This is just what a popular history book should be -- thoroughly researched, fascinating and entertaining, yet not the least bit dry or pedantic. Very, VERY highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

This book offers a most fascinating look at the lives of women on the high seas as they were given roles on the big ocean liners of the 20th century, first as maids and stewardesses, and as time passed, the equivalent of today’s cruise directors.
These women and the lives they led are interesting. Most of them were from poor situations, requiring them to work to help support their families. Working aboard a ship gave them a place to live and food to eat, so they were able to give most of their wages to help out their parents and siblings.
The stories include those about celebrities of the day as well as second and third class passengers.
Definitely an intriguing read for history lovers.

Maiden Voyages by Sian Evans is a nonfiction book about the women who worked on the Ocean Liners traveling between Europe and North America. While this book is incredibly detailed I was expecting more about the individual women and their personal lives and less about the Ocean Liners and the general history of the time. I'm also surprised that a fellow historian who perpetuate misconceptions of the Titanic Sinking. Specifically, the reported 300 foot gash at caused the ship to sink. Though this was reported in newspaper after the sinking and believed by many, multiple Titanic historians and researchers, including Tim Maltin, have determined that the damage was intermittent. However, even with these criticisms I do see this book as a good starting point for someone who is interested in Ocean Liners and the women who worked on them.

This book has an abundance of well researched historical facts compiled for your reading pleasure. If your interest is history and ocean liners, you may find this "documentary" enjoyable. The book has lots of facts, names, dates and personal experiences of women on ocean liners. It also delves into "why" women made the tough decisions to go to sea, which at the time was a very uncomfortable, dangerous and difficult way to travel.

The book is not what I expected after reading the synopsis. It is written as a very repetitive documentary that jumps around from person to person, experience to experience. Women working as nurses aboard ocean liners, women in the work place taking the jobs of the men during war time, women experiencing hardships in other countries that left them little choice other than the tough decision to emigrate to America and struggle through steerage occupancy on an ocean liner.

After 30% of the book, it's just more of the same and only the names change and even those become a blur there are so many. I believe this book could have been a great sensation if the information was presented in a story format so the reader could be invested in a few characters. As it is, I already couldn't tell you any of the names or dates of any of the people I just read about.

I gave the book 2 stars for the writers effort for her research of historical information.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got so much more than I expected from this book!

Maiden voyages by Sian Evans is an interesting and insightful read that takes you on a tour of the magnificent ocean liners that traversed between the continents during the 20’s and 30’s. You get to peek into the lives of different women who had no choice but to take on jobs on these liners serving as stewardesses and conductresses (chaperones for unaccompanied women or children) or hairdressers and masseuses in order to support their families, siblings and aging parents.
It also brings you into the lives of socialites as they enjoyed traveling from New York to France and England to either find the latest fashions or find a single rich suitor. These socialites weren’t the only ones finding husbands as dancers and showgirls were able to get in on the available catches also.

Some history lessons were learned as well:
“The Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth transported more than a million troops as part of the war effort.”

“August of 1939 when war was announced the Queen Mary was on her way to NY loaded with those fleeing Europe to avoid getting caught up in the war. On board were Albert Einstein and his wife as well as Bob Hope and spouse. Lots of great reading in the pages of this novel.”

I found this to be an excellent read and one that I just couldn’t put down.

An interesting history of women, ships and their roles on them during the "Golden" age when transatlantic journeys were at their height. This was full of facts and seemed well-researched. I was genuinely interested in the eclectic stories of both passengers and seafarers.

Maiden Voyages
By Sian Evans

This book is about many inter-related subjects: the halcyon days of Atlantic crossings; women in the cruise industry work force; immigration from Europe to North America; and social classes and mores in both Europe and North America and on cruise ships.

Told in a series of anecdotes, the stories of women who worked on and travelled on these ships is very interesting. The author introduces everyone from impoverished immigrants to film stars to royalty. We meet Valentino and Chaplin, the Prince of Wales and Wallace Simpson, and various other celebrity and society personages, and we learn their backstories. We learn about the hierarchy of women who worked the ships – hairdressers, nurses, directresses, and more. The author even includes the story of Mary Anne MacLeod, who arrives in New York to work as a domestic and manages to marry and found a wealthy dynasty.

This book is an engaging read. For anyone who enjoys ocean voyages, the book holds lots of information concerning shipboard history.

Well researched, hugely interesting and highly entertaining, Maiden Voyages tells the story of women who sailed the seas. Starting with early seafaring pioneers who started as stewardesses and became ships engineers and carried ranks equivalent to those held by men, and including women who influenced major changes to sea travel through two world wars and beyond, Maiden Voyages clearly shows us the impact that women had on how we travel on ships, an impact that lasts until today and touches every part of sea travel from the boats themselves to the services provided to help immigrants o the sometimes brutal journeys, to the marketing of cruise travel and the design of rooms and other spaces. A thoroughly interesting read which includes the famous such as Hedy Lamarr and Josephine Baker to the previously unknowns Violet Jessup and Edith Sowerbutts and even an ancestor of a former president, these women prospered, succeeded and influenced the seafaring world. A must read!

Maiden Voyages narrates part of the history of women going to sea as crew and passengers from the 1840’s to the 1950’s. Most of the employees and crew were from Great Britain, but the passengers discussed spanned from the United States across the Atlantic to Eastern Europe.

Women worked for the ocean liner companies for many reasons: family support, self support, or just because they wanted to! World War I decimated the population of marriageable men, and at that time, women were mainly forced to rely upon men to earn money to live. In the aftermath of the devastating War, many women emigrated to the United States and Canada for this reason. But women going to sea started a lot earlier than that.

Author Sian Evans starts her narrative early in the 19th Century with a young woman allowed to got to sea because of her father’s position with the shipping company. Then she moves on to captain’s wives and to stewardesses who assisted passengers in their cabins; then to conductresses, who were used mainly during large immigration streams from Europe of women and children to safeguard and to guide those passengers through the immigration process.

The narrative then moves on to famous and infamous passengers and their behavior while afloat. I have to say this was very interesting, and it finally cemented in my mind who Thelma Furness, mistress to the Prince of Wales and friend of Wallis Simpson, was (American fashion designer and celebrity Gloria Vanderbilt was her sister).

The harrowing adventures of women at sea during both WWI and WWII is recounted; most of it I have not read before or seen in documentaries. I am a bit of a WWII history buff and it was refreshing to see this slice of history. I liked the little bit included about the Wrens (WRNS, Women’s Royal Naval Service). Formed in 1917 and disbanded in 1919, it was reformed in 1939 at the start of WWII; generally, the Service has not been covered very much in popular histories.

All in all, this was a very interesting and enjoyable book to read; I already recommended it to several friends while I was only half-way through the book. There is a local book club (in western Wisconsin) that may use it because of my strong recommendation.

I was provided with an e-Galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Sara Beth Haring at St. Martin’s Press, author Sian Evans, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Maiden Voyages is the an anecdotal history of the women who sailed on transatlantic crossings during the golden age of ocean liner travel as crew, refugees, entertainers and aristocrats.

The book is packed with historical notes and tidbits about real people. Among the many profiled women who worked on the ships are the "unsinkable" Violet Jessop (who first survived the sinking of the Titanic, then the then two more!), Fannie Jane Morecroft (who becaue chief stewardess of the Lancastria), Hilda James (Olympic swimmer who worked as a swim coach), Edith Sowerbutts (who chaperoned women and children. and assisted with births onboard). Anecdotes also highlight the famous: Hedy Lamar, who's grand entrances onboard the Normandy helped secured her a lucrative film contract; Josephine Baker and Nancy Astor, as well as male film stars Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino and Johnny Weissmuller. Mary Anne MacLead, fled abject poverty in Scotland, then met and married real estate developer Fred Trump (and ultimately gave birth to future US President Donald Trump).

Starting in the late 19th Century, the author covers the entire golden age of transatlantic sailing from the 1890s through WWII and its aftermath. This book is the ultimate read for history buffs who enjoy reading about international sailing with a special emphasis on the roles played by women.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Maiden Voyages. I enjoyed reading it.

Maiden Voyages is packed full of facts and interesting stories about the women who worked on oceanliners during their golden age. I enjoyed the glimpse into life at that times, but found the book slow going at times.

Such an enjoyable and interesting read! The tales of women in the transatlantic ship trade from the turn of the last century to the end of its heyday are engaging, informative and so intriguing!

From intrepid young girls thirsting for adventure to responsible older women caring for families and children, the inspiring females who have served aboardships on the monstrous shipping liners of old are fascinating. Their stories resonate with heart and grip you in so many ways. I was so enamored of their fierce determination and steely resolve! Incredibly well researched and told in vignettes, this book is easy to read and easier to get lost in!

I can’t wait to see the finished version so I can enjoy all the photos I missed out on with the galley edition. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Siân Evans' MAIDEN VOYAGES uses the great ocean liners of the twentieth century to explore some of the century's most iconic and influential women as well as the cultural and class divides that shaped their very different literal and metaphorical journeys. Evans' strong research, deft storytelling and keen eye for intriguing detail capture the personalities of women from a variety of backgrounds as well as the experience of sailing the great liners in their heyday. Like the transatlantic trips Evans describes, MAIDEN VOYAGES is capacious, elegant, lively, and an adventure to remember.

Maiden Voyages is a great recounting of life on the high seas beginning about 100 years ago. The women of that time were definitely risk-takers. With humble accommodations for most, threat of war, seasickness, and being separated from their families, these female pioneers persevered.

Not only did they work as maids and stewardesses, they completed tasks such as nursing and engineering. Since the Great War, more and more women were working outside the home; ocean travel opened up new opportunities for them. They could find work anywhere in the world.

There are many stimulating stories, such as Christiana for example, who secretly stowed away in the hold where hundreds of tons of gravel had been brought in to act as ballast which stabilized the ship. She was sealed in for more than a week before she was let out. It was a dangerous choice she had made but, luckily, she survived. She wanted to get to American in order to send money to her desperate family. There many similar stories of women determined to better their lives.

The book covers women from all walks of life, rich, poor, famous, and ordinary. It also describes how conditions aboard ship had improved over the years.

A great deal of research was done to complete this nonfictional work, and it made for a very interesting read.

Left review for audio foremat on a previous review. My thanks for being invited but could not connect with the book.

Maiden Voyages is a wonderful account of the women who worked cruise ships throughout history. I really enjoyed hearing about the different ships and the things that the women endured. Of course, there are some sad accounts, such as the Titanic that are discussed, and there are some really fun ones such as the 20's liners. I am one that always enjoys learning little historical tidbits that I didn't know, and I feel like I got so many of those!

I think this will be an enjoyable read for readers that enjoy history and learning of how women have changed history.

I was provided a gifted audio and physical copy of this book, and I enjoyed jumping between the two formats. The narrator did a wonderful job with this one!

Maiden Voyages by Sian Evans is a well written historical book. It goes through the amazing history of sea travel and its mighty changes. The women who made it happen and historical changes throughout. The idea of what makes comfortable ships traveling possible. Immigration, sinking ships, royalty traveling. Female passengers would like a women to work with them.
Going from the RMS Britannica all the way to the Queen Mary. Down to the stewardess dress and appearance to look as dour as possible. To the idea of a self serving independent women who has to be morally perfect on a ship journey. How it was considered domestic work, to being the provider of the family. How women took to seas for different reasons. All down to the change of pace during World war two. Down to all the fascinating celebrities that participated. From Josephine Baker to Talluah Bankhead. Down to using these ships as last escape routes to America for a better life or to save a life.

I'm happy to get the opportunity to read this Arc, that is provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Publishing date comes out August 10, 2021 be sure to check it out!

I was invited by the publisher to read and review this book. I am interested in history and am a seasoned cruiser. The history of travel on ocean liners is particularly interesting to me. This work of nonfiction focused on the women who worked and traveled on ocean-going vessels from the early 20th century until the middle of the 20th century, when air travel largely replaced transatlantic shipboard travel.
This book is well-researched and thoroughly covers the topic. The author included numerous women who worked on ocean liners in various capacities including Violet Jessop, who famously survived the sinking of the Titanic. I read "Titanic Survivor: The Newly Discovered Memoirs of Violet Jessop Who Survived Both the Titanic and Britannic Disasters". I found the discussion of Jessop's experiences to be well summarized in "Maiden Voyages". The author also included women who traveled for business or pleasure. Female passengers from a variety backgrounds were discussed including desperate immigrants escaping poverty who traveled in steerage to movie stars and royalty. I found this book enjoyable to read and informative.
I would recommend it to anyone interested in women's history, maritime history, as well as people who enjoy modern cruise vacations.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Maiden Voyages is a book about ships and women and so much more.
The author discusses women throughout many years and their roles on a ship. Much of the history shared is about an event and or person on a ship.
It was filled with fascinating information and facts with some very surprising outcomes.
Each ship felt like a historical tour with all the description of a virtual tour at Biltmore. I enjoyed following the survivors of the sinking ships. I can imagine what that felt like. And I had no idea there were so many things for women to do on a ship.
I highly recommend if you love history.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.

I am so glad I found this book!

Maiden Voyages is the interesting story of the women who traveled and worked on ocean liners during the golden age of luxurious ocean travel. This is a unique and fascinating deep dive into the lives of these women: stewardesses, refugees, debutantes, business women, and many more who traveled on these magnificent ocean liners.

I learned so much from this book! For example, a stewardess who survived the sinking of the Titanic learned that her pay had been stopped by their employer the night the Titanic sunk!

I highly recommend this entertaining book!

4.5 rounded up