Anderson, Roy. White Star. 1st printing. Lancashire, Eng: T. Stephenson & Sons. 1964. hardcover. isbn: none. scarcity: hard to find.

The definitive history of the White Star Line. This impressive work follows the story of the company from its beginnings in 1849 as a sailing ship firm on the Australian run, to its transformation into one of the predominate lines on the Atlantic passenger and mail service, to its disastrous management after the Great War, which concluded with the company’s final bow when it was merged with its former rivals Cunard in 1934. White Star is more scholarly than most books relating to the Titanic, but it is still very readable. Although there is a good deal of information about the ships themselves, the focus of this book is definitely the story of the shipping company. In this focus, it has never yet been equaled.

There is one entire, if short, chapter on the Olympic, and a slightly longer one on the Titanic. There is also a short chapter on the Californian. The book goes on to cover White Star’s part in the Great War, including the affair of the Laurentic’s gold.

At the end of the book there is a comprehensive list of ships built for the White Star Line, both sailing ships and steamers.