Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios

Book excerpt: They formed three trios of wonder ships. From the Cunard Line came the Lusitania, Mauretania, and Aquitania. From the White Star Line came the Olympic, the infamous Titanic, and the Britannic. From the Hamburg-Amerika Line came the Imperator, Vaterland and Bismarck, which would later find service as Cunard's Berengaria, the U.S. Line's Leviathan, and White Star's Majestic. They were, in turn, the fastest, most powerful, largest and most luxurious ocean liners that had ever sailed that ocean. Some would find great success; others would suffer disaster. Their careers would be affected by natural elements, by mismanagement, and by the brutalities of war. Their fates were also inextricably intertwined. The all-new 2009 Version of "Atlantic Liners" boasts over 730 photos, as well as nearly a dozen general arrangement plans of the ships. An Introduction has been penned by Mark Chirnside.