BOOKS to some of the seamen 's trades. An Appendi x, "Where to See the Black Maritime H eritage," gives an annotated list of museums and historical societies having artifacts and exhibits on the heritage. This offers ex tensive options for field trips a nd educational excursions. There is also a 16-page bibliography of books and articles which provide more detailed coverage of topics taken up in the book. And there is a glossary of seamen 's terms used in the text. Sixteen pages of historic pictures enlivens the text. In all , this is a readable, engaging presentation of a heritage that form s an integral and important part of American maritime history. MONROE FORDHAM Dr. Fordham is assistant professor of
history at Buffalo State College, New York, and president of the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier. The Illustrated History of Paddle Steamers, by George W . Hilton, Russel A. Plummer & Joseph Jobe, ill. by Carlo Demand (Switzerland, Edita Lausanne, 1976, 190 pp ., illus., $22.95. In North America: Two Continents Publishing Group, 30 East 42nd St., NYC 10017). The first reaction this reviewer had upon picking up this book was one of eager anticipation. The glory of sail has been chronicled endlessly, the shelves of libra ries are packed with books about the magnificence of the Atlantic liner-but the ship buff whose interest lies in the smaller vessels, the ubiquitous tug, ferry or river steamer must usuall y be content with a chapter or two in the ge neral illustrated histories . Here at last was a volume devoted to the paddle steamer and its development both in the United States and in Europe, handsomely assembled in pictorial format. The book is printed in Switzerland on heavy paper and covers the history of E uropean and American paddle steamers from birth through examples surviving today. It is illustrated with photos, plans and 24 pages of excellent drawings, some in color, by Carlo Demand . All this has the potential for a book that could have become a required reference work for the student of small powered vessels. It is therefore all the more di sappointing that it falls short of the mark . The first fault is in the photos in the American section which are poorly chosen and poorly reproduced. Worse are the errors in text-mistaken dimensions and errors of fact. These may be the result of sloopy proofing, as so me errors in the handling of drawings surely were. 62
And this reader would have liked to see more photos of pa ddle engines, th e most visible and disti nctive attribute of these steamers. The American reader wi ll find a fascinating glimpse of man y unusual steamers in the last half of the book, especially the section on paddle tugs. The photos are often excellent. A list of operational paddle steamers at the end will give the stea m fan who plans to visit Europe an idea of where to find a nd ride the boats, but unfortunately the harsh world of economics makes these lists obsolete a lmost before they see print. Nonetheless, it is one of th e few such lists which can still be relied upon to be fairly co rrect. When the price of the book is wei ghed against its content it becomes difficult to give it the wholehearted endorsement it should have earned. Readers will have to examine it carefully and determine its value to their collections on an indi vidual basis. CO NRAD MILSTER
Mr. Milster, Chief Engineer at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, is a leading light of the Steamship Historical Society and member of the NMHS Advisory Council.
The Pacific Princesses: An Illustrated History of Canadian Pacific Railway's Princess Fleet on the Northwest Coast, by Robert D . Turner, (Victoria BC, Sono Nis Press, 1977, 252 pp., ill., $24.95). This colorfully designed book traces the history of 50 ships a nd six tugboats that were operated prior to 1975 by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, on waters between Seattle, Washington and Skagway, Alaska. The author, Robert D. Turner, is a native of Victoria, and rode on many of the Princess liners when he was a boy. He presentl y serves as curator in the Modern History Di vision of the British Columbia Provincia l Museum . There are 214 photographs in the book, man y full-page size, and all of good quality. In addition, schedules, ticket stubs. and other mementos have been reproduced. Tht: a uthor used pioneer newspapers to add loca l color and eye witness description to this narrative of races, fierce rate wars, and disasters. He see ks not to uncover an obscure fact, but to present a clear, moving account of ships and their place in the northwest scene . ROLAND CAREY
Mr. Carey grew up on Vashon Island in Puget Sound, and put himself through college working summers on the Virginia V. He is the author of four books and numerous articles on Puget Sound history.
Boats, Oars and Rowing, b y R. D . C ull er (Camden M E, Internatio na l Mari ne Publi sh in g, 1978, 149 pp., illu s., $ 10.95). With the reviva l of row ing as a popular past im e in this co untry, ma ny have fe lt th e need fo r a good "gettin g started " book . This is the book we've needed! "Rowing is supposed to be fun ," th e la te R. D . (Pete) Culler reminds us a t the outset. Proper eq uip men t is a good beginning, so the first half of hi s book is on " Rowing Craft" and "Oars and Oarmaking." One begins to become aware of an ama zin g va riety of boa ts (no matter how much one thought one knew th e different types), each with her special virtues and differe nt uses. No one knew all this better, or more d eeply, than Mr. Culler. H e shares, from a truly inexha ustible store, knowledge that beguiles as it instru cts. In treating so wide-ranging a subject, so me gaps result. In his di scourse on sc ulling, Mr. Culler lets us know that the Bahamian sc ulling oar is "simple to build," "seems to wo rk by itself" and is "o ne which I very much favor." There he leaves us, with no word or sketch on it s making or use ! There is a chapter on "Couble Paddle Canoes," which , while not exactly rowboats, are good "for narrow waters, portability on shore, and use on some tiny bod y of water th at calls for exploring." The point of the book co mes ho me in "Cruise in a Pulling Boat ," in which we spend a pleasant day on the water with a few companions of like interes ts. Those who share an interest in oared navigation may be grat eful indeed he left us this book . JOHN FRIEMAN Mr. Frieman is a boa/builder by avoca-
tion, and senior volunteer for the National Society, with a particular interest in historic yachts and boatyards. From the Deep of the Sea, the Diary of Charles Edward Smith, ed. Charles Edward Smith Harri s (Annapolis, US Nava l Institute Press, 1978, 288 pp., illus., $9.95) . In 1866, Charles E d wa rd Smith signed on th e whaleship Diana of Hull, England for a cruise after whale and seal that, scheduled to last 6 months, lasted 14, including a long sojourn icebound . Her return, after being give n up as lost, is sho wn to have been the result of teamwork by eve ry man a board. Dr. Smith's di a ry tells of the stru ggle with a minimum of embellishment. E RI C RUSSELL
.t .t .t SEA HISTORY, SUMMER 1979