About the Author

John Fostik attributes his life-long interest in all things maritime to his father, who worked in the Kearny Federal Shipyard during WWII. Growing up in northern New Jersey, John was fortunate to have been able to see and visit many of the famous luxury liners and cruise ships that called at the great port of New York. With keen experience as a result of working during college in a travel agency and subsequently taking over 40 trans-oceanic voyages, the author is uniquely qualified and exceptionally familiar with the history of the great American and International shipping companies. It remains his great hope that the pride of our national merchant marine, the SS United States, will once again enter service on the Atlantic.