Sail, Steam, and Diesel

While the history of Great Lakes shipping has been discussed frequently over the years, little has been said about the factors that influenced the use, design, and evolution of the boats that made this trade possible. Sail, Steam, and Diesel: Moving Cargo on the Great Lakes provides a comprehensive overview of the development of Great Lakes ships over the past several centuries, from small birch-bark canoes originally used in the region to the massive thousand-footers of today. The author also looks at the economics of vessel operation, including the various considerations involved in expanding the scope of the shipping industry, a move that aided in catapulting America into becoming an industrial juggernaut. Although they might not realize it, millions of Americans have owed their livelihoods to the Great Lakes boats and the cargoes they carried that supported a wide range of industries, and this volume is an excellent way to recognize to what extent our lives have been affected by this region's industry.