P & O and Orient Line: Books - History and Ships

P&O - A History

From humble beginnings in the 1830s, The Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company grew to dominate British mercantile shipping for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Initially, the company's paddle steamers carried Her Majesty's Mail to the Iberian Peninsula, as the name implies, but over time P&OO extended its routes across the Mediterranean and onwards to the Middle East, Far East and Australasia.
Besides the mail, P&O liners carried bullion, silk, tea, and even opium as well as passengers. The company came to represent the British Empire at sea but as the Empire waned and British travellers took to the air, so a golden age of travelling by sea came to an end.
Ruth Artmonsky here delves into the P&O Heritage Collection to take a nostalgic glance astern at all those who travelled P&O.

Contents: Delivering the Mail - Serving the Empire - Life Aboard - P&O at War - Cruising - Changing Course - Further Reading - Index.

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P&O Orient Liners of the 1950s and 1960s - An Illustrated History

The 1950s and 1960s was the last golden age of ocean liners. It was an age of many modern, superbly designed ships that were created just before the great inroads of the jet age. The long route out to Australia and New Zealand was among the longest lasting, until the early 1970s. It was still supported by regular passenger traffic: one-way travelers, occasional tourists and, of course, the last waves of migrants, mostly heading for new lives Down Under.

P&O had purchased 51 per cent of the Orient Line in 1918, but the two companies remained separate firms, even competitors. After the Second World War, however, more of their liner services were coordinated. By 1960, they were fully merged as P&O-Orient Lines.
Together, this created the largest liner fleet in the world. There were eighteen passenger ships in the fleet in 1961, for example. The last of these liners, the Oriana and Canberra, were in fact their largest, fastest and most luxurious. By the 1970s, their trade was largely gone - P&O turned more and more to cruising.

Bill Miller takes the reader on a nostalgic voyage through the 1950s and 1960s aboard the final passenger liners - from the Mooltan, Orontes and Stratheden to the Oronsay, Arcadia and Orsova - of the great P&O and Orient lines.

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A Photographic History of the Orient Line

The Orient Line was once one of the most recognised names operating on the route between Great Britain and Australia, forming an important connection between the many peoples of the Empire. The great vessels of Orient Line included Oronsay, Orsova, Orcades and Oriana.
Despite being formed with no mail subsidy and a dominant competitor in P&O, the Orient Line endured. It survived two world wars, the Great Depression and stormy seas - carrying everything from mail to royalty, troops to tourists.

From the early days of the Orient Line of Clipper Ships through the era of steam driven liners, to the final Orient Line voyage, this book showcases the history of Orient Line with an exquisite collection of rare photographs.

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Orient Line - A fleet history

Orient Line was one of the most progressive and innovative British shipping companies in the Australian trade. The full history of the company and its ships from the formation of Anderson, Thomson and Company in 1863 until absorption into P&O in 1966 and the brief revival of its name between 1977 and 1987. Features 129 ships and over 400 images.

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P&O Ferries

In the late 1960s, P&O established ferry services in the North Sea and English Channel. Roll-on/roll-off operations and containerisation were introduced and new ships, facilities and investment was needed to take advantage of developments.

What followed was several decades of growth, buyouts and divisions. The twenty-first century saw the closure of several routes as the ferries saw increased competition from low-cost airline and the Channel Tunnel.
Throughout this period, P&O attracted a loyal customer base and became one of the most recognisable names on the sea.

Utilising a selection of rare and previously unpublished images, maritime historian Ian Collard delves into the story of this iconic company and its ships.

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Chasing the Dawn : Travelling the World with P&O

There is still some romance attached to the idea of sea travel; cruising the world's oceans in luxury and comfort; sailing to far-flung destinations as the first explorers did hundreds of years ago. Some cities are seen at their best by an arrival by water, gradually revealing themselves as the ship sails ever closer-Malta, Sydney and San Francisco to name a few.
The Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. and, today P&O Cruises, have been taking passengers all over the world since 1837. Join the author on a world cruise in P&O Cruises' 180th celebration year. Find out how world travel has changed, and, in some cases, has not.

Using extracts from old diaries, guide books and accounts, the writer compares cruising today with yesteryear. Get a captain's view of this special voyage; discover what goes into making it a unique experience; how they prepare over 7,500 meals every day.
The author was commissioned to assist in planning the itinerary and special excursions, visiting ports that were instrumental in the growth of P&O and still welcome their ships today. Discover amazing countries, cultures, and sights on a journey that circumnavigates the world. A blend of travelogue and history.

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