CROSSING ON TIME steam engines, fast ships, and a journey to the new world

by David Macaulay

Prior to the 1800s, ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean relied on the wind in their sails to make their journeys. But the invention of steam power ushered in a new era of transportation that would change ocean travel forever: the steamship.

Author-illustrator David Macaulay guides readers through the history that culminated in the building of the most advanced—and last—of these steamships: the SS United States. This book explores the design and construction of the ship and the life of its designer and engineer, William Francis Gibbs.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Middle Grade, Travel, Science, Picture Books

Hardcover

First published May 7, 2019

About the author

David Macaulay, born in 1946, was eleven when his parents moved from England to Bloomfield, New Jersey. He found himself having to adjust from an idyllic English childhood to life in a fast paced American city. During this time he began to draw seriously, and after graduating from high school he enrolled in the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). After spending his fifth year at RISD in Rome on the European Honors Program, he received a bachelor’s degree in architecture and vowed never to practice. After working as an interior designer, a junior high school teacher, and a teacher at RISD, Macaulay began to experiment with creating books. He published his first book, Cathedral, in 1973. Following in this tradition, Macaulay created other books—including City, Castle, Pyramid, Mill, Underground, Unbuilding, and Mosque—that have provided the explanations of the how and the why in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. From the pyramids of Egypt to the skyscrapers of New York City, the human race’s great architectural and engineering accomplishments have been demystified through Macaulay's elaborate show-and-tells. Five of these titles have been made into popular PBS television programs.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much all of the technical part of this book (in other words, most of it), about how steam engines and turbines work glided painlessly over my head. But I loved the framing story, and I really, really love ocean liners. Why? They're just neat, and really big. I enjoyed learning about the SS United States, and am trying to decide how worthwhile it might be to visit the Ikea in Philadelphia, from the cafe of which you get a view of pier 82 where the Atlantic crossing record holder has been quietly disintegrating for the last twenty years.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not finished yet, but this is awesome! It starts with the Macaulay family preparing to emigrate to the US from the UK in the 50s. Then we go back to the difficulty of pumping out mines and follow the development of the steam engine and the incremental improvements to the technology over time. Then we get the history of steamships in general, the importance of speed and safety in international shipping, and then the detailed construction of the United States, the ship the Macaulays sailed on. The net result is captivating: you get to look at so much that it kind of feels like a Seek and Find with a point. The fold-out of the completed ship is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.
Macaulay's work has always been very pleasing, but if you'd asked a week ago I wouldn't have said I was particularly interested in engines, how they work, or shipbuilding. Obviously, it's going to be a hit with anyone who does already have an interest in those. But these pictures are worth more than any number of words: concepts which aren't easily explained in words become perfectly clear and comprehensible in these layouts.

Possibly more when I finish, but if not, I highly recommend the book. Everyone will find something in here to enjoy.

***

Finished. Lots of good backmatter, for those who care.

Library copy

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed look at how steam engines are made and their use.

[Maeve · Rating 2 out of 5]

So boring.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning illustrations, as always, from David Macaulay. I loved the story of William Gibbs and the framing story of the Macaulay family moving to the United States but will admit reading most of the more technical, engineering parts with glassy eyes. However, my more more engineering minded son loved those parts. I read for the history, he read for the engineering.

[Hollowell Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Macaulay's new children's book CROSSING ON TIME is best for its autobiographic sections. It also shows the details of a 20th Century transatlantic cruise ship, from top to bottom, and it is drawn in his characteristic pen & ink and watercolor wash. The multiple perspectives are interesting, from overhead looking down to beneath the waves looking up. (As someone, who used to snorkel and scrape barnacles from the keels of boats, I especially appreciate the latter.) Page 94 shows the scope of the ship, from alongside, with a bellowing smokestack. This reference book is intriguing and will reach a wide audience.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Macaulay’s books have fascinated me for a long time. From stories about places that have stood the test of time, like cathedrals and castles, to things that we all depend on but seldom think about, like the systems that bring things into and take things out of our cities, with the odd foray into the fantastic or into a parable, like the process of unbuilding the Empire State Building or the story of the effects of overpopulation told through anthropomorphic sheep, David’s books tell some great stories that little ones - and not so little ones - will appreciate. So when I spotted a book from David about trans-Atlantic steamships - a subject that I love - I couldn’t resist.

“Crossing On Time” tells three stories- a history of passenger steamships that crossed the Atlantic, the process of building a steamship, and David’s personal story of crossing the Atlantic as a boy on the most advanced and fastest - and one of the last - of the great ocean liners, the SS UNITED STATES. The book covers how steam power was first practically applied and how it found its way to sea, technical advances that revolutionized sea travel, making it faster and safer, and the story of Willam Francis Gibbs, a self-taught naval architect with dreams of building America a ship that would break speed records while transporting passengers comfortably and safely. Through the journey of David and his family, we get to experience what it was like for people to sail across the Atlantic in the era before aircraft could take us across oceans in hours instead of days.

David’s drawings are as beautiful and as intricate as ever, and he explains concepts of naval construction and architecture like steam propulsion and shipbuilding techniques in a way that makes tricky concepts easier to understand. At 127 pages, it’s a pretty quick read - unless you get sucked into appreciating the details of Macaulay’s art like I did.

If you’d like to introduce your kids to the story of how people used to travel by ship, or you’ve done it yourself and would like to remember, understand, and appreciate what it took to make it happen, this book is a great introduction. Highly recommended!

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine yourself as a passenger aboard the SS United States, heading to a new world foreign to you. all the friends you leave behind that you grew so attached to, then all the friends you shall make, but you’ll never forget the friends you left, maybe even family. That’s exactly how thousands felt when SS United States departed for her maiden voyage. In Crossing on Time Steam Engines, Fast Ships and a Journey to the New World by David Macaulay, we’re introduced to a few different vessels, then the main ship that is focused on, SS United States, the ship the author and his family travelled on as a child. The story takes place at multiple locations, most prominently; Philadelphia, Southampton and New York.Some of the main problems and other facts are, in the 17th century, machinery was less advanced and mostly powered by animals, this limited different abilities. Competition was fierce, companies fighting to have the largest and the fastest ships, some of the most prominently known 20th century shipping lines include White Star Line, Cunard Line and United States Lines. Near the end of the story, the author shares his trip on SS United States and the experiences of an Ocean Liner, the reason why the author was excited to arrive at New York, and what happened when they arrived at Manhattan.The author arrives, and realizes that his book was inaccurate about their buildings size. The author is devastated that the book that he so trusted exaggerated the size. In conclusion, I feel those who have an interest or want to get into the fascinating world of Maritime history will enjoy this book. It also is good for those who want to learn what it would be like to travel on an Ocean Liner. It provides a great history of ships with imagery, a factual and enjoyable read for all I feel.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Macaulay, author and illustrator of Pyramid and The Way Things Work, has written a combination autobiographical work about his immigration to the US from Britain in 1957 at the age of 10 and his examination of the steamship, the SS United States, that he traveled on to America. This title is divided into 4 sections, the first, a history of steamships including the inventions that led to the steamship, the second, biographical information about the Gibbs brothers, the designers of the ship, the SS United States, the third, the actual designing and building of the ship, and the fourth, Macaulay's immigration to the United States. Ocean liners who received the honor of the Blue Riband award, given to the fastest westbound ocean liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a given year, a complete 6 page pull out cross section diagram of the SS United States, and a comparison of ocean liners beside the Empire State Building (laid out prone on its side) are just a few of the remarkable images in the book. Each page is filled with meticulous drawings, diagrams, and photographs to engage the reader. An afterword, timeline, and selected reading complete the volume. At 127 pages, the title can be read in one sitting. Macaulay's remembrances of his childhood are poignant with his favorite books from childhood and infatuation with the Empire State Building. Another superb title by Macaulay.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this book must have begun for David Macaulay. When he was young, his mother, his brother and he rode on the ship the United States. It was a steamship that became one of the fastest of its time. Starts by telling us that he is going on the voyage and then heads back in time to the beginning of steam engine technology. As he builds the story he shares very detailed information about how the technology progressed, what was still needed, and how it changed our culture, especially in the area of transportation. As in all of Macaulay's books, this one offers amazing pictures with detailed diagrams and clear explanations of how things work. While he talks about many different ships, he focuses on the United States and its designers, the Gibbs brothers. As steamships are not necessarily my area of interest at this depth, I did feel it felt a little lengthy in the explanation of the building of the United States, but overall it kept my interest about a topic I knew little about and had not previously thought I was interested in. I could definitely see recommending this book to students as a great read and/or a great mentor text for informational writing.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one made me feel as though I was exploring every inch of the SS United States, and some of the technical details were over my head. Reading this book, a delightfully-detailed and impeccably- illustrated depiction of the history of steamships, made me think about how long it took to travel from one part of the world to the next while relying on wind power and what an amazing advancement this was. Author/Illustrator David Macaulay bookends all the historical information with his own family's 1957 journey from Southampton to New York aboard the steamship, making the facts more personal while also providing readers a glimpse into the curious young boy he was at the time. Readers can imagine him pouring over the ship's inner workings and being fascinated by it all. While the book won't appeal to every reader, for those fascinated by what makes things work and innovations that have changed the way we travel, this one will be hard to pry from their clutches. The amount of research that resulted in the painstakingly-intricate drawings must have taken years. Clearly, this is one of those beautiful obsessions of Macaulay--and his fans are all the better for it.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not pass up enjoying a long awaited David Macaulay book. This is just the time to be able to lay out a book and just get lost in the back story of both the writer and the builder. And the illustrations are made to get lost in.
The story centers on a young Macaulay and his family relocating to the United States from England and doing it aboard the USS United States, an amazing HUGE ocean liner and also on the life and dreams of the builder William Francis Gibbs who planned and dreamed of this ship for years, and finally was able to see it become reality.
If you are not familiar with Macaulay's books, I encourage you to start here and then branch out into the others he was written. He takes you back to the start of steam engines and how they developed into the machines that changed the age of travel and could power something as large as this ocean liner.
The detailed illustrations are amazing. You feel you could walk your way thru the ship and enjoy its amenities. And, on the human side, walk with young David as he travels on this ship to American, nd also walk with Gibbs as he watched his dreams become reality.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

As children we perceive the world through a lens acutely aware of details others might miss but our point of view of life on a larger scale is limited by our resources and experiences. There have probably been moments in most of our lives when we were unaware of being involved in something destined for the annuals of history. It is only when we are adults, looking back on the decades of our lives, that we realize with astonishment and a little bit of awe how what was ordinary was built on the extraordinary.

In his most recent book, Crossing on Time: Steam Engines, Fast Ships, and a Journey to the New World (Roaring Brook Press, May 5, 2019) David Macaulay writes and illustrates about innovations, a lifetime dream fulfilled and one family's emigration to the United States. The evolution of steam engines and their use in transportation is deftly woven into the work of William Francis Gibbs and the building of the SS United States. Readers are entranced by accomplishments of multiple individuals, inspired by the perseverance of one man and thrilled to discover how these are tied to David Macaulay and his boyhood.


My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...

[Mike Violano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crossing On Time is a treasured trip back in time to when immigrants came to America on steamships just like my Italian grandparents. Author and master illustrator David Macaulay explains much in this marvelous book. He details in wonderful illustrations the history of steamships and the advances that made ocean travel faster, safer and more luxurious.
It is difficult to categorize this book-- it is an wonderful illustrated children's book, an art book, it provides lots of ship engineering facts and detail, and concludes with a heartfelt memoir of an ocean voyage by a 10 year old boy on the way to reunite with his father in America.
There are many fantastic art pieces especially a 6 page fantastic foldout of the USS America with all the call outs of guests and crew who lived and worked where. I'm probably a biased reviewed because I've been a long time time fan and reader of Macauley for decades. The ship still lives docked in a Philadelphia harbor in search of resurrection as a museum.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Macaulay does it again - a fabulous book on a very complicated piece of mechanical wonder. This book deserves an award! Macaulay has a way of not only illustrating his work (one can see the years of architectural study in his drawings) but also writing in such a way that a 5th grader could understand it. And if a 5th grader could understand it, then an adult like me could too. I only wish my dad was still with us to read this book. He would have thoroughly enjoyed reading about the history of steam engines and fast ships! As I was reading, the illustrations and reading kept building until I turned to page 86. Oh Wow! Pages 87 through 94 include a full layout on 6 pages of the US United States! Talk about fun! I loved the drawings of the rooms and imagining what the characters in those rooms were doing. Macaulay transported me into a luxury liner and had me imagining what life at that time must have been like. And then... he goes on to tell about his family's history on it. What a book! Keep reading to the very end. I don't want to spoil the last few pages. All I can say is WOW! What a great book. I see why it took years to write. Good job!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fascinating story of the development of steam engines is told against the backdrop of David Macaulay’s personal narrative of his family’s trip across the ocean from England to America in 1957 at age eight, and it concludes as his family settles into their new home in a New Jersey neighborhood where this “foreign land became home.” Historical information is accompanied by detailed drawings and schematics of pumps and pistons, early steam engines, steam-powered paddleboats, river steamboats, compound engines, steam turbines, and the building of the SS United States (the ship the Macaulay family sailed on). Back matter includes an afterword with Macaulay’s nostalgic look at how his past has twined with transportation advances, a timeline (from 1497-2011) detailing pivotal events in the history of steam engines and transportation, and a reading list.

[Sean Sexton · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Macaulay is best known for his intricately illustrated books showing the history of a particular place or object, e.g. "The Way Things Work", "Castle", "Cathedral", etc. In this book, he tells a bit of the history of ocean liners, with lovely illustrations of a few famous liners. He gradually works up to describe the SS United States, a liner launched in 1951 and one that Macaulay traveled on as a child. Clearly, this topic is a very personal one for him.

The book is a quick and fun read for anyone interested in ocean liners. It's far from a comprehensive history and focus far more on the machinery of the ships than the context in which they sailed. Still, it's a fun excursion into vessels that featured prominently in the history of the early 20th Century.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Mock Caldecott Awards voting. This was an extremely interesting book about the history of ships and how they eventually became the passenger liners of today. There is a wealth of illustrations and explanations to keep a curious youngster busy for days absorbing it all if they are truly interested. My favorite part of the book was the last part which details the voyage the author, as a child) and his family made on a "modern" ocean liner when he came to America.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s no surprise when a book by David Macaulay captivates and astounds with the detail and depth of research and rendering. This is no different, but I found it an especially exciting a new source for the way in which it integrates the personal memories of author/illustrator with hisTory, science, engineering, and inspiration. This belongs on many classroom and library shelves but also on many holiday shopping lists.

[Kifflie · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Macaulay gives us a history of steam engines and steam ships, and then focuses on the decades-long design, development, and building of the United States. His illustrations are very detailed -- including a huge splash page cross-section of the entire finished ship. The technical information was a little over my head, but I did enjoy the human aspect that Macaulay gave to this telling -- his own family emigrated to America on that very ship.

[Erica Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can imagine technical kids and those who like nonfiction enjoying this. There is a lot of information about the history of steam engines and boats and it is nicely illustrated. The memoir piece is what was lacking for me. It was an interesting story but it wasn’t fully fleshed out and it’s placement within the story wasn’t fluid. Also the last page was a bland some up to the book. I just think this book could have been done better.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. Very informative but not overly involved explanations on both the evolution of steam engines and passenger liners, culminating in the author's personal Atlantic crossing on S.S. United States.

Well illustrated with some sly humor interjected. The highlight is the large pull-out with a cut-away drawing of S.S. United States.

Highly recommended for kids and adults interested in ships and engines.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macaulay makes this story his own as he demonstrates steam engines in ships through every step of building the S.S. United States, one of the last large passenger vessels and the one he and his family took when they immigrated to the U.S. in 1957. Wow!
Wisely, the design team engineered a beautiful fold-out with all sorts of details and number guides to help us.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a light read. This was it. I am fascinated by ships, so this book was of high interest to me. David MaCaulay goes through ship making from the beginning until the SS United States. My favorite part of the book was the illustration and key of the entire SS United States (6 pages folded out).

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely fantastic. I loved both stories, one of the development of steam ships and one of the emigration of the author's family from England. The technical aspect was also incredibly well done, with Macaulay's drawings teaching me more about the various steam engine cycles than I learned in engineering school!

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a look into the development of steam ships and then specifically at the ship that brought the author across the Atlantic Ocean as a child. It was fascinating and I loved all the detailed pictures and diagrams. Some of the technical explanations might have been a bit complicated for children to understand. My 12-year-old was interested enough to read this book, too.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, short book about the development of steamships and, specifically, the building of the S.S. United States, upon which the author (David Macaulay) sailed as a young boy as an emigrant from Great Britain to the U.S. Excellent hand-drawn illustrations by the author.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history and homage to the grand old lady of the seas, the “United States”. The additional detailed look at the early history of steamships is also highly informative. Once the “United States” opens as a hotel/museum I know where I’ll be spending my next vacation.

[Jason Webster · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful, but the story was non-existent. Mostly it was just a history of steam ships - not uninteresting, but also not really exciting.

The title angers me because it makes it sound like a novel which it isn't at all. In fact, the book never really justified the title.

[SpinsNReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent book that discects a ship, but the story at the very end was a little jarring because it wasn't like the rest of the book. Overall, this was very good for a child curious about the inner workings of a ship.