Speed ​ ​ is a symbol of the 20th century. High swimming speeds serve as a powerful lever in the struggle to save time, which is constantly waged by humanity. The authors of the book talk about ships of various eras: Slavic rooks and kochas, Zaporizhzhya "gulls," sailing and steam fleets, modern passenger liners, hydrofoils and hovercraft, about everything new that the scientific and technical revolution has brought to the development of the fleet.