Following on from They Once Were Shipbuilders, Whittles Publishing now offers the second volume of the series on vessels built in the historic port of Leith by R. O. Neish.

Written by a proud shipbuilder who is still active in the industry and well-qualified to tell the story, the lavishly illustrated 176 page Volume 2 moves the story on to the desperate years of 1918 to 1939 when, thanks to the dynamism and foresight of Henry Robb, Leith kept building ships when yards on the Clyde had to stop work due to lack of investment – most notably on the RMS Queen Mary.

Once again, Mr Neish offers a helpful glossary for those new to the nautical scene but also includes a bonus picture section, scale plans for modellers, a chapter on the procedure of building a ship, and a table of vessels by yard numbers.

In fact looking through ISBN 978-184995-481-5, some of the most memorable vessels include the pioneering diesel electric tugs Cochin and Lectro (the latter, pictured above, combining Mirrlees prime movers with British Thomson Houston traction motors) and the sail training ship Kobenhaven, a magnificent and practical five masted vessel seen at the top of the page whose disappearance after several successful voyages remains a mystery.

The author is also to be applauded for telling his story with a diversity of voices, adding to a rich and compelling narrative which will appeal to both maritime enthusiats and general historical readers alike.