Comben Longstaff & Co. Ltd. was one of the most prominent shipowners in the UK and European trades, owning a wide variety of coasters and larger ships mostly with names ending “BROOK”. The company was notable for building some of the last steamers for the coal trade and followed these with an attractive series of motorships. There are many intimate glimpses of shipowning in the East Coast coal and other trades during peace and war. The author draws portraits of the founder and of many of the ships based on extensive research amongst those who knew or worked for the company between 1933 and 1980. 180 x 250 mm., 176 pages, 180 photographs plus illustrations of flags and funnels used by the company’s 136 ships.