Commodore

Commodore: War, Peace and Big Ships is the stirring third and final volume in Sir James Bisset's celebrated maritime trilogy. With vivid prose and the keen insight of a seasoned master mariner, Bisset recounts the twilight of his extraordinary career, one that spanned the Age of Steam, the rise of the great ocean liners, and the crucible of two world wars. This volume opens in the aftermath of World War I and follows Bisset as he returns to civilian service with the Cunard Line, navigating the peacetime responsibilities and shifting challenges of the interwar years. But it is during World War II that his command and character are most tested. As Commodore of the Cunard White Star Line, Bisset was entrusted with leading some of the largest and most vital convoys of the war, including voyages aboard the RMS Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. These massive ocean liners, stripped of their luxury fittings, were transformed into troopships capable of carrying tens of thousands of soldiers across hostile seas. Written with humility, clarity, and unflinching detail, Bisset's narrative captures not only the scale of naval warfare and the ingenuity of the Merchant Navy but also the emotional burden borne by those in command. He offers personal reflections on responsibility, sacrifice, and the fragile line between survival and catastrophe. Beyond the war, the book closes on a note of reflection, exploring Bisset's knighthood and his thoughts on the changing world of sea travel as the jet age dawns. Commodore is more than a memoir; it is a tribute to the seafarers who shaped the modern world from the bridges of steel giants, through storm and silence, war and peace. This edition preserves Bisset's original language and pacing while presenting the work for a new generation of readers interested in maritime history, leadership, and the legacy of the Atlantic Merchant actions during World War II.