Cammell Laird can trace their history back to the late 1820s when William and John Laird produced their first ship, a paddle steamer built for Irish Inland Steam. A pioneering company, they recognised early on the advantages of iron ships and by the 1840s, the Admiralty were ordering iron frigates from the company. Through the years many famous ships have been launched from their slipways into the Mersey - the battleships Audacious and Rodney; the cruiser Caroline and the third and fourth aircraft carriers to bear the name Ark  Royal.

This volume contains over 170 full page B&W images, many from the Cammell Laird archives, supported by extended captions.