Tugboats of New York: An Illustrated History

As soon as I'd read the New York Times Book Review of this book, I had to have it. Because I was brought up in the New York metropolitan area I was able to enjoy riding the Staten Island ferry to and from Manhatten to enjoy the sights and sounds of the harbor and the tugs going about their business. I also listened in on a short wave radio to the messages relayed through the New York Marine Operator as the tugboat captains got their orders from their bosses on what barge to pick up, where to take it and so on. This book is delightfully written by someone who certainly knows the towing business and who seems to cover every conceivable aspect without becoming excessive. The photographs chosen are of the highest quality and taken by some of the top names among photographers of that era. Many of them are so good, they are "suitable for framing" as the saying goes. Their rendition in the book are of equally top quality and the captions are full of interesting facts and are not just taken from the text of the book but can stand on their own. Very informative and at the same time, easy to read, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to all, especially to those of us who still carry that little boy or girl inside of us.

This is a perfect example of not just another tugboat book. The author exhibits his first hand knowledge of the marine towing industry and has illustrated his book with great vintage black and white photos that show the story without being just a collection of boat photos more suitable for a calendar. This is the best book about tugboats that has been published for a very long time.

Clearly a labor of love, this book is part history, part travelogue, part technical and all enjoyable. Mr. Matteson has been driving a tugboat around New York harbor since 1979. He must have been collecting stories and photographs of tugboats for nearly as long. This book begins with some early concepts of tugs that probably couldn't have been built, but which showed the need. From there it went to the first tugs that pulled sailing ships around the harbor. Then on to the Civil War when tugs were converted to gunboats. One surprising thing about this book s the quality of the photographs. Even pictures dating from the nineteenth century look almost new when compared with the quality of picture normally seen. The commentary that goes with the picture is often very insightful, pointing out things that we uninitiated would never notice. This is a fascinating book that describes just one aspect of New York history that isn't wekk known at all. It makes for very enjoyable reading.

I have never purchased a book on-line because I prefer to see the actual book and look through it. I took a chance and did purchase Tugboats of New York off the internet and was not disappointed. Working on tugboats myself I really enjoyed the book and feel it will be very informative to anyone with an interest in this area. It is well written and the book itself is of high quality and has a good "feel" to it. There are not many books written about tugboats and I am happy this was such a good read. I highly recommend it.

"Tugboats of New York: An Illustrated History" by George Matteson, is so well-written and informative that I read it in two sittings (I did have to work in between). This book will appeal not only to people interested in tugboats, New York harbor, canals, history, interpersonal interaction, and ships in general, but it will also appeal to those who are interested in social-historical aspects of New York centered around New York harbor starting with the 18th century and continuing through the present. Aside from "Tugboat Annie," a tv show from the '50's I believe, Tugboats is a topic few people know about but this book will really enlighten them. This first-hand account is extremely well-written, and clear to the lay person; even one who has never been on a boat will understand it. I believe that many readers will be extremely interested in this book which clearly conveys its subject matter with the text accompanied by extremely illustrative photos, many archival. The book is so vivid that there were times when I just about felt seasick reading some of the descriptions (Not really, of course, but the way that the book is written frequently makes one feel that one is right there on the boat). It is amazing how Matteson has managed to convey the complicated aspects of running tugboats in a way that a layperson can understand. Although the purpose of many non-fiction books is to communicate with the reader, and to have the reader learn something by explaining things in an understandable way without falling into the "jargon" that only people already within the field are able to understand, few attain these goals. In contrast, this will not happen with "Tugboats of New York." The reader will find every word comprehensible, and will not be at all disappointed. Similarly, I can imagine the reader recommending this book to his or her friends. This book, with its clear style and successful communication, can serve as a model for other such books. It will draw people into a topic that they, perhaps, did not know they were interested in. However, by the time they have finished even a few pages, their interest will be peaked. Although a few other books about tugboats have been published, none come close to this one. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. To not read it means missing a uniquely pleasureable opportunity. Kudos to Matteson.