British Mail Steamers to South America, 1851-1965
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€198.40
A01=Robert E. Forrester
aires
american
Anglo South American Banks
Author_Robert E. Forrester
Brazilian Governments
British imperial trade
British maritime communication networks
British South American Airways
buenos
Carry Forward
Category=NHD
Category=NHTM
company
Constructive Total Loss
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
Holland America Line
international shipping competition
Latin American commerce
lines
Mail Contract
Mail Subsidies
maritime economic history
Messageries Maritimes
navigation
pacific
Pacific Steam
Pacific Steam Navigation Company
packet
royal
Royal Mail
Royal Mail Lines
Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
services
Shaw Savill
Sir William McLintock
South American Route
South American Service
steamship postal services
Triple Expansion Engines
Tween Decks
UK Port
vessel design evolution
Vice Versa
Voyage Profits
West Germany
Wooden Paddle Steamers
Product details
- ISBN 9781472416612
- Weight: 635g
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 28 Apr 2014
- Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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During the nineteenth century Britain’s maritime, commercial and colonial interests all depended upon a regular and reliable flow of seaborne information from around the globe. Whilst the telegraph increasingly came to dominate long-distance communication, postal services by sea played a vital role in the network of information exchange, particularly to the more distant locations. Much importance was placed upon these services by the British government which provided large subsidies to a small number of commercial companies to operate them. Concentrating initially on the mail service between Britain and South America, this book explores the economic and political involvement of, at the outset, The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (later, Royal Mail Lines) from 1851 until 1874. (The Company’s West Indies services were subsidized from 1840 until the early years of the 20th century.) As well as providing a business history of the Royal Mail companies the book reveals much of the development of Brazil and Argentina as trading nations and the many and varied consequences of maintaining a long-distance mail service. Improved ship design led to larger vessels of greater cargo capacities, essential to the growth of the lucrative, and highly competitive, import/export trades between Britain and Europe and South America. The provision of increased passenger services contributed to the very considerable British financial, commercial and industrial interests in Latin America well into the 20th century. The book also addresses the international competition faced by Royal Mail Lines which reflected Britain’s progressively diminishing dominance of global trade and shipping. In all this book has much to say that will interest not only business historians but all those seeking a better understating of Britain’s maritime and economic history.
Robert E. Forrester spent twenty years at sea as cadet and deck officer, the last ten with Royal Mail Lines including frequent voyages to South America. In 1965 he left the sea and for the next twenty years was involved with press advertising and as managing director of a magazine publishing company. Following his retirement he studied for an MA (2001) in Maritime Studies at the Greenwich Maritime Institute followed by a PhD in 2006.
