The history of the Italian merchant navy, from the unification of Italy to today, has been complex and conflicting, with important insights, serious errors of assessment, lucky moments and not a few tragedies. Thus was born the idea of ​​a four-volume work intended for a large audience to tell this little-known story in the world.

With this fourth volume, the Paolo Clerici Foundation’s commitment to reconstructing the vast fresco of the history of the Italian Merchant Navy continues. Specificully, this book deals with a crucial period: that of the reconstruction, when, in the aftermath of  World War II, the fleet was slashed to a bare minimum. After the years of the ferocious war against the Allies (and in the last two years, against the Germans), no more than 10% of the vessels which had existed at the outbreak of the conflict remained.

From this dramatic situation, with grave consequences on the national economy and on the Italians of living standards, in the span of  approximately five years, the Italian fleet managed to recover, by and large regaining its pre-war tonnge.

Languages: English and Italian

Edition: 2022