Oblong format, 94 pages. The covers are creased front and back at the lower, outer edge, else a clean unmarked and solid copy.. " The Wear gave birth to Sunderland. Along its banks the first dwellings were built and communities became established... and ships and shipbuilding became the dominant industry of the Wear for over 650 years. At the turn of the 20th century shipbuilding and related industries employed more than 20,000 people and around two fifths of Sunderland's entire male labour force. But in December 1988, when the workforce had been reduced over many years to less than 2,000 the shipyards finally closed.... the luftwaffe bombs did not destroy the industry on the Wear. It fell victim to a government's view of economics...." (Introduction - more or less) " In 1989 Ray Nichols received The Special Award for Campaigning Jouranilsm in the Industrial Society/BP award Industrial Journalism Awards. It was prsented to him for his reporting on the Sunderland Shipyard situation" (Inside Front cover)