The Port of Ipswich its shipping and trades, Richard W Smith and Jill Freestone, Malthouse Press, Suffolk. Large-format paperback, 280 x 210 mm, 384 pages inc. approx 400 photographs. ISBN 978-0-9539680-4-6, £30.
Available from Robert Malster, Malthouse Press, 17 Reade Road, Holbrook, Ipswich IP9 2QL. Please make cheques payable to R. Malster and add £5 for UK post and packing.
Also available from the Ipswich Transport Museum.
This is an important book for those interested in the development of Ipswich or more generally in ports and shipping. Although the history of Ipswich shipping dates back to Saxon times, this book deals with the past two centuries. This is a period that saw the town's engineering companies, based around the Dock, grow to have worldwide fame and then decline; a period that started with sail, went on to steam and ended up with a 'Waterfront' jangling with moored pleasure yachts.
Richard Smith has spent twelve years researching this subject. He and his co-author, Jill Freestone, have presented their work under the following headings: the port and its trade - pilotage and other business - towage on the Orwell - the coal trade - grain and animal feed - chemicals and fertilizers - the timber trade - building materials - general cargoes - public utilities - engineering - oil - pasengers and yachting - the port at war.
Throughout the book there are tables giving details of sailings and cargoes; appendices tabulate LNER steamer sailings, visits of Royal Navy ships, deep-sea arrivals 1939-43.
The Port of Ipswich contains a wealth of photographs. It is hard to find a general adjective to indicate just how impressive this book is. 'Awesome' comes to mind, reflecting the amount of work that has gone into writing and publishing it. I just cannot recommend this book highly enough.
I bought this as a retirement present for my Father in Law.
Posted by: Zaphod Beeblebrox | 01/08/2012 at 05:53 PM
Wanna buy this one.
Posted by: Tugboats And Barges In Cebu Visayas Mindanao | 03/23/2012 at 07:52 PM