Ships Monthly

This is the best general magazine dealing with ships that I have seen. I have been a subscriber since 1974, and unlike many publications, it has significantly improved with time. All contemporary ships are illistrated with color photographs, most of which are sufficitly large to provide a good view. Many of the historical photos are also in color; however, good quality black and white ones are provided for those subjects that preceded color photography.

A reasonable variety of topics are covered; although the emphasis is on Europe. There are also occasional features on U. S. subjects. My only complaint is that passenger ships tend to receive more than what I consider to be the space they deserve, thereby short-changing the great variety of other fascinating ships, both military and commercial. The articles are well-written, and the authors appear to be knowledgeable with respect to their subjects. In a number of cases, I wished the articles were longer because they were so good, and I wanted to read more.

Given that Europe is currently the world's center of maritime technology and innovation, the Euro-centric slant of the magazine is a stength. I highly recommend SHIPS MONTHLY to anyone with more than a casual interest in ships and shipping.

Ships Monthly as the title indicates is a monthly magazine devoted to ships and shipping, both contemporary and historical. It is publsihed in the U.K. where the hobby of shipspotting, ship photography and historical research on ships is far more advanced than in the U.S. Given its British and continental audience, the magazine is oriented to the U.K. and western Europe. A typical issue will have the latest news on ferries (quite a popular subject in the U.K.), waterfront news, cruise ships, cargo ships, naval vessels and tugs. Following those pages, illustrated with color photos, there is usually a feature on ships of the past with an emphasis on passenger liners. There is often an article or two on naval issues, both historical and contemporary. Sometimes there is a very useful and long article on a major port with an emphasis on where one may access the water and take photographs. There usually is an article about some aspect of contemporary shipping. Rounding out the issue are regular columns including an interview with a ship's captain, historical photos, inquiries, letters, and the like. Also quite useful to this reviewer are the numerous advertisements from publishers and retailers of maritime books--most of the books advertised are not listed on Amazon. Despite the expense to those of us in the U.S., this magazine is HIGHLY recommend for anyone that has a serious and deep interest in shipping, both past and present. The British and European emphasis can be irritating and your favorite subject might not be included, but there is a complete void of this genre of magazine in the U.S. Highly recommended by this review who is admittedly a very hardcore ship fan--I would not want to be without it. If you are merely curious about shipping you may want to stick with the internet (such as and if you are a certified ship addict then Ships Monthly is for you.

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