Cudahy begins with a history of the Circle Line and its forerunners and erstwhile competitors in the around-Manhattan sightseeing business. Next, he gives us the fascinating story of the fastest ocean linear of all time: the S.S. United States. The noble history of the New York Fire Department's fire boats is next, followed by the story of the Iron Steamboat Company's sidewheelers, which ferried passengers to the magical Coney Island from 1881 to 1932. Then there is the tragic 1932 explosion of ...