Marine Technology - July 2008 - Page#24

<BODY> <span id="lblContents">BOOK REVIEWS THE WAY OF SHIP by Alex Roland, W. Jeffrey Bolster, and Alexander Keyssar Published by John Wiley and Sons Reviewed by William duBarry Thomas tor of the "supertanker," and Malcom McLean, the father of the container revolution. Their ideas reached fruition in America, but now American shipbuilding and ship owning are almost overwhelmed. The authors' research was carried out in a meticulous fashion, and the notes that accompany the text make an outstanding source for those who wish to delve further. Since 1776, the US maritime industry has suffered through a parade of good intentions by the Federal government which kept American-flagged ships The importance of maritime trade and intermittently sailing and figuratively its effect upon any nation's health canhard aground. What we have never had not be overemphasized. That America until now is a history of the American as a nation could not benefit further merchant fleet and of the flood and ebb from many of the positive aspects of tides of maritime policy and commercial our world as described in the text of successes and failures, not only during The Way of the Ship is unfortunate, but the 232 years since independence, but we must thank the authors for providing also in the colonial period that began a a splendid and readable review of our eign trade last achieved parity between century and a half earlier. maritime heritage. American and foreign-flagged shipping Professors Roland, Bolster, and Keyssar in 1862. By 1890 many US merchant In this age of globalization, the proud have now given us that comprehensive vessels had left the flag, costs rose to and efficient subsidized US merchant history in The Way of the Ship. The non-competitive levels, and meaning- fleet has, figuratively speaking, almost book is divided into five chronological ful maritime policy was non-existent sunk without a trace. Although that fleet Parts, each composed of essays that for many years. Much of the nation's has been present to provide the necesanalyze the events and challenges that energy during the post-Civil War period sary and important support for military have faced American merchant ship- was devoted to westward expansion by activities, a merchant fleet is there priping since the original colonies were land. However, the Civil War advanced marily to act as an engine to drive interfirst settled. It did not take long for the the development of steam propulsion and national commerce. That engine must colonists to discover the importance of iron hulls and also to the realization late be kept running. It is postulated that a trading with one another and the rest in the century that we as a nation needed study of The Way of the Ship, and of of the world by water, albeit under the a professional society, SNAME, devoted the many aspects of our maritime comclose control of Great Britain. From to the engineering world afloat. merce, encompassing both the brilliant this early trade came the beginning concepts and the embarrassing errors of American shipbuilding. The authors Part IV encompasses the two World Wars that have marked the nation's course have elucidated this point among many and the eventual development of ship- for many years, might well lead to the building techniques that, during World in Part I. nation seeing the Stars and Stripes flyWar II, provided a fleet of ships that ing from the ensign staffs of our future Similarly, Part II speaks of the develop- was vital to the outcome of the conflict. ships. ment of steam navigation, the build- Henry J. Kaiser's shipbuilding feats are ing of canals, mainly in the northeast, featured, but other builders performed MARINE VEHICLE WEIGHT and the significant part played by the magnificently as well. One piece of the ENGINEERING Western river system in the expansion puzzle that is missing is the work of Published by the Society of Allied of the nation during the mid-19th cen- Vice Admiral Emory S. "Jerry" Land. Weight Engineers His no-nonsense nature would contribute tury. significantly throughout the Maritime Reviewed by William H. Garzke, Jr. Then came the American Civil War Commission's remarkable building pro(1861-1865) and the upsetting atmo- gram. Weight engineering is not one of the sphere that marks Part III. US formost glamorous tasks for a naval archiFinally, we come to Part V, in which Barry Thomas is a Fellow of SNAME and the the accomplishments of two American Bill Garzke is a Fellow of SNAME, Chairman of the Chairman of the History Committee. innovators are described: D. K. Ludwig, Forensic Analysis Panel, and actively engaged in of National Bulk Carriers, the progeni- the Society's education continuing programs. 24 SNAME NEWS</span> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.digitalwavepublishing.com/" title="Digital Magazine">Digital Wave Publishing</a> </BODY>