The 'Blue Riband', a mythical trophy for the fastest ship on the Atlantic, has fascinated the public for almost 200 years. Though the competition never existed officially, the 'Sattle for the Blue Riband' was real enough, and the contest to produce the fastest ocean-going giant between the Old and New Worlds was one which was wholeheartedly embraced by five nations. The author describes how the finest engineers and naval architects, the most dedicated shipbuilders, the boldest shipowners and the best-trained crews developed the most extreme, the most beautiful and the best-run ships ever to grace the turbulent wastes of the North Atlantic. These ships and their stories have endeared themselves in the public imagination in a way that no other form of transport has done, and this superbly written and illustrated book captures the story in the most compelling manner. From the early paddlesteamers to the last great high-speed, four-screw turbine liners the author tells a tale of rivalry and remarkable engineering feats which embraced the commercial motivation of the great shipping lines as well as the political ambitions of governments. This is truly the story of excess and extremes.