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Rating: 
Summary: A much-needed history of a vital type of ship.
Review: Most British divers are familiar with the Liberty Ship "James Eagan Layne" which sank in Whitesand Bay near Plymouth on 21 March 1945 after having been torpedoed by U-1195. Whilst most people are able to recognise a tanker or vehicle ferry, for many the term Liberty Ship means nothing. Well not any more. This is a fascinating book written by a Master Mariner with considerable experience of ships and the sea who has produced an excellent piece of work of equal interest to amateur and professional ship historians alike. Measuring 9½" x 6½", the book provides over 500 pages of mostly text but with a selection of 26 historic photographs and a most informative exploded-view of how the prefabricated Liberty Ship was designed and built. Everything and anything you ever wanted to know about the Liberty Ship from conception to watery grave or scrap-yard is here. It was also most interesting to note that the shipbuilding firm of J. L. Thompson of Sunderland provided 3 prototype vessels in 1935, 1939 and 1941 - from which the Liberty Ship eventually evolved. This company also made the Thistlegorm (launched in 1941) and it is fascinating to see the resemblance between that ship and those early prototypes. Altogether, excellent reference material for the serious shipwreck diver. NM
Rating:
Summary: A much-needed history of a vital type of ship.
Review: Most British divers are familiar with the Liberty Ship "James Eagan Layne" which sank in Whitesand Bay near Plymouth on 21 March 1945 after having been torpedoed by U-1195. Whilst most people are able to recognise a tanker or vehicle ferry, for many the term Liberty Ship means nothing. Well not any more. This is a fascinating book written by a Master Mariner with considerable experience of ships and the sea who has produced an excellent piece of work of equal interest to amateur and professional ship historians alike. Measuring 9½" x 6½", the book provides over 500 pages of mostly text but with a selection of 26 historic photographs and a most informative exploded-view of how the prefabricated Liberty Ship was designed and built. Everything and anything you ever wanted to know about the Liberty Ship from conception to watery grave or scrap-yard is here. It was also most interesting to note that the shipbuilding firm of J. L. Thompson of Sunderland provided 3 prototype vessels in 1935, 1939 and 1941 - from which the Liberty Ship eventually evolved. This company also made the Thistlegorm (launched in 1941) and it is fascinating to see the resemblance between that ship and those early prototypes. Altogether, excellent reference material for the serious shipwreck diver. NM
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