Comprehensive reference volume on the Olympic Class sister ships, Olympic and Titanic. It is impossible to understand Titanic without appreciating the broader context: the development of the White Star Line and its competitors in the preceding decades; Anglo-German competition; the British fear of the 'American peril' as foreign capital increasingly controlled British shipping companies; and the relentless advance in shipbuilding and technology. This definitive reference volume explores the lead up to the construction of Olympic and Titanic; providing a step-by-step account of the design process; looking at the financial, logistical and political obstacles they had to tackle; the ups and downs of Olympic's maiden season in 1911 and 1912; and summarising Titanic's disastrous end. Relying on extensive primary source research and presenting much unpublished data, this new book is not only a valuable reference tool, but provides an essential insight into understanding this period of history. AUTHOR: Mark Chirnside is a well-known maritime author. He has previously written RMS Aquitania: The Ship Beautiful, Olympic, Titanic and Britannic: The Olympic Class Ships, RMS Olympic: Titanic's Sister, The 'Big Four' of the White Star Fleet, and Oceanic: White Star's Ship of the Century for The History Press. 25 colour, 157 b/w illustrations