Sailing into History

“This volume is a good read for those who know about Great Lakes shipping, and an easily accessible work for those who don’t. It’s well organized and covers a lot of material in an economical, yet coherent, way. Put it this way: I read—and dismiss—a lot of books on the topic of Great Lakes ships and shipping, but this one is a keeper.”
—Roger Lelievre, editor/publisher at Know Your Ships
 

"This book makes a substantial contribution to the field of Great Lakes maritime history. The author successfully blends a wide array of factors into a complete story, including modifications to the travel routes, gradual increases in ship sizes and carrying capacities, changes in the nature of the crew makeup, port loading and unloading operations, and technological advancements such as radio’s impact on navigation. While there have been a substantial number of works about nineteenth-century ships and their cargoes and crews, the author does the audience a great service in bringing out and synthesizing what has happened on the lakes in the last century to tell the significant stories that affected the industry."
—Scott M. Peters, curator of collections, Michigan Historical Museum