The Royal Mail has, for over 500 years, provided a crucial service in
keeping people connected by land, sea and air. As the British Empire
grew, so too did the need for a fleet of liners to service it, and in
1839 Queen Victoria granted the initial Royal Charter incorporating the
Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. After running into financial trouble, the
company was reconstituted as Royal Mail Lines in 1930. With his superb
collection of rare images, Bill Miller brings to life the ships that
operated for the line in the twentieth century. Covering the turbulent
period of the Second World War, as well as more peaceful and prosperous
times, this collection of images illuminates the stories behind some of
the great iconic liners. Some of the ships featured include RMS Asturias
and RMS Alcantara, at the time the largest motor ships in the world, and
the RMS Magdalena, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1949.