Floating palaces of the Great Lakes : a history of passenger steamships on the inland seas /

The inland waterways of the Great Lakes have provided a means for massive economic growth for more than two centuries, and large numbers of commercial vessels still ply their waters. Almost unknown today, however, are passenger-carrying vessels, with only a few still in existence. Stone (Detroit Historical Society) describes the plethora of passenger steamships that conveyed settlers, entrepreneurs, immigrants, and pleasure-seekers through the Great Lakes, which led to the development of the region. Starting with relatively crude craft, Great Lakes steamers grew in size, horsepower, capacity, and luxury, enabling large numbers of passengers to travel in varying levels of comfort depending upon their means. Stone describes how steamship companies on the lakes thrived into the early 20th century but went into decline after the 1920s because of the Great Depression, WW II, and changing modes of travel. Well-written and well-illustrated, the book describes various ships without bogging down in excessive technical descriptions. Stone is adept at describing the economic conditions that affected lake-borne transit but does not distract from the purpose of the book. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. --Steven J. Ramold, Eastern Michigan University