Grace under pressure in UK shipbuilding
Fairfield: A Shipyard Success Story, by Ian Johnston
Ian Johnston, a well-known authority on Clydeside shipbuilding, offers a compelling and comprehensive account in his latest title of Britain's most celebrated shipyards.
Fairfield charts the Scottish yard's pioneering innovations, from steam engine breakthroughs to its role in naval and merchant shipbuilding, through two world wars – including converting merchant ships to armed support vessels.
The author deftly navigates the complex shifts in ownership and production in the yard's 190-year history, including its insolvency in 1995, subsequent state ownership and later its modern incarnation under BAE Systems.
Richly illustrated and meticulously researched, the book includes a detailed index, bibliography and chapter notes. A foreword by John R Hume praises the yard's enduring 'grace' in design. This is more than a yard history – it's a vital contribution to Clyde shipbuilding heritage and British maritime history.
Fairfield: A Shipyard Success Story (1834–2024)
By Ian Johnston
Seaforth Publishing, £40
ISBN: 978 13990 89661
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