The Rundown: An indepth look at the history of ocean travel as told through the stories of the women who went to sea.

Written by Sian Evans, Published 2021

I have always been enamored with history, so I’m always looking for a good historical book that isn’t too dry. Sian Evans does a wonderful job of taking us on a journey through history via the monumental innovation of transatlantic cruising.

We begin in the roaring ’20s and move through the first world war, the depression that followed, the second world war, the aftermath, and finally the death of crossing the Atlantic due to the advancement of air travel. Women were not historically welcome on ships, but at the end of WWII, there was a shortage of men in Great Britain, where many of the women in this book hail from. Not to mention that many women were galvanized into the workforce when their husbands, brothers, and fathers went to war. Many were reluctant to give up the freedom they had achieved by earning a paycheck. And when the sea called, they answered.

We meet the “unskinable” Violet Jessop, who was a stewardess on the Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic when they were damaged. The Olympic struck another ship, no fatalities, the Titanic, an iceberg (and we all know what happened there, ) and the Britannic when it was acting as a hospital ship and was sunk with 30 fatalities. Her stories are featured prominently through the book, as she published a memoir.

While Jessop was up working mostly with the first and second-class passengers, we also hear the story of Maria Riffelberger, who worked down in steerage with the 3rd class passengers, helping usher them into their new lives as American citizens. Many times she accompanied minors making the perilous journey across the vast ocean.

We also meet many women of leisure, refugees of the 2nd world war, political figures, and even the story of an Irish immigrant seeking a new life in America, whose son soars to the top of American politics.

All in all, I found this a very enjoyable, informative, and easy listen. It felt almost like I was taking a guided tour through the golden age of ocean travel. Evans was able to tell a story while keeping the reader engaged on what could be a dull topic. Her knack for storytelling while being descriptive and informative is much appreciated. A big thanks to the author, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for my review.

This was an interesting nonfiction audiobook about the early luxury oceanliners and the women who worked on them. It was full of information, but a bit monotone at times. However, the stories about the women aboard the Titanic and Lusitania were fascinating.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

I don't know what I was expecting when I took this book out but I loved turning on the audiobook every night while washing the dishes and any other time I could to learn more about the women who travelled the Atlantic ocean. An enjoyable listen. I'm so glad I came across this and already preordered a copy of the book for my grandma.

Interesting audiobook about the lives of women those that traveled and those that worked on the cruise liners during the early 20th century. You are brought into the lives of the well to do on the upper deck and the migrants down in steerage escaping poverty of Europe. The book is filled with well researched facts. At times, I felt it was a bit dry. Not sure if it was the narration or the story though. If you are a history buff and enjoy stories about transatlantic travels, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you @NetGalley, @MacmillanAudio, @St.Martin’sPress, @SianEvans and @JillyBond for the advance audiobook for my honest review on “Maiden Voyages”.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This was a great read. I liked getting the full scale of history of ocean liners through women. It was a good way to show how ocean liners ruled leisure time while looking at how it changed women’s lives.

This well-researched nonfiction book explores the golden age of transatlantic ocean liner travel with a focus on the female perspective. From roughly 1910 through 1950, “floating hotels” like the Olympic, the Aquitania, the Queen Mary, and the Titanic changed the lives of thousands of women. For some women these were tickets to a new life in a new land. For others they were a job opportunity—a way to make a living and to see the world. For others, they were a networking tool and a stage to cement their image. Siân Evans explores all these situations and more on both a general and individual level.

The book is also a look at global events of the early 20th century through the lens of transatlantic travel. The sinking of the Lusitania eventually led to the U.S. joining WWI. Many of the “surplus women”, women who found themselves without marriage prospects after the death of so many men in The Great War, decided to seek gainful employment as stewardess and other onboard positions. In the 1920s, Prohibition in the U.S. led to a change in how and when alcohol was served on ships in American waters or those owned by American companies.

Although this is definitely a history book, complete with references to primary sources, it is very readable for the average person. Especially those with an interest in women’s history, ocean travel, or Downton Abbey-style stories. Siân Evans gives compelling descriptions of both individual women and general life onboard an early 1900s ocean liner. I particularly liked the stories of Victoria Drummond, Martha Gellhorn, Hedy Lamarr, Hilda James, Edith Sowerbutts, and Violet Jessop.

The audiobook is narrated by Jilly Bond. She did a great job bringing to life both the individual women and the time period of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an Advanced Reader Copy audiobook.

This reminded me a lot of one of the books about the Vanderbilts that I red recently. It’s filled with interesting facts and people and it’s a good listen. Thank you netgalley for the ARC.

This is such a lovely compilation of women’s stories, all set at sea. I absolutely loved this book, listening to it in small doses throughout the Summer. It’s not a thrilling ride, but incredibly interesting and offers insight into lives of bygone eras. I highly recommend this, especially for a beach or cruise read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this audiobook, in exchange for my honest review.

Listening to Maiden Voyages by Sian Evans was a treat! I have always been fascinated by stories of Ocean Liners, and have read about Titanic, Luisitania and even been on board the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Of course, The Queen was retired and docked by the time I first went on in 2003, but I found the ship to be fascinating. They had pictures of famous people that had frequented the ship, and there is still a lot of the ship left from its' original glory days. I would always try and picture what she looked like all those years ago. So, this book was fascinating to me. This book focuses on the way that women's lives were affected and/or transformed by the ocean liner, particularly the ones that traveled between Europe and the United States in the early days of the elaborate ocean vessels. Ms. Evans explores women from all walks of life, as well as those that secured employment on these ships which was quite an undertaking for those days, and the passengers, from the wealthy celebrities and royals, to the passengers in steerage that were escaping to a new life in the new world. She focuses on quite a few of these women, telling their stories and following them over the year of war, depression and after. I had no idea about the women that worked on these ships, and found the stories to be fascinating. Jilly Bond did an amazing job narrating this book. I highly recommend this book and would like to thank Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an extremely interesting audiobook, filled with fun facts and anecdotes that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was, however, a bit dry at times, whether from the writing nor the narrator, I'm not sure. For Titanic nuts like me, this was a lovely find, but may not be for everyone.

This was a fascinating book about the golden age of ocean liners told through the stories of women who traveled or worked on them. I've always been fascinated with ocean liners since I first learned about the Titanic. Combine that interest with my long history of working seasonal positions in Yellowstone and this book instantly caught my interest. I loved being immersed in not only the stories of the women working the ships but of those travelling on them as well. Working such personal stories into the chapters made history come alive and seem much more personal. I so enjoyed this book!

I listened to the audiobook while out walking my dog. The pacing was a little slow for me, but can easily be sped up once published. The narrator was perfect for this story though.

This book does a fantastic job of bringing to life not only the world of early 1900s trans-Atlantic travel but also some of its more interesting female characters. I especially enjoyed the chronology of how women's roles on ocean voyages have changed over time. Terrific book.

Great book with tons of historic moments linked to the sailing of these massive ships. Loved the biographies of the strong women that worked and sailed in times when 'working women' weren't the norm. I really appreciated being able to link these ships to world events, as another piece of the puzzle in our complicated world history. What is really sad is that women today, still aren't appreciated and applauded for all their contributions. It's absurd to think that only (white) men were ever considered to be the only ones to be capable to great things.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC and an Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Maiden Voyages is a welcome study of women on the water. Much of what I've read and seen focuses on men, especially those in the Navy or on board a ship during the First and Second World Wars. And while both wars are certainly discussed in Maiden Voyages, they aren't the focal point. Evans looks at the women who worked on ships, the women who took passage on them, and even those that performed on them. I was expecting a fairly light book about rich passengers on ocean liners (a la The Titanic) but this is far more wide-ranging and thoughtful.
I have to say, I was a little worried when The Titanic came up early on- a lot of books fixate on it- but she discussed it and then moved on to equally interesting ships and women.

Jilly Bond was a fantastic narrator for the audiobook. I think that she brought the subjects to life and made them incredibly interesting, without resorting to accents or caricatures. Her voice lends a nice excitement to the book, and I will be looking for more of her narration to listen to.

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.

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Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of the audio version of this book.

My Interest

Social history is a favorite topic of mine, as is the liberation of women, so this book checked all the right boxes. Add to it that it was an audio and I was out of audios–well it just arrived at the perfect moment as well as being an interesting topic.

The Story

In the 20th Century, until World War II, (and to some extent after the war, too) the great ocean liners were the only way to travel to-fro Europe and America. Commercial air travel did start during this period, but it was financially out-of-reach to most travelers. The great liners of England, Germany, and France were constantly trying to beat each other’s best speeds across the Atlantic. They also tried to one-up each other with greater luxuries on board, in terms of decoration, entertainment, and cuisine. All courted celebrity endorsements as well. The arrival of such a ship in New York would be covered in the press and, later, in the newsreels. One of the perks of ocean liner travel was a dedicated staff who “lived” to make the voyage more enjoyable for the upper classes and safer and healthier for the lower classes. This book is mostly about the women on the liner’s staff–conductresses, stewardesses, nurses, stenographers–and even one or two women who became ship’s engineers or officers.

These jobs went first to the widows of men who’d worked for the shipping line–a form of old-time paternalistic benevolence that the women had no choice but to embrace. Parking the kids with a relative, they made the journey two and fro and saw their families a few days per month, but in turn earned a greater wage than they could on land mostly due to tips. After the first World War, when there were so many “surplus women” in the UK who would never find husbands, women began to make independent lives, supporting themselves of necessity. The great ocean liners were a safe, socially acceptable way to do this as they were always in traditionally female “caring” roles.

The book tells in detail about some of these women–how they built their careers, what they loved about the job, the disasters they survived, etc. It also tells how they coped with being fired during the Depression–usually with little or no notice (no WARN Act back then) and then were allowed to work to an older retirement age to stay on the job and help with war brides.and their babies traveling to the USA and Canada after World War II. The story also tells of how the women improved the lot of the lowest class passengers–third class or “steerage” where there were few, if any, “amenities” at the start of the century, but by World War II, while still very spartan, things were at least decently clean, people were fed well, and staff was available to help with the immigration authorities. The author also tells a few stories of women in the WRENS, as the British Navy’s women sailors/officers were called–one of them was Laura Ashley the designer.

In between stories of the employees are tales of the celebrities who traveled aboard the liners and a few of the immigrants who took them as well, such as Donald Trump’s mother, who fled an island off Scotland and a family of too many children, to become the wife of a well-off real estate developer and mother of a President. Louise Baker, Noel Coward, Jimmy Stewart, Bing Crosby, Hetty Lamar, and others gave the liners good PR by their presence. Many celebrities had an acknowledged “favorite” ship on which they tried always to travel. The idea pleasure cruising, which helped the ships survive the Great Depression and to continue after air travel took over is told too. I absolutely loved Martha Gelhorn’s comments on the horror of this phenomenon.


I thought including Wallis Simpson, Thelma Furness was silly, but they were a big story them–Wallis stole the then Prince of Wales from Thelma and we all know how that turned out. This was the one story in the book I felt was inflated–trying to say a ship played a role in the Abdication crisis of 1936 due to Thelma having a shipboard romance with the Ali Kahn. If any ship did so, it was the private yacht the Nahlin on which the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Simpson cruised on a vacation kept from the British public–not one of the great ocean liners. No matter–that was a weak argument, but not a tragedy.

My only real complaint was that the conclusion was so student-like. In a paper the student says what they will say in the introduction, then they say it all in the body of the paper, and finally, they say what they’ve just said in the conclusion. The conclusion was tediously repetitive. It did sneak in a little new information–that a woman finally became a Captain and gave a quote from a personal hero of mine–Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, but it was a chore to listen to it in the audio version of the book. (The audio reading was beautifully done).

Most Heroic Story

As Hitler gained control the shipping lines took more care of Jewish passengers. The Queen Mary had a synagogue (prayer room) on board and all ships had kosher kitchens and provided holiday meals and services as needed. One ship’s captain, after a call from a frantic would-be passenger fleeing the Nazis, held off sailing for several hours so a family of four could get the brand new stamp in their passports the Nazi’s had mandated while they were on the boat train and make it to freedom in America.

Favorite Fun Story

When asking King George V permission to name the huge new ship for “Britain’s greatest queen,” the head of the shipping company was shocked when his sovereign replied that of course his wife would be delighted to have the new ship named after her. The company had, of course, meant the king’s grandmother, Queen Victoria–all of their ships names had ended in -ia. But, the Queen Mary it was.

Pet Peeve Giggle
Fill in the blank–regular readers should know this one! “[the women] acted with A____Y” It was the one and only usage of that in-vogue term that raises my hackles. I think it must now be a required word for publication. (Answer: agency).

Simply put, this book had almost nothing “wrong” with it in any way. I’ve listed a few things below because this feedback will also go to the publisher, but this was a GREAT read or listen. Very, very interesting and well told.
My Verdict
4 Stars

Maiden Voyages: Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them by Sian Evans is available now for pre-order and publishes on August 10th in the USA.
Where was the Editor?

I feel this is becoming a regular feature of this blog!

None of these are a huge deal and none affect the story, but nonfiction should be accurate in all ways. It should be the editor and the editor’s fact-checking staff who make sure these things are caught. Wikipedia is a perfectly good source for most of this, but Debrett’s is the guide to all things titled.

At the time of the story, they were Lord and Lady Louis Mountbatten–not Lord and Lady Mountbatten (that came after WWII). She was never, ever “Lady Edwina.” To be so, she’d have to have been born the daughter of a Duke, Marquess, or Earl. Lord Louis was the younger son of a Marquess (and formerly a Prince) but he was elevated to the peerage after World War II as Viscount Mountbatten of Burma and elevated a second time to Earl Mountbatten of Burma after serving as the last Viceroy of India.

Similarly, Nancy Astor was never “Lady Nancy”–she was married to Viscount Astor so was Lady Astor like being “Mrs. Astor” only in the aristocracy. Her husband was Baron Astor of Hever, so Lord Astor–not Lord Waldorf [his first name] Astor.

Marmaduke, Viscount Furness or Viscount (“Marmaduke”) Furness, but not Viscount Marmaduke Furness. Trivial? Not at all. This minutia was a big part of that world. Regardless, it should be correct in any published nonfiction work.

Bigger than that though–the World Series has never been played at Madison Square Garden. Baseball isn’t played in that sort of place. The Mountbattens DID meet Babe Ruth at the World Series in 1922 on their honeymoon.

It is also not true to say Edward VIII was “the prince who never became king.” He certainly did become King and was proclaimed as such. He signed Acts of Parliament as Edward VIII King and Emperor. He was never crowned. He was also, in spite of his lack of adherence to its teachings, head of the Church of England.

An interesting and somewhat detailed look at the roles women had while cruising, be it as a passenger or an employee. I particularly liked the glimpse at what it was like when they first started traveling this way and the different positions available to women (because men couldn't tend to the women). This was well-researched but not bogged down with too many details.

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!

I listened to this and liked Jilly Bond as the narrator. She did a great job. 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 to Macmillan Audio via Netgalley.

My thanks to Net Galley for inviting me to read. I was initially offered the book but switched to the audio. Unfortunately I just could not connect to the story. Narrator was rather stuffy and did not hold my interest. DNF