santa Paula and Santa Rosa, the American Export Constitution and Independence, the Moore-Mc Cormack liners Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, the white ships of the Matson Line, such as the Lurline and Monterey, and the American President liners President Polk and President Monroe.

This book connects seafarers and armchair travellers alike with a nostalgic and less hectic time in history. Welcome Aboard!

SS United States - Red, white, and blue riband, forever

Arguably the world's most articulate and authoritative maritime historian, John Maxtone-Graham documents SS United States, her design, construction, and seventeen years of impeccable service. He introduces us to dozens of U.S. passengers, famous and infamous, as well as captains and crew.

The last great American ocean liner, SS United States could be converted to a 14,000-man troop carrier and was capable of attaining a speed of over 40 knots (although in her luxury Atlantic crossings the ship was much slower).
Sadly, jet travel put an end to ocean crossings, and the all-aluminum ship rests in Philadelphia while groups of fans continue to try to repurpose it.