The book is presented as a detailed prewar snapshot rather than a narrative history. Published in 1999, with the UK edition shown printed in 2006, Roger Jordan's catalogue covers about 6,000 ships and combines photographs with compact factual entries. Its organization moves from nation to shipping company, with the Hamburg America Line serving as one example, then lists individual vessels with figures such as tonnage and speed. That structure makes it possible to place a commercial ship within the maritime economy that entered the Second World War. The opening explains both the book's scope and the quickest way to use it.
Chapter · 0:23-1:59
A reference guide to the world's merchant fleets in 1939
Roger Jordan's catalogue covers roughly 6,000 merchant ships and arranges them by country and company.