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    • Canada & St. Lawrence Cruise Itineraries >
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Great Lakes Cruise Library

Explore historic battles, legendary shipwrecks, and adventurous tales on North America's Great Lakes
Aside from the mesmerizing natural beauty and inspiring destinations visited by our Great Lakes cruises, our interest in the lakes stems from the incredible stories that take place on these historic waters. With Native American legends passed down over the course of thousands of years, tales of pirates, battles, romance, and shipwrecks, and even more recent writings that deliver the findings of groundbreaking research, literature regarding this part of the world is an experience of its own.
To share this passion for the literature of the Great Lakes, we partnered with intrepid adventurer and Executive Director of the Great Lakes Cruise Association, Stephen Burnett. Mr. Burnett has personally curated a Great Lakes library of what he, and other experts, consider to be the best of the region's writings -- from fictional epics to historic accounts. We hope that this library will inspire and better prepare you for your next Great Lakes cruise.
While all of the books in our Great Lakes Library are available on Amazon, we'd be remiss if we didn't support small businesses just like ourselves. Any of these readings can be found at or ordered by your local independent bookstore. These oases of literature are full of people passionate about reading, but they've struggled to survive due to larger companies. By supporting your local bookstore, you can help keep reading alive in your community.
Stephen Burnett Great Lakes Library

A Note from Stephen Burnett, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Cruise Association:


Upon leaving high school, which was located in Yorkshire, UK, I became something of a bookworm. My chosen field of work involved a considerable amount of travel, with inevitable layovers in airports, hotels and train stations. In the early days when laptop computers were beyond my imagination, books were still in vogue and my backpack had at least three hardcovers tucked inside. One of these was partially read, a second waiting patiently alongside it, with a third book in reserve to cope with inevitable delays. Reading served a number of purposes. It transported me into other countries, with first person accounts of famous and not so famous journeys. It brought other perspectives to challenge my UK centric views on life. It was always entertaining. It allowed me to cope with the tedious wait for my next connection. Above all, it educated me and broadened my horizons. When Mark -- the founder of Great Lakes Cruises -- asked if I would share some of my Great Lakes reading, I immediately reached out for help from some of my friends, neighbours and colleagues in this amazing cruise industry.  The following list is a compilation of books we have collectively read, and which I am happy to share with you.

Stephen Burnett. Kingston, Ontario, Canada

PS: What has brought me so much pleasure, was reading about a region while traveling through it. I am suggesting that can also work on your next Great Lakes cruise.

Great Lakes History: The War of 1812

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Great Lakes History: Storms & Shipwrecks

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Great Lakes Ecology

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Great Lakes Destinations

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Great Lakes Native America & First Nations

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Great Lakes Ships

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Great Lakes Lighthouses

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Great Lakes General Reading: Fiction

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Great Lakes General Reading: Nonfiction

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    Know a book that would be perfect for our community of Great Lakes cruisers? Submit your own here:

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  • Cruise the Great Lakes
    • Lake Erie Cruises
    • Lake Huron Cruises
    • Lake Michigan Cruises
    • Lake Superior Cruises
    • Lake Ontario Cruises
    • St. Lawrence Seaway Cruises
    • New England Cruises
    • Great Lakes Attractions
  • Great Lakes Cruise Lines
    • American Queen Voyages
    • Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
    • Pearl Seas Cruises
    • Ponant Explorers Cruises
    • Seabourn Cruises
    • Silversea Cruises
    • St. Lawrence Cruise Lines
    • Viking Expedition Cruises
    • Windstar Cruises
  • Cruise Itineraries
    • Great Lakes Cruise Itineraries >
      • American Queen Itineraries >
        • American Queen 16 Day - Chicago Roundtrip (2023-2024)
        • American Queen 13 Day - Montreal to Chicago (2023-2024)
        • American Queen 11 Day - Montreal to Detroit (2023)
        • American Queen 11 Day - Toronto to Chicago (2023-2024)
      • Pearl Seas Itineraries >
        • Pearl Seas 12 Day - Great Lakes & Georgian Bay (2022-2023)
        • Pearl Seas 8 Day - Great Lakes Cruise (2022-2023)
      • Ponant Itineraries >
        • Ponant 8 Day - Voyage Along the Great Lakes with Smithsonian Journeys (2022-2023
        • Ponant 8 Day - Great Lakes of North America (2022-2023)
      • Viking Itineraries >
        • Viking 15 Day - Great Lakes Collection Cruise (2023)
        • Viking 8 Day - Great Lakes Explorer Cruise (2022)
        • Viking 8 Day - Niagara & the Great Lakes Cruise (2022)
        • Viking 8 Day - Undiscovered Great Lakes Cruise (2022)
    • Canada & St. Lawrence Cruise Itineraries >
      • Pearl Seas 16 Day - Canadian Maritime & St Lawrence Seaway (2022-2023)
      • Pearl Seas 11 Day - Canada & New England Fall Foliage (2022-2023)
      • Ponant 13 Day - St Lawrence River to the American East Coast
      • Viking 16 Day - Canada & the Atlantic Coastline (2023)
      • Viking 13 Day - Canadian Discovery Cruise (2022)
      • Windstar 12 Day - Southeast Canadian Explorations (2022-2023)
    • Canada & New England Cruise Itineraries >
      • American Queen 11 Day - Montreal to Boston (2022-2024)
      • American Queen 9 Day - Boston to St John (2022-2023)
  • Engage an Expert
  • Great Lakes Cruise Ships
    • American Queen | Ocean Voyager & Ocean Navigator
    • Pearl Seas | Pearl Mist
    • Ponant | Explorers Cruise Ships
    • Victory | Victory I and Victory II
    • Viking | Expedition Cruise Ships
  • Destinations
    • Illinois Cruises >
      • Chicago IL Cruises
    • Maine Cruises >
      • Bar Harbor Maine Cruises
      • Portland ME Cruises
    • Canadian Maritime Cruises >
      • Charlottetown PEI Cruises
      • Halifax Nova Scotia Cruises
    • Massachusetts Cruises >
      • Boston MA Cruises
    • Michigan Cruises >
      • Detroit MI Cruises
      • Holland MI Cruises
      • Houghton MI Cruises
      • Mackinac Island MI Cruises
      • Marquette MI Cruises
      • Muskegon MI Cruises
      • Sault Sainte Marie MI Cruises
    • Minnesota Cruises >
      • Duluth MN Cruises
    • New York Cruises >
      • Alexandria Bay NY Cruises
      • Amsterdam NY Cruises
      • Buffalo NY Cruises
      • Clayton NY Cruises
      • Kingston NY Cruises
      • Niagara Falls NY Cruises
      • Oswego NY Cruises
      • Sylvan Beach NY Cruises
    • Ohio Cruises >
      • Cleveland OH Cruises
    • Ontario Cruises >
      • Little Current ON Cruises
      • Midland, ON Cruises
      • Niagara Falls ON Cruises
      • Niagara on the Lake ON Cruises
      • Parry Sound ON Cruises
      • Sault Sainte Marie ON Cruises
      • Thunder Bay ON Cruises
      • Toronto ON Cruises
    • Quebec Cruises >
      • Gaspé QC Cruises
      • Montreal QC Cruises
      • Quebec City QC Cruises
      • Tadoussac, Quebec
    • Thousand Island Cruises
    • Wisconsin Cruises >
      • Apostle Islands WI Cruises
      • Green Bay WI Cruises
      • Milwaukee WI Cruises
      • Sturgeon Bay WI Cruises
    • Great Lakes Highlights >
      • Great Lakes Lighthouses
      • Great Lakes Locks and Canals
      • Majestic Skylines
      • Natural Wonders
      • Native American Cultures of the Great Lakes Region
      • Great Lakes Sporting Arms
      • Great Lakes Cruising Coalition
      • Great Lakes Gardeners
      • Great Lakes Trolling Flies
      • Great Lakes Video
  • Great Lakes Cruises Library
    • Great Lakes Literary History
    • Great Lakes Book
  • Great Lakes Cruise News
  • Contact