Cunard's Legendary Queens Of The Sea

There are few names more redolent of the great days of trans-Atlantic sailing than the trio of Cunard liners; Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth 2. The first two, dating from the 1930s, represented the epitome of gracious travelling during the prewar years and in the immediate postwar period, whilst the QE2 represented a later generation, being constructed in the late 1960s. Whilst the first two have long since been withdrawn, although the Queen Mary still survives in California, the QE2 has recently been joined by a new Cunard vessel - Queen Mary 2 - that is one of the largest passenger vessels afloat and even this is soon to be eclipsed by the construction of a further new vessel - Queen Victoria - that is scheduled to enter service in 2005. For some 70 years, therefore, from the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth to the QE2 and QM2, passengers have enjoyed transatlantic crossings in the luxury of these Cunard vessels. In his latest book for Ian Allan Publishing, David Williams, whose earlier volumes in the 'Glory days' series on Cunard and P&O proved highly successful, examines in detail the careers of liners concerned. Illustrated with both colour and mono illustrations, the book explores the rich history of the liners in both peace and war, providing the reader with a fascinating account of these classic liners. In addition to the information on the four liners that have served with Cunard since the 1930s, the book also provides a brief glimpse into the future and the construction of the new Queen Victoria. With his earlier books on the subject, David Williams has proved to be a successful commentator on the history of Cunard; this new addition to the Ian Allan Publishing list will enhance further his considerable reputation and will be of interest to all those who know or are fascinated by the great transatlantic liners.