July 16, 2010: New Facebook integration for Atlantic Liners! At the top of all pages on this web site, just below the header, you will find a Facebook "Like" button. If you click this button, you will be able to show your Facebook friends that you like this web site. Additionally, I have created two new pages on Facebook. The first is a page for the all-new book, Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography (Amberley Books, 2010). The second is an information page regarding this web site, and called "Atlantic Liners." The latter page is linked directly from the left side of each page on this site, directly below the main navigation. Please drop by and visit both pages, and if you press the "Like" button on them, news and updates regarding the Lusitania book and anything having to do with Atlantic Liners (including updates, news on the author's future projects, etc.) will come through to your News Feed on Facebook. So "Like" away, and keep up to date with the latest developments!
July 16, 2010:
Only one copy of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios (2009) remains in stock with the author. It can be purchased from TMB Studios as a standard or signed & numbered copy, or acquired through my current listing on eBay. Once this copy goes, stock may not be replenished for weeks, so get your copy today!
July 16, 2010:
As some of you may already be aware, the release of the new Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography has been delayed. Unfortunately, a number of retailer web sites have been irritating those following the book's release by giving "release dates" based on speculation, rather than on hard facts from the publisher. It would appear that, barring further delays, the book will most likely be available in late August in the UK, and about a month after that in the Americas. Place your pre-order through TMB Studios today, and be assured of direct fulfillment from the author as soon as is humanly possible. (Please order the correct item as carefully as you can, as several ordering links are available, depending on your shipping location.) To avoid delays, pre-orders should be placed now, as stock levels will be determined by the number of orders received; they will be fulfilled in the order received. Further news and updates will be made available on this site and on the Facebook pages referred to in the post directly below.
May 6, 2010:
Tomorrow marks the 95th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania. The event took place at 2:10 p.m. that afternoon, according to the clocks on the liner, or 3:10 p.m. Berlin time (as recorded in the U-20's war diary), or 9:10 a.m. New York time. The ship's clocks had been adjusted on the morning of May 7 to match London time. The clocks on the Lusitania were not set to Irish time, 25 minutes behind London time, as no call at Queenstown was scheduled or anticipated. As Daylight Savings Time was not in effect in 1915, another hour needs to be factored in to modern clocks. The exact event's anniversary will take place tomorrow at 8:10 a.m. New York Time, 1:10 p.m. GMT, and 2:10 p.m. Berlin Time.
May 1, 2010:
This week celebrates the 95th anniversary of a terrible human tragedy: the final voyage of the R.M.S. Lusitania.
March 4, 2010
As you have no doubt heard, the author's 2007 volume, Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor, is about to be replaced with an all new book from Amberley Publishing. Entitled Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography, this book is one that anyone with any interest in the Lusitania will want to have on their shelves. Greatly revised, updated, and significantly updated in both text and photographs from the 2007 version, this book stands out from all others. It will be released in hardcover, A4 format, and will feature all new artwork of the ship by digital artist Tom Lear. It will also feature foldout general arrangement plans of the ship drawn by the author. A single-page sister site has been set up with further details. Click here for further details and pre-ordering information.
March 4, 2010
It appears that the S.S. United States is facing a new threat. Bids are apparently being taken by scrappers. The S.S. United States conservancy organization is attempting to intervene, but time is fast running our for this great ship. Please click here or here for further details and to find out how you can assist in saving her.
October 30, 2009
Like the new 2009 version of Atlantic Liners, the hardcover and softcover formats of Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography are also available only in very limited quantities. If you wish to pick up a copy of the Lusitania book, I would recommend doing so sooner rather than later to ensure availability. Copies have been made available via eBay and by means of our virtual partner, TMB Studios.
October 23, 2009
As of today, Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios (Hardcover, 2009 version) is again available through this site and through our virtual partner, TMB Studios. Copies have been placed on eBay in both standard and signed & numbered editions. However, quantities are limited;if you wish to ensure a pre-Christmas delivery, please place your order prior to November 20, 2009. Remember, this special edition volume is not available through stores.
September 8, 2009 Notice of limited availability of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios. Although this situation will be remedied, that will not take place for at least two weeks' time. No copies will be placed for sale on eBay for some time. Orders through TMBStudios (our virtual partner, fulfilled by the author) will be fulfilled in the order received, and may be subject to delay until stock is replenished. I appreciate your patience in the matter. In the meantime, orders may still be placed directly with the publisher, although for obvious reasons signed and numbered copies can not be procured directly from the company.
September 4, 2009
The Nomadic, last of the White Star Line vessels, may once again need your support and help. Restoration of the vessel has come to a halt until at least the start of 2010. Plans to restore her to her original splendor, such as has been done with numerous other historical vessels on both sides of the Atlantic, seem to be in question. Instead the govenment agency in charge of the vessel seems to be moving in the direction of a more lucrative use of her interior space. There are fears that the restoration work will be delayed interminably or the vessel will just be allowed to rot in her Belfast drydock. Further details are developing, and in time will be added to the Nomadic's page of this site. Please stay tuned for updates.
May 31, 2009
The Titanic disaster has now passed from living memory. It has been reported that Millvina Dean, the last living survivor of the sinking, passed away this morning at 97 years of age. Mr. Layton gives his condeolences to her family and friends. Now that there is no living connection to the disaster, it has become even more important for researchers, authors and historians to analyze and publish the most accurate information available, in order to preserve the history of that ship and those who were aboard her as truthfully as possible.
May 27, 2009 Lulu has decided to make Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios (Hardcover Version) available through Amazon, and it is now available here.
May 24, 2009
Sad news came today. While diving on the wreck of the Britannic, British diver Carl Spencer died of the diving phenomenon commonly referred to as "the bends." He was 37 years old, employed by National Geographic, and was the father of two. Further details can be found in articles here and here. Mr. Layton gives his condolences to the Spencer family.
March 13, 2009
Special pricing on the new version of Atlantic Liners will expire Sunday evening/Monday morning (March 15/16) EST (US). Reserve your copy before the offer expires!
March 9, 2009
Although copies of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios is now available, special pre-order pricing has been extended to March 15, 2009, the date of the book's original release. Prices will thereafter revert to $49.99 for standard hardcovers and $59.99 for signed & numbered hardcovers. Follow this link to reserve your specially-priced copy of this new volume before the offer expires!
March 9, 2009
To all who make purchases via our virtual partner, TMB Studios: Please be aware that our virtual store is 100% safe and secure. Payments can be made in a variety of manners, including by credit card, Paypal, and Amazon payments. If you decide to pay via your credit card, the charge will be billed under "TMB Studios" on your statement.
March 7, 2009
The 2009 hardcover version of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios (completely revised and expanded from the 2005/2006 version) is now available direct from the author via our virtual store, TMB Studios, direct via Amazon Payments, and through the author's authorized listing on eBay. Stop by the Atlantic Liners Book page for further information and ordering links.
January 30, 2009 Some of the most exciting research into the lifeboat launching sequence and timing during the sinking of the Titanic has just been published. The article is called: "Titanic: Lifeboat Launching Sequence Re-Examined," and is by Bill Wormstedt, Tad Fitch and George Behe. Originally published in abridged format in The Titanic Commutator in 2001, the article has just been revised and expanded to include the latest ground-breaking research on the matter. It can be accessed here. The author was priveleged to render some trivial assistance to Messrs. Wormstedt, Fitch and Behe during the course of their re-write. This article's conclusions are nothing short of astounding.
January 25, 2009
The new version of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios is set for release in its hardcover format. Pre-ordering is now available through our virtual partner, TMB Studios. Please click here for details and special pre-order pricing. Please note that the pre-order specials and pricing will expire with the book's release, so make sure to reserve your copy early! For further details about the new version of Atlantic Liners, click here.
January 25, 2009
This site is underoing an extensive design update. Some pages will, for a time, reflect the old design, while others will show the new layout and artwork. The same link design will be retained with the updates, so at this time only incidental hyperlinks are likely to change.
2008
November 26, 2008
A completely new (significantly updated and expanded) version of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios will be released shortly. Click here for details!
November 8, 2008
Special pricing on the last remaining copies of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios. Available here.
October 31, 2008
At this time, my own stock of copies of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios is limited. I have about a half-dozen copies on hand to fill orders through this site (in conjunction with our virtual partner, TMBStudios) or through eBay. Once my current eBay auction for signed/numbered copies ends, I will most likely refrain from putting up another such auction at that site. At this time, I have no plans to stock copies of Atlantic Liners, so this will be your last chance to acquire signed & numbered copies, or standard copies direct from the author.
September 19, 2008
An expedition to the wreck of the H.M.H.S. Britannic is currently under way. Wreck-owner Simon Mills and Michail
Michailakis
of Hospital Ship Britannic.com are both involved in the project. It has been reported that 'something' has been discovered regarding the mine vs. torpedo theory, and attempts will be made to penetrate into the wreck to investigate the watertight door between Boiler Rooms Nos. 6 and 5.
July 18, 2008
Check out the new color postcards of the Olympic & Titanic, available here!
June 17, 2008
Beginning with the Titanic Home Page, new Flash-driven galleries are being installed on every ocean liner's page, to replace the older-style gallery pages. This will make for a much simpler viewing experience, as you will not have to navigate away from the main page, or the picture's caption, to see the larger format image. If you do not have Flash installed, merely go to the Flash site and make the free download here. I don't have a specific time-frame for the rest of the upgrades, but will attempt to get them in play in a very short time. Enjoy!
April 14, 2008
96 years ago this evening the Titanic sank. It is appropriate that on this date volumes of Titanic: The Ship Magnificent (Beveridge, Andrews, Hall & Klistorner, with editing by Braunschweiger, all members of the TRMA) are beginning to ship from the publisher and various retailers, while some have already arrived in customers' hands. I was pleased to be able to contribute several photographs from my own collection to help illustrate these magnificent volumes.
April 13, 2008
A very sad announcement: Barbara McDermott, the last survivor of the Lusitania living in the United States, has passed away. She was 95 years old. Mrs. McDermott was kind enough to provide a "Survivor's Note" for my last book, Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography. More details on her life and passing are available here.
April 1, 2008
In honor of the upcoming 93rd Anniversary of the Lusitania disaster, the Discovery Channel is releasing to DVD (on May 6) its program from last year called (in the United States), "The Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror At Sea." Although the program had definite historical in-accuracies, (please compare the presentation with the historical information in Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor) there were some highlights, as well. As I have had numerous inquiries on how to acquire copies, the following links are thus provided: Amazon.com (Region 1) Amazon.co.uk (Region 2)
March 31, 2008
A few updates have been made to the Titanic page. These include a couple of new photographs, and a new tidbit of information that can be found in the Titanic FAQ section: how many blades did Titanic's central propeller have? New research by Mark Chirnside seems to be shattering long-held beliefs on this point.
March 24, 2008
Because of intense work on ongoing projects, updates to the site have been few and far between during the last couple of months. I have made an update to the Nomadic page of the site, however, which includes one of my most recent acquisitions: an original photograph of the Nomadic at Cherbourg.
February 1, 2008
A very rare photograph of the Titanic has recently been acquired for disply to the public. Click on the thumbnail below to see a higher-resolution version of the picture, or go to the Titanic page for more information on the photograph.
2007
November 28, 2007
Recently some very positive feedback on "Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography" was received from the family of a survivor of the Lusitania disaster. Please click here to read the review.
November 16, 2007
Today, this site has surpassed the mark of 500,000 page loads since it first opened on March 28, 2004.
Also, it somehow seems fitting that this record was achieved this morning. This is because 100 years ago today the Mauretania began her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York.
November 10, 2007 Mark Chirnside's Reception Room has recently been overhauled with an entirely new design. Kent Layton and TMB Studios were proud to render assistance in the endeavor.
November 5, 2007
Jonathan Smith, a trustee of the Titanic Research & Modeling Association, has posted an article about the Britannic. The subject? New evidence that proves the third of the White Star trio was to be named Gigantic after all. Read all about it here.
September 13, 2007
100 years ago this morning, the Lusitania arrived in New York for the first time, concluding the west-bound leg of her maiden voyage. A great number of details about the maiden voyage are available in "Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor". Because of this centennial anniversary, I have placed copies of the softcover edition of the book on a special sale, this week only. Follow the links on the book page to be taken straight to the ebay pages.
August 31, 2007
Maritime researcher and author Mark Chirnside (author of several books, including RMS Olympic: Titanic's Sister and Majestic: The Magic Stick, has recently completed a review of my latest book, Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor. It can be found here.
July 20, 2007
Some significant updates to the text portions of this site have been completed in the past week. Each ship under consideration has had its history (in brief) put up, reviewed, and/or expanded. Enjoy reading more details about these liners.
July 10, 2007
Mr. Layton has recently acquired a surplus copy of Volume 4 of Frank O. Braynard's incredible 6-volume work on the Leviathan, the "World's Greatest Ship". It is now for sale on Amazon Marketplace at this URL. The volume's condition is very good, with the original dust jacket and good stiff binding.
July 10, 2007 Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor was just used as a reference in Sam Halpern's excellent article on the Olympic-class ships' propulsive machinery, which can be found at this URL. Therein, an excellent comparison of the Cunarders' powerplant with those of the White Star ships' can be seen.
July 3, 2007 USA Today ran a full-feature article on the S.S. United States today. It can be viewed here. One thing that she apparently has in her favor is that the asbestos has already been removed.
June 13, 2007
In order to help make the signed and numbered softcover edition of Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography readily available, I have set up an Amazon Marketplace listing with five copies available.
June 13, 2007
More photographs and illustrations of the ships under discussion here at Atlantic Liners are being brought online continually. New additions to the Olympic and Leviathan galleries went up last night, and more will follow in short order. Keep checking back for all the latest updates!
June 12, 2007
The first batch of hardcover format copies of Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography in stock at TMBStudios has been sold out in less than a week's time. Another batch is on its way; you may continue to order the hardcover directly from the publisher, or from TMBStudios. All orders placed through TMBStudios will be filled in as timely a manner as possible.
May 12, 2007
This evening, a docu-drama on the Lusitania disaster aired on the Discovery Channel. (Terror at Sea: Sinking of the Lusitania.) Make sure to compare the portrayal onscreen with the cold hard facts found both on this site and in the book, "Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor."
May 10, 2007
The hardcover format of Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor has been released as of today. It is available through the publisher here, or through our virtual partner, TMBStudios. Remember that unlike the softcover format, this book will not be available through retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
May 7, 2007
Today marks the 92nd anniversary of the Lusitania's sinking off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland. There were 1,959 passengers and crew aboard for the crossing; 1,198 perished in the disaster, and there were only 761 survivors.
May 1, 2007
Today marks the 92nd anniversary of the Lusitania's final departure from New York on her 202nd Crossing of the Atlantic. Throughout the upcoming week, the ship continued to make progress east-bound toward her destination of Liverpool, England. Her first sighting of land would be the coast of Ireland, on May 7.
April 30, 2007
100 years ago today, the official "green light" was given to Harland & Wolff shipyards to commence work on the 400-401 project. Hull No. 400 was the Olympic; Hull No. 401 was Titanic. (Thanks to Scott Andrews of the Titanic Research & Modeling Association for reminding everyone of this important anniversary.)
April 14-15, 2007
This date marks the 95th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking.
April 9, 2007
If you have any material on the ships under consideration within this site that you would like to share (either online or in print), please contact me directly via the links provided in the "Contact" page. All material remains the property of the contributor and is duly credited.
April 9, 2007
A number of updates have been made across the site during the last week, including some additions to the galleries on the ships under consideration. Enjoy!
April 9, 2007 Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography is now available in softcover format. The hardcover's release, although delayed, is still pending. Pre-orders for both standard hardcovers and limited edition signed & numbered copies are now being taken. Please follow this link for all details on availability and to reserve your copy.
February 7, 2007:
My new book, Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography of the Ship of Splendor, will be released shortly. It will be available in both hardcover and softcover formats, although the hardcover version will not be available in standard bookstores. Follow this link for further details.
2006
11/9/2006:
The 2007 Atlantic Liners calendar has now been released. Click here to purchase your copy. From now through December 22, 2006, all calendars are shipping at 20% off their normal price, with free shipping on all orders over $50.
11/3/2006:
A few minor updates to the site are finished now - these include extra images from Mark Chirnside's collection of the Majestic, and a new addition to the Lusitania Gallery. Many thanks to those who hav contributed the images.
8/30/2006:
The Atlantic Liners site has been completely redesigned and updated. Some page URL's may have changed; please be sure to update your bookmarks.
5/7/2006:
Today marks the 91st anniversary of the Lusitania's sinking. Sadly, today also marks the passing of Titanic survivor Lillian Asplund; there are now only two Titanic survivors yet living.
4/20/2006:
Ken Schultz, of Hoboken, NJ, USA, passed away last week. He was a world-renowned collector of ocean liner and Hollywood memorabilia, and served as an adviser on the James Cameron film "Titanic". He was the curator of "Destination Hoboken: The Great Ocean Liners of Hamburg-American and North German Lloyd." His passing is a great loss to the maritime community.
4/19/2006:
A new article about the return of the Nomadic has been posted on the Southern Daily Echo site. A transcript can be found on the Nomadic Page.
2/13/2006:
The second edition of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios has now been released and is available for ordering. See the Atlantic Liners Book Page for further details and information.
1/26/2006:
The Nomadic was purchased at auction today, saving it from almost certain demise. Further news on the subject can be found at the Nomadic Page.
1/25/2006:
A new contributor's art gallery has been opened to showcase some of the material which has recently been contributed to this site. I would like to thank all of the contributors, and extend the invitation for other artists to contribute their material, as well.
1/6/2006:
My article, "The Arrival That Never Took Place", Part One, is now in print. It can be found in the Titanic International Society's quarterly journal, Voyage (Issue No. 54.) The second half of the article will appear in Voyage No. 55. The article is fully illustrated. Check out the TIS web site to order your copy today.
1/6/2006:
The web site for the Titanic International Society's 2006 Titanic Convention in Chicago, Il., USA has gone up. Please follow this link in order to find out more details about the event.
2005
12/14/2005:
Eric Sauder's new publication, RMS Lusitania: The Ship & Her Record, has been given the Blue Riband book award.
12/12/2005:
How long was the Lusitania in overall length? Most sources often quote that she was 785 feet long, but after a detailed series of measurements taken from original plans it is clear that her overall length from the tip of her prow to the taff rail was slightly longer... The ship's statistics on the Lusitania's Home Page has now been changed to reflect this.
11/10/2005:
The Nomadic will be up for auction in January of 2006, for a starting bid of 250,000 Euros, according to Nomadic aficionado Thierry Dufournaud. Save your pennies...
11/7/2005:
Follow this link to get your own full-color Atlantic Liners 2006 wall calendar. Get your new year off to the right start!
11/7/2005:
A new article on the Nomadic has been published. Click on this link to see a translated (from the original French) version of this article.
11/1/2005:
Select photographs of the Atlantic liners are available or purchase here.
10/22/2005:
My next project will be an illustrated and technical history of the Lusitania; if you have any material on the ship that you would be willing to contribute, please use the contact page to let me know immediately.
10/21/2005:
A new update to the Lusitania page includes more photographs of the liner and information on the Stokes family, who were passengers on the doomed voyage. Many thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Troy White for providing me with the information on the Stokes.
9/6/2005:
A new monograph on the arrival of theTitanicin New York has been prepared. Get ready to delve into one of the most detailed considerations of this subject to date.
8/28/2005:
Extensive updates and modifications include excerpts from the book Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios, along with several new photographs contained in the book.
8/18/2005:
A new PDF Fill-in form has been added to the site for those who wish to order Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios from me directly (either a signed & numbered copy or a standard copy). To find this form, please go to the Contact or Atlantic Liners Book pages. After filling out all of the required fields, please e-mail me a copy via the e-mail address found on the Contact page.
7/21/2005:
New desktop images by graphic artist Christian Stenfelt have been put up on the Desktops Page.
7/16/2005:
The Titanic Research & Modeling Association's 2005 Convention is under way in Chicago, IL., USA this weekend. Discussions by Titanic enthusiasts and experts have been under way, including lectures by Bruce Beveridge, Art Braunschweiger, Tom Nicolai & others. Sean Winterberg of the TRMA was good enough to stock copies of Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios at the Convention for sale to those present. Click here to see updates of the Convention's activities.
7/7/2005:
A new page devoted to the Cunard LinerQueen Maryhas been put up. Further updates will follow. If you have any information about the Queen Mary that you would like to add to the page, please make sure to contact me. Pages about the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2, Normandie, and France/Norway will follow.
6/27/2005:
James Cameron's latest expedition to the wreck of the Titanic is under way. The research vessel Keldysh reached the wreck site on Sunday, and has now embarked upon what has been termed an "aggressive dive schedule", by team member Parks Stephenson. Further updates will be posted as news is released.
6/1/2005:
A new desktop image of the Lusitania unloading the Christmas mails has been added to the Desktops Page. More photographs will also be added to this site over the next few weeks. Keep checking back for further updates.
5/2/2005:
New information on the future of the ex-White Star tender Nomadic has been released by the French Titanic Society. Therelease can be found here.
5/1/2005:
The information contained within the PDF articles available on this site has been revised, expanded and updated and can now be found in the new book, "AtlanticLiners: A Trio of Trios". Plans are in the works to add short summaries of the liners' careers over the course of the next couple of weeks.
3/1/2005:
A new article has been added to the Britannic section of this site. It reflects a new bit of historical documentation that was turned up by Olympic-class researcher and author Mark Chirnside. The debate? The Britannic's Hospital Ship Number may not be G618. This information is brand new and is available nowhere else!
2/6/2005:
Atlantic Liners is proud to showcase new and highly detailed three-dimensional graphic renderings of the Olympic, Titanic and Britannic by graphic artist Christian Stenfelt. Check back here to see new images as they go up!
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