Portraits of 50 of the most famous ocean liners ever to sail the seas. The coverage is cosmopolitan, including liners from many of the major seafaring nations. Each ship rates anywhere from two to five pages of description, which includes a short, but detailed history highlighting notable events in each ship’s career. Accompanying the text are a couple of photos and illustrations for each vessel. Most of the photographs were contributed by Braynard, and he also did the art for the 50 pen sketches included.

A table at the end of each listing displays each ship’s technical specifications, including gross tonnage, length & width, engine machinery, speed, passenger capacity and builder. The table also includes when they were built and when lost/scrapped. The ships are listed chronologically, beginning with the Britannia in 1839 and ending with the Queen Elizabeth II from 1969.

This first volume definitely has the creme of the crop of famous liners. Included are Britannia, Great Eastern, Oceanic, Lusitania and Mauretania, Olympic and Titanic, France, Aquitania, Vaterland/Leviathan, Ile de France, Bremen, Empress of Britain, Normandie, America, Queen Elisabeth, United States, and Andrea Doria, to name a few.

Volume two in the series continues in the same format as the original edition. As before, the ships are listed chronologically, this time beginning with the Savannah in 1819 and ending with the Shalom from 1964. Once again, Braynard drew 50 pen sketches for this volume, and contributed most of the photographs.

Many of the 50 liners chosen for this book are not quite the household names of the first volume, but on the other hand, this one includes an even more diverse selection of different nation’s vessels. Some of the ships in this book include Savannah, Great Western, Baltic, Scotia, Kaiser Wilhelm Der-Grosse, Amerika, Paris, Gripsholm, Morro Castle, Georgic, Queen of Bermuda, Cristobal, Caronia, Rotterdam, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Oriana.

The final volume in the series stays with the same tried and true format as the previous books. This one begins with the Quaker City in 1854 and ends with the Finnish passenger ferry Finnjet from 1977.

Some of the ships described in the third volume include Germanic, Campania, Deutschland, Vestris, Belgenland, Columbus, Berlin, Stockholm, Ocean Monarch, Southern Cross, Sea Venture, Mikail Lermontov, and Royal Viking Star.