Merchant Shipping

Over a period of about forty years, world shipping has undergone huge changes. Up to the early 1960s it was dominated by vessels of well-established companies usually following regular routes at predictable intervals. The sixties, however, marked the start of the container 'revolution' and, with it, the redundancy of fleets of relatively modern, fast, cargo liners. The 'box ship' also precipitated the closure of many cramped city docks throughout the world. Change continues and, with the exception of bulk cargo carriers and tankers, versatile vessels that can accommodate cars, containers and general cargo are now commonplace. Merchant Shipping: 50 Years in Photographs is a collection of David Hucknall's superb black-and-white photographs, taken over a lifetime as a shipping enthusiast, and supported by well-researched captions. Including vessels from some of the foremost shipping companies and depicting a wide range of ships and ports across the UK and Europe - and also in locations as far apart as West Africa and Japan - it will fascinate and delight ship-lovers wherever they are.