The period 1913-1923 is dealt with in this second volume and, although only a decade, it was one of the most turbulent in passenger ship history. Competition to produce ever-Iarger vessels declined between leading North Atlantic shipping companies, and for 20 years the ships of the Imperator-Class were the largest in the world. The First World War had a devastating effect on the passenger ship industry and many ships, among them the Britannic and Statendam, intended as flagships of the British and Dutch merchant fleets, were sunk before ever embarking on passenger voyages. With the reconstruction of passenger services at the end of the war, other nat ions such as Italy, entered the scene while Germany, hitherto at the forefront, played a temporarily minor role. Each vessel covered in this volume is described in detail: its builder, technical data and accommodation, together with a brief history of its period in service are given, fully supported by copious photographs. Arnold Kludas, formerly a technical engineer in a major Hamburg shipyard, has written numerous articles on mariti me subjects in addition to compiling fleet lists for some well-known shipping companies. He has also worked in an advisory capacity for a German publishing firm which specialises in mariti me and nautical books. Now living in Hamburg, he has been heralded as a leading expert in his field with the originai German publication of Great Passenger Ships of the World and, as The Nautical Magazine said when reviewing the first English-Ianguage volume in this series, he has produced 'one of the most important nautical histories to have recently appeared'.