Maxtone-Graham, John

France/ Norway

ISBN: 9780393069037
New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010. First Edition. Hardcover. "S.S. France of 1962 was a paradigm of elegance, style and speed. Christened by Madame de Gaulle, she was, at 1035 feet, the world's longest passenger vessel, perfectly attuned to postwar demographics with a select first class and huge tourist class. But the escalating price of fuel- at speed, she devoured a ton a mile- and a truculent crew finally doomed her. Scrapping seemed inevitable but there was a miraculous reprieve. Knut Kloster, instigator of Miami's burgeoning new cruise industry...bought the moribund vessel as was and, over the winter of 1979/1980 at Bremerhaven, patrician France became populist Norway, an astonishing makeover of a French vessel at a German yard by a Norwegian owner for a largely American Clientele." (from front flap) The astonishing story of the transformation of the elite cruise ship S.S. France into the popular S.S. Norway, by John Maxtone-Graham (1929-2015), the Scottish-American author who was a premiere maritime historian. Maxtone-Graham was a frequent passenger of both incarnations of this fabled ship, & familiar with all of both versions' technical & design details. With a Bounty (couldn't help the pun, sorry) of captioned photographs, many in color, documenting every aspect of the France/ Norway in both its identities. A large, lavish "coffee table" production, hardcover in unclipped dust jacket, first edition as stated on copyright page, first printing as indicated by number sequence thereon. From the collection of George V. Buehler (1933-2020), who was a prominent real estate developer & collector in Massachusetts & Arizona. We found & have retained, between illustrated rear endpaper & paste-down, several documents relating to Buehler's purchase of this item during 2011 & subsequent research into its (increasing) value as of 2015, in very fine condition with only some light surface creasing, mild bumps & wear at edges & corners. Also included are two charmingly illustrated bookmarks from the venerable Between the Covers booksellers, each printed on both sides & in very fine condition with only tiny bumps, creases at some corners. A very collectible & Stately (Stateroom?) Study of maritime architecture, design & construction; with distinguished provenance. Book in very fine condition with only a bit of rubbing & a few faint scratches to black-colored front, back covers & spine (with gilt lettering on spine completely bright & intact); slight bend of spine toward front; a touch of rubbing & spotting to edges of text block. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps at upper corners of a few page leaves; otherwise substantially mint. Dust jacket fine with mild rubbing to front, back covers & spine; very light wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same & flaps; tiny areas with loss of surface paper at lower flap-corners. Very Fine / Fine. [Item #4942]

Price: $75.00