At one time British ships carried half of the world's trade, transporting every conceivable type of freight from and to all four corners of the globe – and in times of crisis the merchant fleet has also offered military assistance. In fact, the merchant convoys and armed cruisers that defied the German blockades to supply Britain in the First World War were so pivotal that they were recognised as a second 'navy' – the Merchant Navy. This fleet again saw service in the Second World War, continuing to keep Britain provisioned even in its darkest hour. Richard Woodman here relates the Merchant Navy's colourful history and brings to life the day-to-day experiences of the seamen.

'Merchant Shipping Legislation' provides a user-friendly approach to this area of law and offers concise information with easy-to-use referencing. Subjects covered include safety, marine pollution, carriage of goods, marine insurance, and European Union regulation of shipping.

In The Merchant Ship in the British Atlantic, 1600—1800, Phillip Reid refutes the long-held assumption that merchant ship technology in the British Atlantic during the two centuries of its development was static for all intents and purposes, and that whatever incremental changes took place in it were inconsequential to the development of the British Empire and its offshoots. Drawing on a unique combination of evidence from both traditional and unconventional sources, Phillip Reid shows how merchants, shipwrights, and mariners used both proven principles and adaptive innovations in hulls, rigs, and steering systems to manage high physical and financial risks. Listen also to the podcast where the author is interviewed about the book for New Books Network and the podcast with Liz Covart for Ben Franklin’s World by clicking here.

Originally published in 1874-6, this illustrated four-volume work offers a full and authoritative history of maritime trade.

A comprehensive guide to the building and sailing of working scale model merchant ships, this new paperback edition covers the spectrum of ship types--from tankers to trawlers to paddle-steamers. Every stage of construction is covered in full detail, beginning with the building of the hull and concluding with propulsion, ballasting, and sailing the completed model. All building methods and materials are described, including plank on frame construction, GRP molding of hulls, and casting of deck fittings. Chapters are devoted to the installation of electric motors and steam engines, and the fitting and operation of radio control equipment. This book is indispensable reading for ship modelers of all skill levels.

This book compiles seven essays concerning changes to merchant shipping over the hundred and fifty years between 1850 and 2000, and spanning a range of countries, with particular focus on Norway, Greece, Japan, and England. The essays are linked by the theme of change: from traditional to modern shipping; in fluctuating cargo demands; from sail to steam; wood to iron; in improvements in communication technologies; in political natures and affiliations; in seafaring skillsets; in the advent of containerisation and advent of globalisation. The overall aim is to construct a solid international context for the merchant shipping industry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries - primarily to aid a major Norwegian deep-sea merchant marine project. The book contains an introduction that sets out these aims, and seven essays by maritime historians which form part of the international contextual whole, though all can be approached individually.