Selected tales from around the UK from the heyday of the excursion paddle steamers.

An authoritative review of the vessels operating in Central Europe. Includes a wealth of colour and black-and-white photographs and maps of where each individual vessel operates.

Recreates the romance and myth of paddle steamers through a collection of photographs and descriptions of over two hundred ships used for touring, entertainment, commerce, and warfare

The paddle steamer holds a unique place in the history of maritime engineering. When the engineers of the early nineteenth century experimented with steamboats they chose the paddle wheel as the form of propulsion. Within twenty years the paddle steamers were at work on inland waters and short sea passages. They were graceful, elegant ships, but in the jet age too slow and uneconomical. In the 1950s they went to the breaker’s yards in droves, and now there are only a few left. This book tells they story of the paddle steamers, and of the men who built, owned and sailed them.

"There's money to be made on the river..." So goes a famous line quoted over one hundred years ago that marked the birth of a paddle steamer. The river? The Murray. The Steamer? The P.S. Canberra.Small, agile and something of a battler, the Canberra has been the quiet achiever amongst larger, more prominent vessels. From her humble beginnings as a fishing boat in a mosquito fleet to one of the longest serving tourist vessels, the Canberra is a boat that is loved by many. From teetotallers and soldiers to larrikins and hard workers, the Canberra has seen thousands of people cross her path during her life. With 100 years already on the water, the P.S. Canberra has made her mark on history and found her way into the memories of many. The Murray River. A paddle steamer. One hundred years of stories.

The former captain of the PS Kingswear Castle explores the final decades of paddle steamers in Britain.