This book is a substantial comprehensive volume about the given topics which, by reason of the incidental or ancillary contexts in which they arise, are normally discussed either in outline in several leading texts or individually in concise form. First issued in 1974 by the late Professor Parks writing alone, the book continues to set the standard on the relevant United States’ law, with significant references to the laws of other maritime jurisdictions, thus making it an important specialized reference book for any substantial shipping law library. In the new edition, given as written with Professor Cattell (with associate authors from Canada, England and Australia), the original aim of providing the material in a single volume is competently maintained.

A prominent characteristic is the detail of discussion in the new book. The arrangement is much the same as in the preceding editions, with necessary revisions of case and statute laws, including a fair deal of non-domestic common law citations frequently offered there in the same breath as those contained in American Maritime Cases (AMC). The 12 chapters deal with the preliminaries (historical development; applicable principles of admiralty law; Chapters I, II and III), the duties of the tug and tow respectively (Chapters IV and V), collision liability (Chapter VI), governmental