This 1992 volume is the third installment of Conway's 12-book "History of the Ship" series jointly published by Conway Maritime Press and the U.S. Naval Institute Press. As is seen in the other books of the series, "The Shipping Revolution" is written by multiple authors under the helm of a consultant editor, which in this instance is Alistair Couper. A total of 18 authors made contributions to this work, so a chapter can have multiple contributors.

"The Shipping Revolution" spans 208 pages, including a preface, introduction, 13 numbered chapters, a bibliography, glossary, appendix listing merchant ship types, and an index. The first nine chapters cover specific ship types starting with modern tramp ships, bulk carriers, and combination carriers, conventional cargo liners and refrigerated ships, container shipping, and oil tankers, chemical carriers and gas carriers. A chapter on passenger ships is followed by those on short sea and coastal shipping, specialized cargo ship, service support and industry vessels, and fishing vessels. Just as it was arranged in this book's historical predecessor in the "History of the Ship" series, "The Golden Age of Shipping", the last four chapters of this book discuss specific enabling marine technologies/policies that highlight the era encompassed by this book: navigation, propulsion, the shipbuilding industry, and ship registers/flags of convenience. The main result of the adapation of these changed technologies/policies is a sharp decline in the number of crew/employees who perform the function, which has, in turn, impacted a number of economic factors for the shipping industry.

The period covered by theis book runs from 1960 through the book's publication date, about half the period covered in "The Golden Age of Shipping." The rapid changes in the industry certainly distinguishes this era from any other covered in the Conway series. The rate and type of changes certainly required a diversity of contributors, a wise choice on the part of Conway's. The contributors includes lawyers and Asian shipping specialists, along with the traditional ones such as professional seafarers, marine engineers, and maritime historians. This diversit contributes to the overal excellence of this volume. While "The Golden Age of Shipping" emphasized the ships of its era (their design, engineering, and use), "The Shipping Revolution" looks at the business and economic aspects of shipping, their owners, their customers, and the ship builders, all of whose interests are significantly intertwined.

"The Shipping Revolution" is a great starting point for anyone look to grasp today's complex maritime industry environment. ( )