The Union-Castle Line Sailing Like Clockwork

by Roussel, Mike; Warwick, Sam

• ISBN13: 9780750962919
• ISBN10: 0750962917
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2015-11-05
• Publisher: The History Press

Summary

The Union-Castle Line’s heritage spans over a century. It provided the mail service to South Africa for 120 years and established an unrivalled reputation for punctual schedules. From the middle of the nineteenth century it ran ‘like clockwork’ until its demise in 1977, a victim of emerging competition from jet aircraft, increasing fuel costs and the containerisation of cargo.As a company, the Union-Castle Line used the latest technical innovations of the day, constantly striving to improve speed,reliability, customer comfort and safety. Its lavender-hulled ships were some of the most impressive vessels of the time. Yet the story of the Union-Castle Line is also one of people – the passengers and crew ensured that the line survived for so long. This book tells some of their fascinating stories, including tales of shipwrecks, war service, missing gold bullion, escaped wild animals and even the occasional murder on board.Utilising previously unpublished diaries, letters and photographs, this illustrated volume chronicles the shipping line from its glorious beginning to its tragic end. It is a multifaceted history of the Union-Castle Line, which examines some of the company’s shipwrecks as well as the fond legacy of the line today.

Author Biography

Mike Roussel is the author of Spitfire’s Forgotten Designer. Sam Warwick’s grandfather was first master of QE2, and his father was a master of QE2 and first master of QM2. He has runs www.qe2.org.uk. They are the coauthors of Shipwrecks of the Cunard Line.