Transatlantic: Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the Great Atlantic Steamships

by Stephen Fox

A stirring narrative of the rapid development of the great transatlantic steamships, from paddle-wheelers to the sleek luxury greyhounds of the modern era -- and the men who designed and ran them. During the nineteenth century, the roughest but most important ocean passage in the world lay between Britain and the United States. Bridging the Atlantic Ocean by steamship was a defining, remarkable feat of the era. Over time, Atlantic steamships became the largest, most complex machines yet devised. They created a new transatlantic world of commerce and travel, reconciling former Anglo-American enemies and bringing millions of emigrants to transform the United States. In Transatlantic, the experience of crossing the Atlantic is re-created in stunning detail from the varied perspectives of first class, steerage, officers, and crew. The dynamic evolution of the Atlantic steamer is traced from Brunel's Great Western of 1838 to Cunard's Mauretania of 1907, the greatest steamship ever built. Set against the classic tension of modern technology contending with a formidable natural environment, the story is rife with disasters. The key element is steam the universal, magical, transforming microchip of the nineteenth century.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

493 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jeffrey Thiessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I haven't read this book before now. Totally enjoyable and readable, Stephen Fox chronicles the dawn of transatlantic steam travel in the 19th century, the companies and men who built the ships and the rise of the technology that made it possible.

[Rachel Parham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense. That is the word that comes to mind now that I have finished Stephen Fox's tome on the history of transatlantic shipping. And I don't mean dense as in stupid. I mean dense as in packed, stuffed, chock full of incredible information and astute detail.

It is the thoroughness in this detail that makes this book an incredible reference source. And a must-have on the shelves of anyone interested in the history of transatlantic ocean liners. I know I personally will consult this book again and again as I start to tackle the many maritime-related projects I have slated for myself. But this thorough detail also has its drawback: in many ways, this book is almost too intense for casual reading. Maybe, as the passionate student of maritime history that I profess myself to be, I wanted to retain more from my reading of this book than I quickly realized would be possible to do. There is so much covered here -- so many names, dates, locations, technical jargons, and ship lifetimes -- that I found myself wanting to stop and create Excel spreadsheets to organize and collate Fox's data in a vain attempt to keep it all straight. Maritime history nerd alert here. I know many could sit back and read this book as casually as any other notable history. But I (rather foolishly) wanted to be able to give a lecture on the topics covered in this work after a single reading. How utterly, utterly foolish.

The density of detail aside, there are snippets that will stand out to me. I am an avid amateur student of maritime history and my two favorite topics are shipwrecks and people. I am most fascinated by the personalities involved, life aboard ships, and the tragedy of ocean disasters. There was plenty of all three in Fox's excellent narrative. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself engrossed in some of the more "peripherary" personalities, or characters Fox drops in here and there to illustrate certain key influences or experiences of transatlantic travel. For example, the experiences of earlier transatlantic travelers like Fanny Appleton and Charles Dickens. Or, even more so, the grudging acceptance and approval of late 19th century ocean liners by curmudgeonly American Henry Adams. I found myself enjoying those stories most of all.

But no matter the interest, be it the history of specific shipping companies (everyone from Cunard to Collins to Hamburg-America is here) or the history of ship machinery or the social and political influences that drove some of the shipping decisions (connection to the railroads, for example) or the cultural relationships amongst the power players on the North Atlantic (Great Britain and the United States, for example), Stephen Fox's Transatlantic has it covered.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a pretty good history of the development of the transatlantic steamships from the mid-19th century to around 1910.

Let me get my rating out of the way: 4 out of 5 stars. Good, now I can nitpick. What happened after 1910? Why end the story there? When did airplane supplant steamships as the best way to cross the Atlantic? What were the social and political impacts of the reduced time for transatlantic crossing? (Fox does have one chapter on that topic, but I find that more intriguing than all the details about ship construction or (heaven help us) ship financing.)

[R.J. Southworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting and detailed book about the development of travel by steamship on the North Atlantic, providing a very clear picture (with lots of first-hand accounts) of what it was like to travel by sea in those days, and how competition between different companies drove progress. I did notice a few errors, however, like saying the early steam vessel Comet was named after the "recent" appearance of Halley's Comet (which was last visible from Earth 53 years before the Comet was launched). The conclusion, which skips to the Lusitania and Mauretania, also leaves a lot out: I understand only mentioning the Titanic in passing (there are more than enough books on that subject) but White Star's second Oceanic and Big Four aren't mentioned at all, which feels strange given the overall themes of the book.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because I wanted to know more about the history of the great ocean liners, and I was not disappointed. Fox manages to skilfully deliver a lot of information in an extremely lucid and readable way, at once delivering facts but never becoming a textbook. It also manages to balance well between the history of the engineering that drove these great ships across the Atlantic, and the social history of the countries they originate, the yard where they were built, and finally life on board. It left me wanting more. A final thought that it does end somewhat abruptly, but on a sweet note.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to the age of the ocean liner. Fox uses Cunard as a lens to view the development of transatlantic passenger travel from the sailing packets of the early 19th c. to the large floating palaces that defined ocean travel through the mid 20th c. Interesting characters and events were clearly carefully chosen to engage the reader.

[BGS · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating topic

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indeed Stephen Fox has completely written a great book on the history of Transatlantic steamship travel from roughly the mid 19th century through 1910. I picked up this book for a mere .21 plus postage on Amazon and found it to be a surprisingly shiny gem. It's hard to add to what my fellow reviewers have written below, other then I completely agree with them. This is a dense book, packed with facts, figures, and exciting stories. And yes, we unfortunately no longer have these grand Victorian liners to see and visit (an utter shame), but Fox's keen descriptions bring them back to life for us. Also, his stories about those that took the risks in building and financing these amazing machines is really nothing short of epic. Those that designed and constructed these magnificent streamers throughout the ages were geniuses, and if they had been born a century later would have been maybe astronauts or the founders of Apple or Microsoft in our time. Great men, all of them. Stephen Fox is described as a "freelance historian." He writes about whatever seems to be his fancy; whether sports, advertising, conservation, or even steamships. But one thing is for sure, he tackles his subjects with such verve and enthusiasm - it makes his readers excited and happy to go along on the ride with him. I picked up this book mainly to learn about the German lines that took my Grandparents and other relatives over to America in 1913. I have family that came over on each of the German lines: North German Lloyd and the Hamburg American lines. I was quiet satisfied to learn more about their tumultuous journey and what they endured in reaching Ellis Island before the Great War. For this I am grateful for Fox's work. Only a few side notes. I would have loved to see an appendix or timeline listing the boats and companies included in this book to perhaps complement what was spoken of in the text. Also, a follow up book from 1911-1940 or so would be amazing. Taking the rest of the story from the Golden Age of Transatlantic steam travel up to the advent of the great airlines (that unfortunately do not exist anymore in anyway, shape, or form). Please Mr. Fox, work your magic one more time for us. Lastly, although this book already covers miles of ground and ocean, we didn't get too much insight on the great Imperial Navies that also were born during this time as well. Overall, I give Transatlantic a solid Five Stars; an entertaining, witty, and fact-filled text. Ahoy Mr. Fox, job well done!

[Dinochunks01 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Stephen Fox's recreations of some of the human side of what could've been another hull listing chronology.
I was interested in how new fields of technology got established, such as the Naval Architects Institute. It must have been daunting to work in a highly technical field in the early days of steam engines and yet, be considered a "clever" machinist.
NOTE: I am currently rereading this to review the class system at play during the 1880's thru the 1890's, since my mother's family was emigrating from Ireland and sending money back to bring over the rest of the adventurous members of the family. The steerage descriptions got my imagination going.
This book feeds my Effects of Techblogy on People and Vice Versa interest.

[Richard Jespers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Fox tells the story of steamship travel on the Atlantic Ocean, 1850-1915. Very interesting, particularly Fox's vivid descriptions of the horrible conditions people tolerated to cross the ocean on a steamer:

"The second phase of the voyage began when the ship stopped hugging the shore and steamed out to sea . . . in the main saloon, waiters set out the table guards: strips of wood three inches high arranged around the edges and across each place setting, to keep plates and glasses from sliding away. The cabin stewards brought out side boards to hold people safely in their berths as they rolled back and forth" (202).

Yikes.

Beautiful and historic photographs!

[Mike Prochot · Rating 4 out of 5]

We take much for granted when we board a ship for a vacation cruise. This book takes you through the age of the steamship from it's beginnings to the glory years of oceanic travel. The cutthroat business end shows through but does nothing to tarnish the romance of the days when crossing the Atlantic in a luxury liner was the dream of a lifetime.

You get a great range of perspective from the ship owner, builder, first class pasenger and ship steward to the bloke booking a run in steerage. Very informative. Much detail but an easy read. Many facts will find you running to google for more background.

A good book to read while relaxing on a cruise!

[William Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific, ticks all the boxes for me, history, transport, engineering etc.
Well written and exhaustively researched held my attention almost all the way through except for some of chapter 14, Anglo-Americans, which induced a hint of mild tedium, only a hint mind you.
Why do publishers give a book one name in the USA and another in the UK? Transatlantic should have sufficed for all editions in English but instead we have The Ocean Railway in the UK, perhaps it is a nod to Brunel and his Great Western for a British public but it's not exactly a snappy title.

[Gabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more precise but less catchy title: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Steam Travel Across the Atlantic but Didn't Know You Wanted to Ask. Very well written; you may find yourself regaling your friends with steamship trivia they never asked for. Lots of good information on well-known figures such as Cunard and Brunel, but without neglecting lesser-known inventors. However, seems overfond of describing shipwrecks in detail.

[Stephen Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absorbing narrative of an age now long gone when trans-Atlantic passenger ships were once the fashionable way to travel. The dangers of this transport, particularly in the pre and early steamship era are graphically set out showing that the Titanic disaster (which is only mentioned in passing) was actually only one of many loses. This book provides informed coverage of an aspect of modern history which is generally neglected.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read about the development and challenges of early steamboat travel. The Titanic tragedy was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of shipwrecks and fatalities during the first 100 years of steamship travel. Sadly, the bottom of the North Atlantic is littered with the remains of tens of thousands who perished along their voyage.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Really captures the perils, adventures, and joy of transatlantic travel. I could picture myself in the early 20th century(part of the period the book is about).

I realized that some aspects of transatlantic travel haven't changed at all

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been really interesting and an excellent read. My only complaint is that the authors views has a tendency to color his writing but overall an excellent read if you are interested in this topic.

[Bessadina · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting, full of facts and historical clues as to what the gold age of ocean going was. gripping!

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absorbing story which has taught me a lot about a subject I thought i knew reasonably well. A great read for anyone remotely interested in 19th century engineering and the rapid pace of change.