Author(s): Paul Curtis

History

This amusing insight into Cunard's legendary liners begins more than 50 years ago when the author joined the original Queen Mary as an entertainments officer, when a part of the job was "bumbling" the passengers while keeping a wary eye out for professional gamblers criss-crossing the Atlantic, and there was bingo and dance bands, novelty dancing and fancy-dress parades, and a primitive disco with a monster jukebox. Paul Curtis recounts the stories of the ships, the antics of passengers and crews, and much more besides. His stories include the time Yehudi Menuhin refused to play for the passengers, but played for the crew instead; finding Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and evangelist Billy Graham among the bingo players; and being called to deal with two amorous passengers making use of the grand piano in the first class lounge. Just turning these pages releases a sniff of the sea and a whiff of champagne. This frank and funny account mixes Cunard history with personal anecdote and vividly reveals how passenger and crew life have changed over the years across the Cunard liners.