Cruise-Ships Books

Two things stand out for me about Bob Morris' A DEADLY SILVER SEA: What a hoot it is to go along for this adventure with Zack Chasteen, and how interesting and impeccably researched the details in this book are.

Infused with both South Florida and Carribean culture, this story yanks us out of our regular lives and takes us on an adventure vacation in what for most will be unfamiliar but intriguing surroundings.

The author crafts excellent tension with a group of villains willing to rob, terrorize and kill for reasons both venal and, to one villain's mind, sacrosanct. The character Glenroy Patterson, a low-ranking crew member most passengers would never notice, makes a nuanced villain. Morris terrifies us by taking us inside his madness, letting us see how he not only feels justified but compelled to kill thousands of people. It's interesting that we see some of those targets as innocents, while we may share Glenroy's contempt for others who are unsympathetic, shallow, self-centered rich folks.

Kurt Vonnegut, in the introduction to a collection of his short stories, gave this piece of advice for writing compelling fiction: "Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of." Morris follows this directive and stretches his hero, Zack Chasteen, nearly past his limits. As Chasteen handles these challenges, we get to know him as an outlaw who's a profoundly good guy. And we share dozens of grim laughs at Chasteen's cynical musings and snappy dialogue along the way.

Morris taught me so many fascinating things in the course of this story, most of which I'll omit because they might spoil the read for you. Suffice to say, whether Morris has you on a cruise liner or a sailboat or strapped between two floating computer boxes, you'll learn about each device, how it works and what can go wrong with it in satisfying detail.

Go ahead; hop on board. The captain knows how to sail this ship.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R35RZIE25S8F7T An adventure story set on a cruise ship. Would you like it? Would it make a good gift for a cruising friend? I'll give you the information you need to decide in this video without ruining the story. Frank Derfler, author of "A Glint in Time"

Bob Morris' latest gem, A Deadly Silver Sea, requires the reader to bring some elements to the adventure:

Required items:

Willing suspension of disbelief as is required of all decent pieces of literature. Everything that happens to Zack Chasteen is possible. The likelihood that it could happen as it unfolds in Silver Sea is virtually zero. However, the narrative grabs the reader and will not let go. I read the book in one sitting this afternoon. It helped to know that Bob has already begun work on the fifth in this series. After all, Zack has to survive Silver Sea if there is to be a fifth adventure.

A profound and disturbing acceptance of the reality that there are countless other psychopaths such as those who engineered the World Trade Center Bombing, the USS Cole explosion and the horror of 9/11. Accepting this reality means that we must support all efforts of vigilance against these terrorists.

A celebration of the glory of the genuine love and commitment of Zack and Barbara, and the wonder of their nearly born child.

Suggested, but not required:

Tongue planted firmly in cheek at the ridiculous occurences caused by the greed, arrogance and stupidity of the human animal.

A modicum of literacy to appreciate how Morris establishes the delicate psychological balance of the relationship between a gang of terrorists, including the chronicle of the disintegration of the alliance.

Appreciation of the care with which Morris has constructed the story. Since I read the book in one sitting, I marveled at the careful structure.

Understanding of the amazing capabilities of twenty first century technology and respect for Bob Morris' meticulous research into subjects ranging from shipbuilding to bomb construction to the mysteries of voudan culture.

Whatever one brings to the reading of this novel, one is impressed by the thorough preparation and the consistent telling of the story.

My review is intended to help the reader decide whether or not this story may merit his interest. One gets no book reports from me. One does get a recommendation: It is a terrific read.

In Florida, former NFL player and ex con Zack Chasteen is contented to run a palm tree nursery, as long as his beloved travel magazine owner Barbara Pickering is with him. He especially looks forward to the birth of their first child in about a month.

Zack, Barbara and many affluent people are sailing on the luxurious cruise ship Royal Star on its maiden voyage; his invitation comes from being classy Barbara's escort, which serves a reminder of how far he has come. Soon after the Royal Star embarks from Miami, gunmen kill most of the crew and take control of the vessel. After the passengers are separated by gender, Zack tries to get the men to join him on a blitzkrieg, but he end up in the drink while Barbara goes into premature labor.

The latest Zack Casteen thriller (see BERMUDA SCHWARTZ, BAHAMARAMA and JAMAICA ME DEAD) is as fast-paced as its predecessors, but lacks the originality of the previous tales with Cussler's Pitt novels and movies like Under Siege. Zack's usual amusing cynical asides also seem out of place in a scenario in which his about to give birth beloved is in deep peril. Still he is an interesting mix as a sarcastic moralistic antihero struggling to rally the civilians at sea against deadly pirates making his current under siege escapade fun for his fans.

Harriet Klausner

Wisecracking Zack Chasteen and his new wife travel editor Barbara Pickering decide to take a cruise on the Royal Star before their baby's born. The Royal Star is supposedly the greenest ship ever built, even having its own water treatment plant on board. But the boat is greener than Zack or any of the other passengers could have imagined, however it's a green of a different kind, the green of laundered money, beaucoup de bucks, stashed below.

But it seems somebody knows about all that loot, because some of the crew take over the ship, separating the men from the women. Separated from Zack, Barbara is about to go into labor, meanwhile Zack organizes some of the passenger to fight back and winds up going overboard, fortunately he sees a boat off in the distance. Can he swim to it? Will they help? Can he save his wife? An awful lot of "Can hes" and there's more in this Swashbuckling thriller that may be a little over the top, but it's a awful lot of fun.

Great book to throw in your backpack and take with you on the cruise. You can bone up on a bit of the history and it will get some ideas ffor excursions or places to visit on the islands.

These books are great tools. I have cruised many times and I still consult them before every cruise. I would say they are must haves for first timers. They summarize the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, as well as many debarkation ports. What I find most useful is the information provided on each of the cruise lines and cruise ships. If you are unsure which ship would be best for you and your family this book will definitely help you decide. I would caution potential buyers visiting very small or less popular islands. Places like Anguilla, Trinidad and Tobago are noticeably absent from the book.

I have always turned to Frommer's for honest reviews of just about any destination. Their website is full of great info too

I have cruised many times before and found this book to be quite honest in its observations. We are sailing to Hawaii and I was able to find the information I wanted. I think this is a great resource for anyone considering a cruise vacation.

I originally read this book in 1991. It is one of the best books about modern day cruising still to this day. John Maxtone-Graham is an incredible author and this was a terrific follow up to his earlier masterpiece The Only Way to Cross. I would recommend this book to any ship historian or buff.

Liners To The Sun is an engaging and informative "ocean travelogue" which also offers considerable insight on the past, present, and possible future of ocean cruising. Featuring more than 250 black-and-white photographs and drawings, showcased with an authentically detailed narration, and an attention to the nuts-and-bolts of shipboard voyages, combine to make Liners To The Sun an especially recommended title for anyone wanting or needing to learn more about the realities and experiences of life on the waves in general, and ocean bound cruising in particular.

The natural follow-on to his seminal "The Only Way to Cross," "Liners to the Sun" brings more of Maxtone-Graham's great stories to print. Able to describe technical details with an easy precision, the author also contributes a great deal to the lore of cruising, from the earliest history to the latest developments, from the economics of cruise voyages to rich anecdotal details of what life is like on a long cruise (for some too long!). This review is written from the 1985 edition, and there have been so many changes in the industry that a new edition is not only cause for celebration, but also an incentive to own both books!

I had been enticed by the hardcover edition at the library and was hoping this softcover brought it up to date from 1985...but the only addenda from 2000 were confined to the new preface. Hence four instead of five stars. That said, this book is truly a celebration of the ultimate seagoing experience ( unless you are a dedicated small boat windsailor). Maxtone-Graham KNOWS and LOVES his ships-- down to the details of welding and design-- their captains and crew, their passengers and their milieux, and the sheer exuberance of unwinding, relaxing, shmoozing, partying or simply vegging on an ocean-going palace. The author's wonderfully cosmopolitan outlook and elegance of expression match the glitz, glamor --- and sometimes grit-- of the wonderful vessels he describes with such evocative precision. He is at home among the hoi polloi, but definitely no effete snob. When addressing the delicate issue of Class versus Crass (yesteryear's sophisticated passenger contrasted to today's alleged boor) the author wisely points out that the Old Guard elite also had their share of back-slapping, spittle shpritzing louts aboard. Those who mourn the passing of Great Liner gentility have forgotten about these annoying ship crawlers. Maxtone-Graham does make distinctions between the most garish of the party-hardy Spring Break specials and the classier cruise ships. He does not neglect the luxurious smaller vessels as so many cruise ship writers do. For example the always interesting Arnold Kludas won't consider any ship under 10,000 gross tons in his multi-volumed compendium. Maxtone-Graham gives a vivid and affectionate review of an Atlantic crossing on one of the first of the modern Mega-Yachts, the 4,250 ton Sea Goddess I (now operated by Seabourn with its sister ship). I particularly enjoyed the lively accounts of the memorable, and gone-forever,grand tours such as the 1938-39 lavish and fun-filled Normandie cruises to Rio and many other such "journeys to nowhere". I did not find the excellent depiction of the down and dirty details of design and construction at all boring, as the author feared. Equally informative is the insight into the economic realities confronting the cruise travel industry as it enters the twenty-first century. Details such as cabin and bathroom design are brought to life by demonstrating the relative comfort and convenience factors of different arrangements. I have never tired of re-reading this wonderfully evocative book. Having missed the author's The Only Way to Cross, the appendix relating some letters he received about the earlier book was a welcome bonus. The illustrations....deck plans, interior and exterior photos and drawings, are quite helpful in visualizing life and luxury aboard. Highly recommended both for bon voyagers and those who would rather read about life at sea from a dry and steady berth.

I really enjoyed the book. The self discovery and coming of age of a young man (Steven) while on a 98 day around the world cruise. Excellent character development, and some very interesting reationships help shape the main character. This book is a memoir novel. So I suspect most of it is true, with some additions to keep the book flowing. I look forward to this authors next book.

Mr. Rivellino writes a delightful book about the last days of the Golden Era of oceanliner travel. It is also a wonderful story about a young mans journey into adulthood. However, it is also a grand adventure on a world cruise.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in cruise ships, and an uplifting story about a young gay man.

Mysterious Places, Mysterious Dreams is like a wonderful cruise that when finished, leaves you dreading your return to a landlocked reality. An historic ocean liner on a world voyage, its wealthy passengers and its eccentric crew combine to make this tale of one young man's self-discovery a very satisfying and hard-to-put-down read.

Ocean Liners, Exotic Locations, and one man's voyage of Self-Discovery - it's all here!

I thoroughly enjoyed this exceptional read! It brought many of my own past emotions to the surface. I think this is a wonderful thing and it speaks volumes about Mr. Rivellino's writing abilities.

The book is a true story, based on the author's own experiences working onboard an ocean liner. If you have an interest in World travel and ocean liners, I don't think you will be disappointed. You will read about far off lands around the globe and the luxury liner which takes you there. More important, you will become encompassed in the author's journey of self-discovery as a young man, and the many interesting characters along the way that help shape him.

People, places, self discovery, and ocean liners. For me that spells a formula for success. If you feel the same way then I have no doubt you will become engrossed in Mr. Rivellino's entertaining true story.

Highly recommended.

Excellent book. Superior photography. Provides an in depth study on a time period where little data is otherwise available. Not a survey course.

This is the most I've ever paid for a book, and it's value is driven up by the fact that it's long out of print. However, if you're interested in that period of US Navy history, this is one of the very few that covers it. The photographs are not found anywhere else that I've seen, and the author is a well-known authority on Naval history. If it was reprinted, it would still cost as much as current used copies which range from $53 into the $100s depending on condition. I've never understood why this is such a neglected and forgotten era of Naval history, but the author is very thorough in his treatment of it. Highly recommended.

This is a magnificent combination of text, photos, and drawings covering the period when the U.S. Navy came of age. In addition to depicting the ships, the book also does a great job of showing what day-to-day life was like in the Navy of that time. Just hope the publisher elects to reprint it!

The Unicorns want to get Ellen with the guys they picked for her. Ellen pretends to be someone she's not. They have a fight when this Tropical Storm comes up,when it becomes firece,It turns into a hurricane. Ellen is out in the storm. Curtis Bowman and her have taken shelter in a cave,and probably saved her life. The Unicorns are at the hotel,which is being ripped apart by the storm. Ellen and Curtis missed their boat,when the Unicorns and the others go back to the boat.

This story is about 5 girls who win a cruse called Carribian Queen.
4 of the girls want to set up their friend Ellen to find her a boyfriend.They
decide for Ellen to have their boyfriends.Ellen trys so hard
to meet with each of them at a certin time of day,but she likes some other guy who the Unicorns do not think is right for her.Who will Ellen pick to be her boyfriend in the end.I realy enjoyed this book.It taught me to
always do what you think is right.

I thought that this book was fantastic. I laughed so hard when I was reading it. The way that Ellen chose to follow her heart was great

This is the second review of this book I have written for Amazon. This time around, I would rate it 10 if I could. This is the finest research I have ever come across about a most fascinating time and man. It is a must read for anyone interested in history, maritime affairs and the war of 1812. I just wish I could have been the author. Bravo.

This little gem of a book is exactly what every enthusiast of the age of fighting sail is looking for: engaging characters, beautifully designed tall ships, and plenty of action. It reads like a novel, is full of larger than life characters, and the ship to ship actions are better than anything you'll read in the novels of Alexander Kent, Richard O'Brien, and CS Forrester.

Captain Blakeley (his naval rank as commander of the USS Wasp, a sloop of war, was actually Master Commandant) is proclaimed by the author as the most accomplished US Navy captain in the War of 1812. In his single cruise with the Wasp, he sank two British ships of war of near-equal strength in hull to hull fights and captured and destroyed a slew of merchantmen as he prowled the sea lanes. He had been on successful cruises with the Enterprise and the Argus, and continued his professional successes on the newly built and commissioned USS Wasp, the last ship so named in the War of 1812. Sadly, after her last victory, she sailed off into legend and was lost at sea from unknown causes, the families of the crew never knowing what happened to their loved ones.

This is a most valuable addition to the literature of the period and a definite must for the historian and enthusiast. The author has done a masterful job here. It is carefully researched, is a very quick read, as you can't put it down, and is accurate. This book is highly recommended and I couldn't help thinking that it would make an outstanding motion picture.

Stephen Duffy's "Captain Blakeley and the Wasp: The Cruise of 1814" tells, and tells well, the story of Master Commandant Johnston Blakeley and the highly successful and ultimately doomed cruise of the US Navy sloop of war Wasp in 1814. Through exhaustive research, Duffy chronicles in detail the building of the Wasp at Newburyport, Massachusetts, and Blakeley's struggles to outfit and crew his new ship, an effort made more difficult by national politics and by rivalries within the Navy command structure. The tale of the Wasp's cruise across the Atlantic and into the English Channel is of necessity less comprehensive because many crucial records were lost when Blakeley and his command vanished at sea after twin victories over Royal Navy brigs in British home waters. Although Blakeley was able to forward his official reports of the two battles before his ship disappeared, it is the missing unofficial information which prevents Duffy from fully reconstructing what happened when the Wasp captured HMS Reindeer and then sank HMS Avon. Despite this limitation, Duffy does provide clear analyses of the two actions, reaching rather different conclusions about the sequence of events during the Wasp-Reindeer fight than heretofore have been published.

It has been said that a biographer must have a personal liking for his subject for the labor in writing the book to be anything other than a burden, and certainly Duffy has a great admiration for Johnston Blakeley. His assessment of his hero as America's most accomplished naval commander during the age of sail perhaps errs on the side of hyperbole, but the book leaves no doubt that Blakeley deserves greater fame than he is usually accorded. Duffy was handicapped by the paucity of primary source accounts from Blakeley and his close associates, so he frequently was forced to resort to speculation about the thoughts of the young officer regarding various situations. At the very least, Duffy presents a valuable and interesting study of a junior officer in the small American navy at the beginning of the 19th Century.

I work with A/A Books Publishers, and last week when I was in the new local Borders Book store, I was surprised to fine Anne Brooks Brauer's latest book The CRAZY 8MURDER, on display with big stickers , saying they were autographed copies. The book is great and we in the office have read it and love the way she uses the backgrounds of Turkey and Greece, describing so vividly the street, the sites of these exotic cities. This is a great book, not a bloody thrilled but a challenging mystery. Jill Hagan

Anne Brooks Brauer, has done it again, with a great "arm chair adventure" taking place in Greece and Turkey. The reader can follow along step by step while solving the murder.

Travelers returning from visiting Turkey have been buying this book in numbers. The setting is factual and adds to the mystery of the story.

This was a truly great read. It's about a forty-something woman named Maggie, who decides she needs a change of direction in her life, and heads out on a cruise. The adventures that befall her, and the colorful crew of characters he meets onboard make this a wonderfully vivid and engaging story. It's absolutely impossible to put down, overflowing with romantic intrigue, and offering a vicarious thrill ride through the exotic ports-of-call in Mexico. Highly recommended!

I read the book for the first time. not one curse word and the story is based on cruise adventures of a lady I know personally.
It is a romance novel but with a sense of adventure. The book had interest that kept me reading. The book makes you feel you are there when it happens. I started and finished it two nights. The book was good reading.. I know about most of the characters by talking to Mrs Kaye a lot.

The only problem is the publisher as he printed copies are in poor quality .......but worth it to read a great novel

Cruise Ship Diaries
Irene Magers Gingold
Publish America, May 2006
ISBN: 142411618X

In New York forty-four year old married trice but now single Margaret Maghpye is stunned when after twelve years at the firm she loses her position as a paralegal at Goodman, Barr & Noune. Her boss Laura Noune unfairly blames Margaret for poor research for a terrible day at court. Stunned and with no one to tie her down, Margaret decides she needs to escape her troubles and the wintry teen temperature of Manhattan so uses her meager savings to go on a Mexican cruise though she knows she cannot afford this financially. She prays this will lift her out of her growing depression.

She flies to San Diego where she boards the Mexican Star for seventeen days and nights of what Margaret hopes is uplifting fun. However, instead of an upbeat time, Margaret feels the sexual shenanigans on board too overwhelming and the port stop at Acapulco too commercial. However, the topper occurs when an elderly passenger Francine Wirth is being tossed from the ship at a remote Mexican hospital because she suffered an injury, which cannot be treated by the ship's doctor; this stuns Margaret (and readers). On the plus side she meets and is attracted to passenger Michael Sanders, though he seems withdrawn. While he has a different agenda for being on this excursion, he cannot stop himself from wanting to spend time with Margaret.

The sea cruise romance between the middle age couple is handled deftly as the two protagonists fear love, but cannot help themselves stop the attraction. However, what makes the CRUSIE SHIP DIARIES different than the myriad of ship romance novels is the insight into the downside of cruises in which the lines are held unaccountable once they cross into international waters as the Francine incident apparently is genuine. Irene Magers Gingold provides a delightful and charming contemporary with quite a stunning message that the passengers have fun but beware.

Harriet Klausner

This book was great ...I read it from cover to cover and it gave me incredible information even about the cruise ship we were on that the line did not share with us. Would highly recommend it.

I have never been on a cruise, but I am a savvy seasoned independant world traveler, (including over a dozen trips to Alaska), and I thought this book was an incredible resource! Alaska cruise options these days seem almost endless. There are more than 17 cruiselines taking more than 700,000 paasengers a season to Alaska! Juneau alone, receives over 450 passenger ship port of calls annually. Competing cruises are almost as indivdual as you are. This guidebook does a great job of laying out and encapsulating the many diverse cruise choices. When you finish reading this guide you will not only know which cruiseline you are interested in and which route, but you will likely know which individual ship you want to cruise on!

Visiting wedsites or talking with a travel agent are a poor substitute. Cruiseline websites provide lots of details, but lack comparative information. In addition, they are not going to tell you if their cabins are tiny, or the food is mediocre. Save visiting the cruiseline websites until after you read this guidebook to get more detail and photos - when you have narrowed the field.

Travel agents, no matter how good they are, simply don't have the time to dsseminate the volume of information in this book. But after you read this book and if you decide to use a travel agent, you will walk in well-informed and your agent will be quite impressed. It will also save them time and breath!

Whether your cruise is a once-in-a-liftime trip or an annual event, ...this guidebook is an invaluable resource.

I bought this book before an Alaskan cruise this summer, and found it to be invaluable, both for researching before hand and enjoying the ports of call on our cruise.

It's small (so it's easily portable), and chock full of information about all the ports. We used it constantly during the trip!

A tip - I bought this book in addition to the bigger Frommer's Alaska. The bigger book contains all the same info as the little one, along with details on a lot of places not covered in the cruising book. So don't buy both - decide how much of Alaska you want to see, and just get the one that suits your travel plans.