The benzine era

"Far across the world from the USA ... the New Zealand motorist ws at the end of a hazardous line of supply. The highly volatile fuel was imported, frequently by sailing ships, in cases of 4 gallon tins, which often leaked. Risks were taken by all those involved, and many perished in the dramatic explosions and fires that occurred both at sea and on shore. Some vessels became the victims of adverse weather and others were destroyed by the enemy raiders that patrolled the seasd during the First World War. This is the fascinating story of those eventful days, recrded here for the first time. Eyewitness accoupts from survivors and newspapers of the day -- many rare and historic photographs -- enable the reader to step back in time to when many a persons livelihood depended on the arrival in port of the benzine carrier ..." -- Back cover.