"A charming, incisive look at the development of steamship travel and its impact on Western society. Douglas Burgess crafts a masterful narrative that restores steamships to their proper place as the technological marvel of the nineteenth century. These vessels not only transported people, they created new and enduring human experiences such as tourism and pleasure cruises, and altered their passengers' understanding of the world."—Joshua Smith, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy "Engines of Empire boldly reconceptualizes historical understandings of technology, empire, transnationalism, and modernization. It barrels forth with creativity and character, to offer a voyage at once informative and thought provoking."—Glenn S. Gordinier, author of The Rocket's Red Glare: The War of 1812 and Connecticut "Engines of Empire tells the story of the complex relationship between Victorians and their steamships, following famous travelers like Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and Jules Verne, as well as tourists and imperial administrators as they crossed oceans bound for the colonies. It looks more at the stories of the steamships and their role in the wider context, rather than focusing on the ships themselves."—Ships Monthly "Douglas R. Burgess Jr.'s Engines of Empire: Steamships and the Victorian Imagination excavates the complex relationship between Victorians—not only in Britain, but also in the U.S. and Germany—and their steamships. Drawing on the observations of famous travelers such as Charles Dickens, Jules Verne, and Mark Twain, as well as ordinary voyagers, both male and female, Burgess explores the many and varied meanings of steamships and steamship travel for 'spectators,' 'tourists,' and 'imperials.'"—Jeffrey Auerbach, The American Historical Review "His writing is nothing short of genius. Burgess is an artist who adorns his canvas with words....No review, abbreviated or extended, can do justice to this work that offers deep insights into technology and society. Anyone interested in ships and their impact on civilization will find in Engines of Empire a study worthy of their time and attention."—David O. Whitten, Sea History
