Spanning the period 1857-1977, Mailships of the Union-Castle Line is the story of the mail service between Britain and South Africa and its concomitant cargo and passenger services. It traces the years offierce comperition betwecn the Union and Castle lines for tenure ofthe coveted Ocean Mail Contract, their ultimate amalgamation in 1900 to become the Iegendary Union-Castle Line and the fluctuating fortunes of that company. Much more than a history, though, it is a nostalgie look at an era of magnificent ships and leisurely travel, when names like Scot and Briton, Dunottar Castle, Arundel Castle, Carnarvon Castle, Windsor Castle and, under the South African flag, S.A. Vaal and S.A. Oranje were household words. It captures the excitement thar greeted record passages and the launch of a new flagship, sailing day at Southampton and Cape Town, and the no less memorable final voyages, particularly thase of the '70s when the economics of containerization and the jumbo jet brought to a dose the great age of sea travel. Woven into the fascinating fabric of the text are accounts of life on board for passengers, officers and crew; tales of heroism and disasters, accidents and war; memories of the coastal passage, Crossing the Line, beef tea, and much more. To enhance the value of the book as a reference work, four scrupulously researched appendices provide particulars of each mailship, as well as some useful comparative statistics and a chronology of shipping developments in South Africa. Richly iIIustrated throughout with evocative memorabilia, over 300 photographs - most of them previously unpublished - and eight specially commissioned paintings by acdaimed marine artist Peter Bilas, Mailships of the Union-Castle Line is an essential book for anyone with an interest in ships and the tradition of sea travel. It will also have strong appeal for those with fond memories of the mailship era.