This stylishly designed book tells the fascinating story of the greatness and glamour of the ocean liner. For the first time in paperback, the history of these vessels is recounted with full exploration into their design, construction and development, along with a social history of those who worked and travelled on them. The well-known perennial favourites such as Mauretania, Olympic, Titanic, Bremen, Europa and the Cunard Queens are looked at in a fresh light in the context of emerging and changing lifestyles. The book also offers detailed information on some of the lesser known but significant ships such as l'Atlantique, Empress of Britain and Cap Arcona. The story is brought full circle with a discussion of the liner's increasing influence on cruise ship design and the Queen Mary 2, which initiated a new liner era for the twenty-first century.