Liverpool Docks by Michael Stammers

Liverpool Docks by Michael Stammers

The story of Liverpool is, in many ways, the story of its docks. Before the docks, trade was limited by the tides and at the mercy of the Mersey's currents. After dock construction began, the city became a hub of Britain's worldwide trading network. Cheshire Salt, Lancashire coal and textiles, Staffordshire pottery and Birmingham metal goods were all export staples and played an important part - until the 1807 abolition - in the infamous African slave trade. At the same time, sugar, rum, cotton and timber were exported in huge quantities. Through the expansion of the empire and the opportunities presented by steam power, the docks continued to grow and prosper. Even after the setbacks and bombing of the Second World War, trade rapidly recovered. However, the pace of change increased in the late 1950s and not to Liverpool's benefit. Passenger liners lost out to airliners (Cunard ships last called here in 1964) and changes in cargo handling led to the displacement of six traditional cargo liners for every new container vessel. There was competition from new container ports like Felixstowe as well as a range of local difficulties. With many contemporary illustrations of people, ships, buildings and machinery, Michael Stammers chronicles not just the rise and fall of Mersey shipping but also the way the docks have bounced back. Redevelopment, restoration and new modes of commerce have put Liverpool’s docks back in the black and the docks continue to be a significant part of the Liverpool of today, albeit a very different-looking docks to the port of over sixty years ago.

Michael Stammers is the curator emeritus of the Merseyside Maritime Museum. He is a prolific writer on maritime subjects. He lives in Liverpool, Britain's greatest maritime city.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780752417127
ISBN 10	0752417126
Title	Liverpool Docks
Author	Michael Stammers
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	The History Press Ltd
Year published	1999-09-01
Number of pages	128
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable