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by Eric Hirsimaki (Author)
Water transportation has played a key role in the Great Lakes region's settlement and economic growth, from providing entry into the new lake states to offering cheap transportation for the goods they produced. There are numerous tales surrounding the Great Lakes shipping trade, but few storytellers have addressed the factors that influenced the use, design, and evolution of the ships that sailed the inland seas. Sail, Steam, and Diesel: Moving Cargo on the Great Lakes provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of Great Lakes ships over the centuries, from small birch-bark canoes originally used in the region to the massive thousand-footers of today. The author also looks at the economics of vessel operation in the context of the expanding scope of the shipping industry, which was crucial in catapulting America into becoming an industrial juggernaut. The captains of industry and the sailors whose labor propelled the trade populate this account, which also offers solemn acknowledgment of the high cost paid in both lost ships and lives. Although they might not realize it, millions of Americans have owed their livelihoods to the Great Lakes boats, and this volume is an excellent way to recognize the importance of this regional industry.
Author Biography
Eric Hirsimaki spent his forty-year career working in various facets of the Great Lakes shipping industry. He has sailed on the lakes, worked in the fleet office, been an engineer for a marine construction firm, worked for a major ore-hauling railroad, and been involved in lower lake dock operations and management. He has written several books; one, Lima: The History, was nominated for the 1986 Railroad Book of the Year by the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. He has authored dozens of articles concerning Great Lakes shipping and railroad subjects for historical societies and commercial publications and been featured in several public television productions concerning the Great Lakes and railroads. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in the Corps of Engineers. He lives in North Olmsted, Ohio, with his wife Beverly; they have two daughters and one son
