Welcome Aboard Atlantic Liners.
During the late nineteenth century, the Atlantic liners underwent a tremendous transformation. Previously only an unpleasant, uncomfortable and slow means of crossing a frequently vicious ocean, they suddenly became symbols of luxury, power, and strength. Each one, in turn, became a legend. Some attained this mythic status for their distinct record of service during both peace and war; others are remembered for their catastrophic and ignominious fates. Their stories – their histories – are insightful, fascinating, and inextricably intertwined with the history of the world throughout the first half of the twentieth century.
This splendid photograph shows the Lusitania steaming at high speed off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, ca. 1910. (J. Kent Layton Collection)
The second half of the twentieth century was a time of uncertainty and ignominy for the great liners. Although the decade of the 1950s was a resurgent time for the Atlantic liners, the post-World War II frenzy did not last. During the 1960s and 1970s, the liners faced a startling decline as the age of jet travel took hold. Ships like the SS United States, the SS France, and the SS Queen Elizabeth 2 were suddenly the last of their kind, and it was felt that the day of the great liner had ended.
In truth, the great ships did not die off completely, but instead evolved into a new form. The idea of ‘cruising’ instead of ‘crossing’, in other words using the ship as a vacation in and of itself rather than merely a method of transportation in getting from Point A to Point B, is far from new. In fact, some of the great ocean liners, such as Cunard’s Mauretania, pioneered this concept, and often mixed ‘crossing’ with ‘cruising’ in order to maintain a healthy profit margin during lean times.
This original snapshot was taken on July 16, 1932, as the Mauretania prepared to depart on one of her cruises to the Caribbean. (J. Kent Layton Collection)
With the popularity of the cruise industry today, there are still incredible ships being built, such as Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, or Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class monsters. Even the smallest of modern mainstream cruise ships are larger than most of the Atlantic liners of old, and they offer greater amenities and comforts for their passengers. For the most part, cruise ships may not be true Atlantic liners, or ships that sail primarily as a means of transportation across the Atlantic Ocean, and many decry them as ‘utter rubbish’ that can’t hold a candle to the liners of old. Yet they are astonishing technological feats in themselves, and they carry on at least some sense of what it was like to take passage on one of the great Atlantic liners of old.
This web site has been designed as an interactive companion to the books that I have authored. They focus primarily on the Atlantic liners of the early twentieth century, which include the following volumes:
| Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography (2015 Centennial Edition) by J. Kent Layton from Amberley Books |
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| On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the RMS Titanic by Tad Fitch, J. Kent Layton, and Bill Wormstedt from Amberley Books |
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| The Edwardian Superliners: A Trio of Trios by J. Kent Layton from Amberley Books |
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| Transatlantic Liners by J. Kent Layton from Shire Library |
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| The Unseen Mauretania (1907): The Ship in Rare Illustrations by J. Kent Layton from The History Press |
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| The Unseen Aquitania: The Ship in Rare Illustrations by J. Kent Layton & Tad Fitch from The History Press |
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| Conspiracies at Sea: Titanic and Lusitania by J. Kent Layton from Amberley Books |
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And, in case you are wondering: yes, there are more volumes in the works.
The site contains material not in the print volumes, and vice versa. It is meant to supplement the volumes and help people to gain further information about them; it is also meant to serve as an informational aid for enthusiasts and researchers. This is the “home port” for the beginning of your journey into some of the most memorable ships in history. Here you can find all of the latest updates and research on the vessels, as well as technical specifications and additional information. There are also photographs and digital illustrations of the liners that could not be included in the finished volumes.
Through this site you will also find information on how to purchase the books that I have written, as well as links to purchase other maritime items, such as my popular annual calendars, which I make available.
Seventeen Years & Getting Stronger!
This site was formally launched on March 28, 2004. In the intervening years, “Atlantic Liners” has accumulated well over 2.5 million hits, and traffic to this site remains steady. On any given day, there are between 800 and 1,500 page loads by an average of 200-300 “passengers.”
Stay Updated.
In the last couple of years, “Atlantic Liners” has also expanded into social media. The links for the official Facebook page, and the pages for some of my individual books are found below. For those of you who enjoy using social media, follow the links below, “Like” the page, and wait for news and updates to appear in your News feed as they are posted:
- The Official Atlantic Liners Facebook Page
- Lusitania: An Illustrated Biography
- On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the RMS Titanic
- The Unseen Mauretania (1907): The Ship in Rare Images
Below you will find a live link to some of the latest posts from the official Atlantic Liners Page on Facebook. “Like” and “Share” away!
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