These stories provide a tour of the port of New York, Manhattan Harbor, throughout the 20th century. From the Iron Steamboat Company to the Norwegian Cruise lines, the port has played an important part in the life of the city. Here the focus is on the vessels which have passed through the harbour.

This book contains six different stories about six different maritime subjects, each involving the port of New York in a central and important way. A second theme common to all six stories - perhaps the only other one - is sheer personal interest on my part. The stories also include one or more appendices found at the end of the book (before the index).