Section 201: ABC Merchant Ships

The Merchant Navy ABCs came with a bewildering & ever-changing variety of ship classifications. This can only be fully appreciated by reading through the lists of books. Cargo ships became freighters and others categories were split - for example into British and Foreign.
Combined editions are listed first and thereafter titles are listed in alphabetical order then chronologically.
More recent books have effectively been combined volumes. The content of these has also varied greatly over the years. As can be seen, some of these publications are not ABCs in the strictest sense, especially the Ocean Ships series, which have got much larger in size over the years, now being full-colour books. All have been included because of their close relationship with the ABC series.
None of the shipping books has ever been retrospectively reissued.
The scans were reviewed and updated in August 2020. I hope collectors will enjoy the dramatic improvement in quality.

Edition: Private Binding most likely by Ian Allan.
Edition: Private Binding most likely by Ian Allan. Commissioned: c957. Author: H.M. Le Fleming. Code: No code. Pages: 256. Price: 10/6. Dustjacket: ? Keynotes: Sections individually paginated. Plain dark blue boards with a customized red dust jacket - part of The John Debens Collection. Ocean Liners 5th. Ocean Tankers 2nd. Ocean Freighters 4th. British Tugs 2nd. British Trawlers. Excursion Ships & Ferries.
1956 Ships Combined Volume 1st Edition.
1956 Ships Combined Volume 1st Edition. Published: 1956. Author: H.M. Le Fleming. Code: No code. Pages: 256. Price: 10/6. Dustjacket: ? Keynotes: Sections individually paginated. Text titles in box. Ocean Liners 2nd. Ocean Tankers 3rd. Ocean Freighters 3rd. British Tugs 1st.
1956 Ships Combined Volume 2nd Edition.
1956 Ships Combined Volume 2nd Edition. Edition: 2nd. Published: 1956. Author: H.M. Le Fleming. Code: No code. Pages: 256. Price: 10/6. Dustjacket: ? Keynotes: Sections individually paginated. No text titles in box. Ocean Liners 2nd. Ocean Tankers 3rd. Ocean Freighters 3rd. British Warships 3rd. "Ships" on spine.
1957 Ships Combined Volume 3rd Edition.
1957 Ships Combined Volume 3rd Edition. Published: 1957. Author: H.M. Le Fleming. Code: No code. Dustjacket: ? Pages: 256. Price: 10/6. Keynotes: Sections individually paginated. No text titles in box. Ocean Liners 5th. Ocean Tankers 2nd. Ocean Freighters 4th. British Tugs 2nd.

1958 British Merchant Ships Combined Volume 4th Edition.
1958 British Merchant Ships Combined Volume 4th Edition. Published: 1958. Author: H.M. Le Fleming. Pages: 256. Price: 10/6. Code: No code. Dustjacket: Photo of trawler A.606 " Narcissus". Keynotes: Sections individually paginated. Ocean Freighters 4th. British Trawlers 1st. British Tugs 2nd. Coastal Cargo Ships 4th.
1958 British Merchant Ships Combined Volume 5th Edition.
1958 British Merchant Ships Combined Volume 5th Edition. Published: 1958. Author: H.M. Le Fleming. Pages: 256. Price: 10/6. Code: No code. Dustjacket: Photo of trawler A.606 " Narcissus". Keynotes: Sections individually paginated. British Trawlers 1st. Ocean Tankers 2nd. British Tugs 2nd. Ocean Freighters 4th.
1960 Ships Combined Volume 6th Edition.
1960 Ships Combined Volume 6th Edition. Published: 1960. Author: H.M. Le Fleming. Pages: 312. Price: 10/6. Code: No code. Dustjacket: Photo of RMS "Pendennis Castle". Keynotes: Page increase to 312-5 parts. Two variant blue board hardcovers with dustjackets. Spines thus: abc BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS. abc MERCHANT SHIPS. Sections individually paginated. Ocean Liners 6th. Foreign Ocean Liners 1st. British Ocean Freighters 5th. Foreign Ocean Freighters 1st. Ocean Tankers 4th.
1962 Ocean Ships Combined Volume 7th Edition. 1962 Ocean Ships
1962 Ocean Ships Combined Volume 7th Edition. Published: 1962. Author: H.M. Le Fleming. Pages: 376. Price: 12/6. Code: No code. Dustjacket: Photo of SS "Oriana". Keynotes: Renamed Ocean Ships. Price increase: 25.00%. Page increase to 376-6 parts. DJ minor variations noted. First continuously paginated CV. British Ocean Liners 8th. Foreign Ocean Liners 2nd. British Ocean Freighters 6th. Foreign Ocean Freighters 2nd. British Ocean Tankers 6th. Foreign Ocean Tankers 2nd. The first edition to carry this new title. ion (hardback). Dark blue board hardback with dust cover. This is the first Ocean Ships Combined Volume to have continuous page numbering.
1964 Ocean Ships (Combined Volume) 1st Edition.
1964 Ocean Ships (Combined Volume) 1st Edition. Published: October 1964. Author: B. Moody. Code: VSOS/1311/102-3/GEX/1064. Pages: 386. Price: 15/-. Dustjacket: Painting of "France". Keynotes: Price increase: 20.00%. Page increase to 286. Contents: British Ocean Liners 9th#. Foreign Ocean Liners 3rd*. British Ocean Freighters 7th#. Foreign Ocean Freighters 3rd*. British Ocean Tankers 7th#. Foreign Ocean Tankers 3rd*. * = no individual editions. # = 1965 editions. 1974 edition first shows an edition number - the 5th. This erroneously places the 1964 edition as the 1st. The last in the sequence of smaller regular sized CVs,
1966 Ocean Ships (Combined Volume) 2nd Edition.
1966 Ocean Ships (Combined Volume) 2nd Edition. Published: April 1966. Author: B. Moody. Pages: 384. Price: 21/-. Code: 1488/261/GEX/466. Dustjacket: SS Northern Star. Keynotes: Larger format 12.5 x 18.5cm. Black board hardback with dust jacket. Last traditional Ships CV. Price increase: 40.00%. Page decrease to 384. Contents: British Ocean Liners 10th. Foreign Ocean Liners 3rd*. British Ocean Cargo Ships 8th. Foreign Ocean Cargo Ships 3rd. British Ocean Tankers 8th. Foreign Ocean Tankers 3rd*. * = no individual editions.

1967 Ocean Ships, 3rd Edition.
1967 Ocean Ships, 3rd Edition. Published: September 1967. Author: B. Moody. Code: 1590/394/GEX/967. Dustjacket: QE2. Pages: 360. Price: 25/-. Keynotes: Price increase: 19.04%. Page decrease to 360. Larger format 12.5 x 18.5cm. Brown board hardback with dust jacket.
1967 Ocean Ships, 3rd Edition.
1967 Ocean Ships, 3rd Edition. Published: September 1967. Author: B. Moody. Dustjacket: 1590/394/GEX/967. Cover: QE2. Pages: 360. Price: 25/-. Keynotes: Price increase: 19.04%. Page decrease to 360. Larger format 12.5 x 18.5cm. This is the softback edition. It has the same cover design as the hardback except for the price being on the front. The price is also marked in decimal as 50p, more than 3 years before decimal currency was formally introduced on 15 February 1971.
1971 Ocean Ships, 4th Edition.
1971 Ocean Ships, 4th Edition. Published: April 1971. Author: B. Moody. Pages: 360. Price: £2.25. ISBN(10): 0711002 14 2. ISBN(13): 978 07110 02142. Code: 1141 GEC 471. Dustjacket: Picture of " Oronsay". Keynotes: Crimson board 12.5 x 18.5cm hardback with dust jacket. Price increase: 80.00%.
1974 Ocean Ships, 5th Edition.
1974 Ocean Ships, 5th Edition. Published: October 1974. Author: Bert Moody. Pages: 352. Price: £2.75. ISBN(10): 0711005 61 3. ISBN(13): 978 07110 05617. Code: 319/GEC/1074. Dustjacket: Photo of "Royal Viking Star". Keynotes: 12.5 x 18.5 cm black board hardback with dustjacket. Price increase: 22.22%. Page decrease to 352.
1978 Ocean Ships, 6th Edition.
1978 Ocean Ships, 6th Edition. Published: May 1978. Author: Bert Moody. Pages: 350. Price £4.50. ISBN(10): 0711008 65 5. ISBN(13): 978 07110 08656. Code: GE/0578. Dustjacket: Photo of "Remuera Bay". Keynotes: 12.5 x 18.5 cm green board hardback with dustjacket. Price increase: 63.63%. Page decrease to 350. Larger size after this edition.
1982 Ocean Ships 7th Edition.
1982 Ocean Ships 7th Edition. Published: November 1981. Author: David Hornsby. Pages: 256. Price: £6.95. Code: FX/1181. Dustjacket: Photo of "Vistafjord". Keynotes: New author. Price increase: 54.44%. Page decrease to 256. Larger than previous sequence 14.5 x 22cm black board hardback with dustjacket.
1986 Ocean Ships, 8th Edition.
1986 Ocean Ships, 8th Edition. Published: 1986. Author: 288. Price: £9.95. ISBN(10): 0711011 50 8. ISBN(13): 978 07110 11502. Code: No code. Cover: Photo of "Royal Princess". Keynotes: Laminated 14.5 x 22cm pictorial hardcover. Price increase: 43.16%. Page increase to 288.

1994 Ocean Ships, 9th Edition.
1994 Ocean Ships, 9th Edition. Published: September 1994. Author: David Hornsby. Pages: 224. Price: £16.99. ISBN(10): 0711022 54 2. ISBN(13): 978 07110 22546. Code: No code. Cover: Photolof QE2 superimposed over a similar image. Keynotes: Price increase: 70.75%. Page decrease to 224. Laminated 17.5 x 24cm pictorial hardcover. Much larger format, and the new standard size for this series.
1996 Ocean Ships, 10th Edition.
1996 Ocean Ships, 10th Edition. Published: July 1996. Author: David Hornsby. Pages: 224. Price: £16.99. ISBN(10): 0711024 28 6. ISBN(13): 978 07110 22546. Code: No code. Cover: Photo of "Oriana". Keynotes: Laminated 17.5 x 24cm pictorial hardcover.
1998 Ocean Ships, 11th Edition.
1998 Ocean Ships, 11th Edition. Published: 1998. Author: David Hornsby. Pages: 224. Price: £18.99. ISBN(10): 0711025 67 3. ISBN(13): 978 07110 25677. Code: 9805/C. Cover: Photo of "Fascination". Keynotes: Price increase: 11.77%. Laminated 17.5 x 24cm pictorial hardcover.
2000 Ocean Ships, 12th Edition.
2000 Ocean Ships, 12th Edition. Published: July 2000. Author: David Hornsby. Pages: 224. Price: £19.99. ISBN(10): 0711027 20 X. ISBN(13): 978 07110 27206. Code: 0009/C1. Cover: Photo of "Disney Wonder". Keynotes: Price increase: 5.26%. Laminated 17.5 x 24cm pictorial hardcover.
2004 Ocean Ships, 13th Edition.
2004 Ocean Ships, 13th Edition. Published: May 2004. Author: David Hornsby. Pages: 224. Price: £19.99. ISBN(10): 0711030 39 1. ISBN(13): 978 07110 30398. Code: 0405/C. Cover: Photo of "Queen Mary 2". Keynotes: Laminated 17.5 x 24cm pictorial hardcover.
2004 Ocean Ships, 13th Edition.
2004 Ocean Ships, 13th Edition. This cover, with the red title, is a promotional image and was not published.
2006 Ocean Ships, 14th Edition.
2006 Ocean Ships, 14th Edition. Published: June 2006. Author: David Hornsby. Pages: 224. Price: £19.99. ISBN(10): 0711031 41 X. ISBN(13): 978 07110 31418. Code: 0605/B3. Cover: Photo of "Navigator of the Seas". Keynotes: Laminated 17.5 x 24cm pictorial hardcover.

2009 Ocean Ships, 15th Edition.
2009 Ocean Ships, 15th Edition. Published: May 2009. Author: David Hornsby. Pages: 224. Price: £24.99. ISBN(10): 0711033 81 1. ISBN(13): 978 07110 33818. Code: 0905/B1. Cover: Photo of "Queen Victoria". Keynotes: Price increase: 25.01%. Laminated 17.5 x 24cm pictorial hardcover.
2009 Ocean Ships, 15th Edition.
2009 Ocean Ships, 15th Edition. This cover is a promotional image and was not published.
2013 Ocean Ships, 16th Edition.
2013 Ocean Ships, 16th Edition. Published: May 2013. Author: Allan Ryszka-Onions (*see note). Pages: 224. Price: £30.00. ISBN(10): 0711037 44 2. ISBN(13): 978 07110 37441. Keynotes: Price increase: 20.00%. Laminated 17.5 x 24cm pictorial hardcover. In this printed edition, the author is credited as Allan Ryszka-Onions. The next image, likely promotional, shows the shorter name Allan Onions.
2013 Ocean Ships, 16th Edition.
2013 Ocean Ships, 16th Edition. This cover is likely a promotional image and was not published. However, the scan is so well defined that this may have been a USA release.
2016 Ocean Ships, 17th Edition.
Published: August 2016. Author: Allan Ryszka-Onions. Pages: 328. Price: £30.00. ISBN(10): 0711038 48 1. ISBN(13): 978 07110 38486. Code: No code Cover: Photo of "Norwegian Getaway". Keynotes: Page increase to 368. Laminated 17.5 x 24cm pictorial hardcover.
1958 British Trawlers, 1st Edition.
1958 British Trawlers, 1st Edition. Published: January 1958. Author: H. M. Le Fleming. Pages: 65. Price: 2/6. Code: 749/465/125/158. Cover: A,N Wolstenholme drawing of "Zarp".

1963 British Trawlers, 2nd Edition.
1963 British Trawlers, 2nd Edition. Published: June 1963. Author: D. Ridley Chesterton. Pages: 64. Price: 2/6. Code: ST/1258/43/125/663. Cover: Photo of "Ross Archer". Keynotes: Change of Author.
1956 British Tugs, 1st Edition.
1956 British Tugs, 1st Edition. Published: March 1956. Author: H. M. Le Fleming. Pages: 65. Price: 2/6. Code: 505/361/100/356. Cover: A. N. Wolstenholme drawing of "Marie Lamey".
1958 British Tugs, 2nd Edition.
1958 British Tugs, 2nd Edition. Published: September 1957. Author: H. M. Le Fleming. Pages: 65. Price: 2/6. Code: 704/452/125/957. Cover: A. N. Wolstenholme drawing of tug "Formex".
1960 British Tugs, 3rd Edition.
1960 British Tugs, 3rd Edition. Published: March 1960. Author: H. M. Le Fleming. Pages: 64. Price: 2/6. Code: 599/1005/125/360. Cover: Photo of tug "Plateau".
1965 British Tugs, 4th Edition.
Published: July 1965. Author: D. Ridley Chesterton. Pages: 55. Price: 4/6. Cover: Photo of "Maplegarth". Keynotes: 4 3/4 x 7 1/4" Block bound. Price increase: 80.00%. Page decrease to 48. Change of author.
1966 British Tugs, 5th Edition.
1966 British Tugs, 5th Edition. Published: May 1966. Author: D. Ridley Chesterton. Pages: 64. Price: 2/6. Code: 1490/276/EXX/566. Cover: Photo of "Meeching". Keynotes: 4 3/4 x 7 1/4" Block bound. Page increase to 64. The 1966 Coastal Ships Combined Volume and all three individual editions all carry the same code.

1972 British Coastal Ships, Tugs and Trawlers, 3rd Edition.
1972 British Coastal Ships, Tugs and Trawlers, 3rd Edition. Published: July 1972. Author: D. Ridley Chesterton. Pages: 176. Price: £2.25. ISBN(10): 0711003 13 0. ISBN(13): 978 07110 03132. Code: No code. Dustjacket: Photo of "Corsea". Keynotes: 5 x 7 1/2" red board hardback with dustjacket.
1975 British Coastal Ships, Tugs & Trawlers, 4th Edition.
1975 British Coastal Ships, Tugs & Trawlers, 4th Edition. Published September: 1975. Author: Gilbert Mayes. Pages: 288. Price: £3.60. ISBN(10): 0711005 92 3. ISBN(13): 978 07110 05921. Code: No code. Cover: Lighthouse Tender LT 171 "Suffolk Warrior". Keynotes: 5 x 7 1/2" blue board hardback with dustjacket. New author. Price increase: 60.00%. Page increase to 288.
1966 British Coastal Ships, 1st Edition.
1966 British Coastal Ships, 1st Edition. Published: May 1966. Author: D. Ridley Chesterton. Pages: 80. Price: 4/6. Code: 1490/276/EXX/566. Cover: Photo of "Free Enterprise II". Keynotes: 4 3/4 x 7 1/4" larger format. The 1966 Coastal Ships Combined Volume and all three individual editions all carry the same code.
1966 Foreign Coastal Ships, 1st Edition.
1966 Foreign Coastal Ships, 1st Edition. Published: May 1966. Author: D. Ridley Chesterton. Pages: 64. Price 4/6. Code: 1490/276/EXX/566. Cover: Photo of "Kyholm". Keynotes: 4 3/4 x 7 1/4" larger format. The 1966 Coastal Ships Combined Volume and all three individual editions all carry the same code.
1966 Coastal Ships (Combined Volume).
1966 Coastal Ships (Combined Volume). Published: May 1966. Author: D. Ridley Chesterton. Pages: 208. Price: 18/6. Code: 1490/276/EXX/566. Dustjacket: MV "Dover" British Rail. Keynotes: 5 x 7 1/2" blue/black board hardback with dustjacket. Consists of: British Coastal Ships (1st), Foreign Coastal Ships (3rd), British Tugs (5th). The Combined Volume and all three individual editions all carry the same code. The last true combined edition.