Transatlantic: Building the Great Atlantic Steamships and Transforming the World, 1838–1910
📌 Explore the thrilling story of Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the race to conquer the Atlantic by steamship in Stephen Fox’s Transatlantic. Essential reading for maritime historians, teachers, students, and genealogists.
Hardback Front Cover and Spine, Transatlantic: Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the Great Atlantic Steamships by Stephen Fox, 2003. Cover design by Todd Robertson. Cover photograph by Marine Art Posters UK. Published by HarperCollins. GGA Image ID # 20404ba60f
🛳️ Review and Summary: Transatlantic: Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the Great Atlantic Steamships by Stephen Fox
📚 "Steam, Vision, and the Race to Master the Atlantic"
🚢 Overview: A Voyage Through the Steamship Revolution
Stephen Fox’s Transatlantic offers a sweeping and exhilarating history of the steamship's golden age and the titans who built it. Centered around Samuel Cunard and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, this book isn't just about the technological evolution of ships — it’s a deep exploration of commerce, engineering ambition, immigration, and the transformation of the Atlantic world during the 19th century.
For teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, Transatlantic provides an engaging, richly detailed window into the transition from sail to steam, as well as the intense competition among Britain, Germany, and the United States to dominate the most important oceanic highway on earth.
Synopsis
A stirring narrative of the rapid development of the great transatlantic steamships, from paddle-wheelers to the sleek luxury greyhounds of the modern era -- and the men who designed and ran them.
From the Inside DJ Flap
During the nineteenth century, the world's roughest but most important ocean passage lay between Britain and the United States. Bridging the Atlantic Ocean by steamship was a defining, remarkable feat of the era.
Over time, Atlantic steamships became the largest, most complex machines yet devised. They created a new transatlantic world of commerce and travel, reconciling former Anglo-American enemies and bringing millions of emigrants to transform the United States.
In Transatlantic, the experience of crossing the Atlantic is re-created in stunning detail from the varied perspectives of first class, steerage, officers, and crew. The dynamic evolution of the Atlantic steamer is traced from Brunel's Great Western of 1838 to Cunard's Mauretania of 1907, the greatest steamship ever built.
The story is rife with disasters set against the classic tension of modern technology contending with a formidable natural environment. The key element is steam power: the universal, magical, transforming microchip of the nineteenth century.
Contents
Prologue: The North Atlantic Ocean and the Britannia
Part One: The Packet Ship Era, 1820-1840
- 1. The Sailing Packets
- 2. Steam on Water
Part Two: The Era of Cunard Domination, 1840-1870
- 3. Ships as Enterprise: Samuel Cunard of Halifax
- 4. Ships as Engineering: Isambard Kingdom Brunei
- 5. The Cunard Line
- 6. The Collins Line
- 7. Distinguished Failures
- 8. Emigration and the Inman Line
- 9. Life on a Steamer
Part Three: The Era of Steamship Competition, 1870-1910
- 10. The White Star Line
- 11. Competition and Invention
- 12. Ships as Buildings: Two Cycles to Cunard
- 13. Ships as Towns: Officers, Crew, Steerage
- 14. Anglo-Americans
- 15. Germans
- 16. The Two Finest Cunarders
- Notes
- Acknowledgments
- Index
Transatlantic Includes two 16 pages of Black and White Photo Sections between pages 238 and 239 and another between pages 386 and 387.
Hardback Back Cover, Transatlantic: Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the Great Atlantic Steamships by Stephen Fox, 2003. GGA Image ID # 2040f611ae
From the Hardcover Back Cover
Advance Praise for Transatlantic
"Stephen Fox's Transatlantic combines the best of many worlds: a meticulous and judicious history of the transatlantic steamships and the men who conceived and built them; writing that is both precise and vivid; an intelligent and vigorous narration that explains a great deal yet is never less than fascinating. Fox creates a complete and riveting account of ships and men, but he is equally adept at evoking the social and historical context within which these greatest artifacts of the Industrial Revolution had their day. Transatlantic will claim its rightful place among the best books about ships and the sea." —Derek Lundy, author of The Way of the Ship.
"With Transatlantic, Stephen Fox tells one of the great epics of the Steam Age with authority and panache. He brings to vivid life both the extraordinary men and the extraordinary ships they built and commanded. Transatlantic is history writing at its best." —John Steele Gordon, author of A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable.
"Intriguing, well-researched, and brimming with new information, Transatlantic will captivate readers interested in the rich and varied history of steamship travel in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Stephen Fox pits the hard-driving yet practical Samuel Cunard against his rival, Isambard Brunei. He sets the competition between these titans of the steamship against a tapestry of other important personalities. It's all here, from the sailing packets and the growing popularity of the ocean liner, the importance of steamships to immigration, and ultimately, the tale of gripping ocean races between greyhounds of the sea. A must-read for the steamship buff, and an informative book for the general reader." —David W. Shaw, author of America's Victory.
Paperback Front Cover, Transatlantic: Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the Great Atlantic Steamships by Stephen Fox, 2003. Cover design by Todd Robertson. Cover photograph by Marine Art Posters UK. Published by Perennial/HarperCollins. GGA Image ID # 2041005bf6
Crossing the Ocean in the Age of Steam: A Review of "Transatlantic" by Stephen Fox
Before airplanes, crossing the Atlantic Ocean was not just a journey but an exhilarating adventure that could take weeks, even by ship! In his book "Transatlantic: Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the Great Atlantic Steamships," Stephen Fox brings to life the thrilling story of how this journey was forever transformed with the advent of powerful steamships in the 19th century.
Imagine Samuel Cunard and Isambard Brunel as the Steve Jobs and Elon Musk of their time but for ships. Cunard, a visionary businessman, founded a renowned shipping company. Brunel, a masterful engineer, designed some of the most groundbreaking ships the world had ever seen. Fox's book is a testament to the innovative spirit of these two giants and others who revolutionized travel between Europe and America.
"Transatlantic" takes you on a journey through the history of these amazing ships, from the early paddle-wheelers to the massive, luxurious liners that could cross the ocean in less than a week. You'll learn about the challenges engineers faced in building these floating cities, like how to carry enough coal for the long voyage and make them safe and reliable.
But this book isn't just about the ships themselves. Fox also vividly describes what it was like to travel on them. He shares stories from first-class passengers who enjoyed fancy meals and comfortable cabins, as well as the much tougher experiences of those in steerage—the crowded lower decks where many immigrants traveled in search of a new life. These descriptions can be eye-opening, showing how different travel was for people depending on their wealth.
"Transatlantic" also highlights the fierce competition between shipping companies, each striving to construct the fastest, largest, and most impressive ships to allure passengers. It was a thrilling race across the Atlantic, with companies continually pushing the boundaries of technology.
Reviewers have praised Fox's writing for being both detailed and easy to read. He makes complex engineering and historical events understandable and engaging, using firsthand accounts from passengers and crew to bring the past to life. While some might find the sheer amount of detail a bit overwhelming, this thoroughness makes the book valuable for anyone interested in maritime history.
If you've ever been curious about the history of ocean liners, the challenges of early steam travel, or the experiences of people who crossed the Atlantic in the 19th century, "Transatlantic" is a great book. It's a deep dive into a fascinating period of history, showing how innovation and ambition transformed the world and connected continents in new ways.
Paperback Back Cover, Transatlantic: Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the Great Atlantic Steamships by Stephen Fox, 2003. GGA Image ID # 20419cad64
From the Paperback Back Cover
During the nineteenth century, the roughest but most important ocean passage in the world lay between Britain and the United States. Bridging the Atlantic Ocean by steamship was a defining, remarkable feat of the era. Over time, Atlantic steamships became the largest, most complex machines yet devised. They created a new transatlantic world of commerce and travel, reconciling former Anglo-American enemies and bringing millions of emigrants who transformed the United States.
In Transatlantic, the experience of crossing the Atlantic is re-created in stunning detail from the varied perspectives of first class, steerage, officers, and crew. The dynamic evolution of the Atlantic steamer is traced from Brunei's Great Western of 1838 to Cunard's Mauretania of 1907, the greatest steamship ever built.
Brief Reviews
- “A full-bodied, meticulous chronicle. ... A comprehensive, fair-minded story.” —Times Literary Supplement
- “Transatlantic, Stephen Fox’s lively social history, reminds you that engineering was once the stuff of romance.” —New York Times
- “Written with flair and care. . . . [Fox] has concentrated on explaining with zest and high distinction a great episode in social and technological history.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch
About the Author
Stephen Fox, an independent historian who did his Ph.D. at Brown University, is the author of six previous books, including Transatlantic, a History of the Steamship. He lives near Boston, Massachusetts.
Reviews and Excerpts
Ships Included in the Book Transatlantic
▓▓▓ "A" ▓▓▓
- Aaron Manby (first iron steamboat)
- Abyssinia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Acadia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Adriatic (Collins Line steamship)
- Adriatic (White Star Line steamship)
- Africa (Cunard Line steamship)
- Alaska (Guión Line steamship)
- Albion (packet)
- Algeria (Cunard Line steamship)
- Aller (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- Alps (Cunard Line steamship)
- America (Cunard Line steamship)
- Amity (packet)
- Andes (Cunard Line steamship)
- Anglo-Saxon (Allan steamship)
- Arabia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Archimedes (steamship with screw propeller)
- Arctic (Collins Line steamship)
- Arctic (White Star steamship, later Celtic)
- Arizona (Guión Line steamship)
- Asia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Atlantic (Collins Line steamship)
- Atlantic (White Star Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "B" ▓▓▓
- Borussia (Hamburg-American Line steamship)
- Bothnia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Bremen (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- Brighton (turbine steamship)
- Britannia (Anchor Line steamship)
- Britannia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Britannic (White Star Line steamship)
- British Queen (first Smith steamship)
▓▓▓ "C" ▓▓▓
- Caledonia (Anchor Line steamship)
- Caledonia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Cambria (Anchor Line steamship)
- Cambria (Cunard Line steamship)
- Campania (Cunard Line steamship)
- Canada (Cunard Line steamship)
- Canada (packet)
- Canton (emigrant ship)
- Carpathia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Carrick (emigrant ship)
- Celtic (White Star Line steamship)
- Charlotte Dundas (early steamboat)
- Charles H Morse (schooner)
- China (Cunard steamship, first Atlantic screw)
- City of Baltimore (Inman steamship)
- City of Berlin (Inman steamship)
- City of Boston (Inman steamship)
- City of Brussels (Inman steamship)
- City of Chester (Inman steamship)
- City of Glasgow (Tod's breakthrough steamship)
- City of Montreal (Inman steamship)
- City of New York (Inman steamship)
- City of New York (second, for reorganized Inman)
- City of Paris (Inman steamship)
- City of Paris (second, for reorganized Inman)
- City of Philadelphia (Inman steamship)
- City of Richmond (Inman steamship)
- Clermont (Fulton's steamboat)
- Clyde (Napier's first steamship)
- Columbia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Comet (first European passenger steamship)
- Courier (packet)
- Crathie (Scottish steamship)
- Crisis (packet)
- Cuba (Cunard Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "D" ▓▓▓
- Dakota (Guión Line steamship)
- Deutschland (Hamburg-American Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "E" ▓▓▓
- Eclipse (steamship)
- Elbe (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- Egypt (National steamship)
- Elizabeth (early Scottish steamboat)
- Emerald (packet)
- Empire City (Brown-built steamship)
- Etruria (Cunard Line steamship)
- Europa (Cunard Line steamship)
- Europe (packet)
- Exmouth (emigrant ship)
▓▓▓ "F" ▓▓▓
- Fire Queen (Napier vessels for Thomas Smith)
- Francis Depau (packet)
- Franklin (American Line steamship)
- Fürst Bismarck (Hamburg-American Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "G" ▓▓▓
- Gallia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Garrick (packet)
- Garry Owen (iron steamship)
- Germanic (White Star Line steamship)
- Glasgow (early oceangoing steamboat, later Thames)
- Great Britain (Brunei's steamship)
- Great Eastern (Brunei's steamship)
- Great Western (Bruneis first steamship)
- Grecian (Harland-designed steamship)
- Greece (National steamship)
▓▓▓ "H" ▓▓▓
- Hammonia (Hamburg-American Line steamship)
- Havel (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- Hermann (Mills steamship)
- Hibernia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Hohenzollern (royal steam yacht)
- Holland (National steamship)
- Hudson (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
▓▓▓ "I" ▓▓▓
- India (Anchor Line steamship)
- Indiana (American Steamship Company steamship)
- Iona (Thomson screw steamship)
- Italian (Harland-designed steamship)
- Ivernia (Cunard Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "J" ▓▓▓
- Jura (Cunard Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "K" ▓▓▓
- Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- King Edward (first turbine passenger vessel)
- Konprinz Wilhelm (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
▓▓▓ "L" ▓▓▓
- Lahn (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- Leven (early steamship)
- Lord Dundas (early iron steamboat)
- Louisiana (National steamship, later Holland)
- Lucania (Cunard Line steamship)
- Lusitania (Cunard Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "M" ▓▓▓
- Majestic (early ocean steamship)
- Majestic (White Star Line steamship)
- Manhattan (Guión Line steamship)
- Maria (emigrant ship)
- Mauretania (Cunard Line steamship)
- Montana (Guión Line steamship)
- Montreal (packet)
▓▓▓ "N" ▓▓▓
- Nederland (Red Star Line steamship)
- New York (American Line steamship, formerly City of New York)
- New York (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- New York (packet)
- Niagara (Cunard Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "O" ▓▓▓
- Oceanic (White Star Line steamship)
- Ocean Monarch (emigrant ship)
- Ohio (American Steamship Company steamship)
- Oregon (Cunard Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "P" ▓▓▓
- Pacific (Collins Line steamship)
- Pacific (packet)
- Pacific (White Star Line steamship, later Republic)
- Paris (American Line steamship, formerly City of Paris)
- Parthia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Pavonia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Pennyslvania (American Steamship Company steamship)
- Persia (Cunard's first iron steamship)
- Persian (Harland-designed steamship)
- President (packet)
- President (Smith steamship)
- Preussen (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- Princess Royal (Tod and MacGregor steamship)
▓▓▓ "Q" ▓▓▓
- Queen (turbine steamship)
▓▓▓ "R" ▓▓▓
- Rainbow (iron steamship)
- Red Jacket (clipper ship)
- Red Star Line (International Navigation Company)
- Republic (White Star Line steamship)
- Rheinland (Red Star Line steamship)
- Rob Roy (first oceangoing steamship)
- Roscius (packet)
- Royal George (Tod and MacGregor steamship)
- Royal Sovereign (Tod and MacGregor steamship)
- Royal William (Cunard's first steamship)
- Russia (Cunard Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "S" ▓▓▓
- St. Louis (American Line steamship)
- St. Paul (American Line steamship)
- Savannah (early steamship)
- Saxonia (Hamburg-American Line steamship)
- Scotia (Cunard's last paddle steamship)
- Scythia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Servia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Shakespeare (packet)
- Sheridan (packet)
- Siberia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Sirius (channel steamship)
- Southerner (first American commercial saltwater steamship)
- Spain (National steamship)
- Spree (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- Sturmflut (Spielhagen)
- Superb (early steamship)
- Switzerland (Red Star Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "T" ▓▓▓
- Tartar (British Admiralty steamship)
- Teutonic (White Star Line steamship)
- Tiber (steamship)
- Titanic (White Star Line steamship)
- Turbinia (first turbine-powered vessel)
▓▓▓ "U" ▓▓▓
- Ultronia (Cunard Line steamship)
- Umbria (Cunard Line steamship)
- United Kingdom (British steamboat)
- United Kingdom (early steamship of 1826)
- United States (packet)
- Utopia (Anchor Line steamship)
▓▓▓ "V" ▓▓▓
- Vaderland (Red Star Line steamship)
- Vesta (French steamship)
- Vesta (Tod screw steam yacht)
- Virginia (National steamship)
- Virginias (steamship)
▓▓▓ "W" ▓▓▓
- Washington (Mills steamship)
- Washington (sailing ship)
- Weser (Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship)
- Westernland (ship)
▓▓▓ "Y" ▓▓▓
- York (packet)
Steamship Lines Addressed in the Book Transatlantic
- Allan Line
- American Line (formerly Inman and International Steamship Company)
- American Steamship Company (ASC)
- Anchor Line
- Atlantic Steam Navigation Company
- Atlantic Transport Line
- Black X Line
- Bremen-America Packet Line
- British and American Steam Navigation Company
- British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
- Carr steamship line
- Collins Line
- Cunard Line
- Glasgow and Liverpool Royal Steam Company
- Guión Line
- Halifax and Quebec Steam Boat Company
- Hamburg-American Line
- Hudson River steamboat service
- Inman and International Steamship Company (later American Line)
- Inman Line (later Inman and International Steamship Company)
- International Mercantile Marine (IMM)
- International Navigation Company (later Inman and International Steamship Company)
- Leyland Company
- Lloyd Line
- National Line
- North German Lloyd Line
- Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, Limited
- Old Black Star Line
- Peninsular and Oriental Line
- Tod & MacGregor
- White Star Line
Library of Congres Catalog Listing
- Personal name: Fox, Stephen R.
- Main title: Transatlantic: Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the great Atlantic steamships / Stephen Fox.
- Edition: 1st ed.
- Published/Created: New York, NY: HarperCollins, c2003.
- Description: xviii, 493 p., [32] p. of plates : ill. ; 24 cm.
- ISBN: 0060195959 (acid-free paper)
- LC classification: HE945.A2 F68 2003
- LC Subjects: Steamboat lines--North Atlantic Ocean--History. Ocean liners--North Atlantic Ocean--History. North Atlantic Ocean.
- Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
- LCCN: 2002191928
- Dewey class no.: 387.5/09163/109034
- Geographic area code: ln-----
- Type of material: Book
🎓 Relevance to Teachers, Students, Historians, and Genealogists
Teachers & Students studying the Industrial Revolution, transportation history, or Anglo-American relations will find this an invaluable narrative case study of innovation and rivalry.
Genealogists gain insight into the lived experiences of millions of immigrants who crossed the Atlantic in steerage — especially as Fox describes both first-class and lower-deck conditions in vivid human terms.
Historians can appreciate Fox’s deep attention to engineering detail, business strategy, and the interplay of technology with geopolitics and culture.
✨ Most Engaging Highlights
🌊 Crossing the Atlantic: The Ultimate Challenge
Fox captures the dangerous and exhilarating adventure of 19th-century Atlantic crossings. Whether you were in luxury first class or crowded steerage, the voyage could be thrilling, terrifying, or transformative.
🚂 The Steam Age’s "Moonshot"
Building reliable steamships for the Atlantic crossing was the 19th century’s equivalent of the space race. Isambard Brunel's daring designs and Samuel Cunard’s calculated business models offer students of technology and entrepreneurship riveting case studies.
🛳️ Social Life on the Atlantic Highway
Chapters like “Life on a Steamer” and “Ships as Towns” beautifully depict how these vessels functioned as floating cities, each with its own class structures, labor systems, and cultural encounters.
⚔️ Rivalries and Innovation
The battles between Cunard, Collins, Inman, White Star, and later German lines read almost like corporate thrillers. Each company raced to produce faster, larger, and more glamorous ships.
📸 Noteworthy Images
Front Cover – A dramatic marine art depiction of a steamship plowing through rough Atlantic seas, symbolizing human triumph over nature.
Photo Sections (238–239, 386–387) – Include rare and fascinating photographs of early steamships, interiors, deck scenes, and pioneering passengers.
Technical Illustrations – Diagrams and early advertisements show the evolution from paddle-wheelers to luxurious screw-propelled liners.
Steerage and First-Class Contrasts – Heartbreaking and lavish photographs juxtapose the experiences of the rich and the poor aboard the same ships.
📚 Thematic Highlights from Chapters
Prologue & Early Chapters – The North Atlantic as an untamed, deadly frontier, and the dreams of linking continents with technology.
The Era of Cunard Domination – How Cunard built a shipping empire on reliability rather than innovation, while rivals like Brunel aimed for giant leaps with ships like Great Eastern.
Steamship Competition – The introduction of plush liners like the Oceanic and Teutonic, setting new standards for speed, comfort, and immigrant transport.
Immigration and Steerage Life – Hard-hitting and sympathetic accounts of emigrants’ Atlantic trials, ideal for educators covering American immigration waves.
The Anglo-American and German Rivalry – How national pride and industry shaped shipbuilding and competition on the Atlantic.
📚 About the Author
Stephen Fox is an independent historian with a Ph.D. from Brown University. Known for his thorough yet lively historical writing, he expertly balances engineering, human experience, and global significance in Transatlantic.
🧠 Final Thoughts: Why This Book Matters
Transatlantic is more than a history of ships — it is a portrait of human ambition, ingenuity, and resilience. Steamships shrunk oceans, united continents, and shaped the modern world, and Fox’s masterful storytelling captures that era with clarity, drama, and heart.
This book is ideal for classroom assignments, genealogical research, or simply for those fascinated by the golden age of steam-powered ocean travel. 🚂🌍🛳️
📚 For deeper exploration, students and researchers are encouraged to use the rich collections at the GG Archives — including passenger lists, ship profiles, immigrant guides, and ephemera — perfect for essays, reports, and historical projects! 🧳📖🌊
