DIESEL TUGS: A Colour Portfolio

Britain’s docks and ports have, for millennia, been at the forefront of the nation’s commercial life. In order to guide large ships to and from their berths, the unsung workhorses of the ports for many decades have been the countless tugs and inshore craft employed on this and other tasks. With the rise of the internal combustion engine in the first half of the 20th century, the traditional steam-powered tugs were gradually superseded by diesel-powered vessels and these continue to provide an essential part of maritime life in the 21st century.

This book offers some 85 colour views, all previously unpublished, featuring the great variety of diesel tugs and inshore craft visible in Britain’s harbours from the late 1950s onwards. The detailed captions provide not only the history of the tug illustrated but also information on the other vessels seen in the photos and on the ports and harbours themselves.

The book contains scenes from around the country, which with the rise of containerisation and the gradual demise of traditional harbour practices, are as much a part of history as the vessels themselves. This album will therefore appeal both to maritime historians as well as those who recall how harbours worked in the pre-container era.

Author: David L. Williams & Richard de Kerbrach
Format: HB 80 pages
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd
Pub date: May 2006
ISBN 10: 0711031177
ISBN 13: 9780711031173

List Price: £14.99