Big, fast, and powerful, the Queen Mary lived a long life that included 1,001 successful Atlantic crossings. Launched in Southampton, England in 1934, the ship at one time held the record for the fastest-ever North Atlantic crossing, and for a number of years carried the rich and famous across the ocean in luxury. Her running mate, the Queen Elizabeth, christened four years later, saw service in World War II and afterward provided deluxe transatlantic travel. These two ships, among the most famous and most successful ocean liners of the twentieth century, are given royal treatment in this authoritative volume.

In paying tribute to the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth, maritime authority William Miller describes their heralded debuts; magnificent lounges, staterooms, and other amenities; maritime rivalry and contributions during World War II, among other subjects. Their royal successors — the Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2 — are also covered, as are the Berengaria, Mauretania, Lusitania, and a host of other splendid ships. In addition to nearly 200 rare photographs of impressive interiors and exteriors, extensive captions provide data on builders, tonnage, size, speed, and passenger load of each vessel.