A spectacularly illustrated account of the ocean liner"s place in transportation and social history. The iconic ocean liner, with its towering dark hull and brilliant white superstructure, remains a powerful symbol of human endeavor. This unique two-hundred-year retrospective takes us from the liner"s origins in mail services to its role as nineteenth-century mass transportation, in wartime and in immigration to the New World, and finally to its modern renaissance in the Queen Mary 2, the first liner to be built in thirty years. With cruising now a major tourist industry, this new liner has emerged with a clear stylistic lineage from some of the most illustrious vessels of the past. Along with the design and construction of established favorites and lesser-known ships, The Liner explores the human story of the engineers, builders, crew, and passengers. Illustrated throughout with photographs, artworks, and plans, some specially commissioned, this is an essential work for all liner enthusiasts, maritime historians, and anyone who has sailed aboard these fine vessels. Foreword By Stephen Payne, OBE, Chief Naval Architect Of Queen Mary 2.