Story of the Titanic (DK History)

Product Information

Although offered a seat on account of his age, Isidor Straus refused any special consideration, and his wife Ida would not leave her husband behind. The couple retired to their cabin and perished together. If Walter Lord’s book is the definitive account of the sinking, this large-format encyclopaedic volume, almost large enough to sink a ship, is the definitive story of the Titanic, from the drawing board to the bottom of the ocean, with nothing omitted between the two events. It is an epic work of research so comprehensive that it deserves a wholly new category of publishing: more than a book, Titanic – Triumph and Tragedy , is a museum. Who will enjoy this book: This is a bit of a cheat since it’s a sequel to the 1970s modern sci-fi classic Time and Again. However, although it isn’t the perfect sequel, readers who enjoyed Time and Again might be happy to be reunited with their favourite time traveller, Si Morley. Violet Jessop’s story is remarkable in that she survived not only the sinking of Titanic but, four years later, the sinking of Titanic’s identical twin, Britannic, which went to the bottom in 55 minutes, its watertight compartments proving to be no more watertight than the Titanic’s. But at least Britannic had an excuse – she had been requisitioned as a hospital ship and hit a mine ferrying wounded soldiers home from the war in Europe. What’s it about: Drawing from the genuine autobiographical accounts of twelve survivors from the sinking of the Titanic, this novel covers the catastrophe from perspectives right across the cultural board, from rich to poor, sailor to servant, European to American.

At least five separate boards of inquiry on both sides of the Atlantic conducted comprehensive hearings on Titanic’s sinking, interviewing dozens of witnesses and consulting with many maritime experts. Every conceivable subject was investigated, from the conduct of the officers and crew to the construction of the ship. Titanic conspiracy theories abounded. The work of constructing the ships was difficult and dangerous. For the 15,000 men who worked at Harland and Wolff at the time, [88] safety precautions were rudimentary at best; a lot of the work was carried out without equipment like hard hats or hand guards on machinery. As a result, during Titanic 's construction, 246 injuries were recorded, 28 of them "severe", such as arms severed by machines or legs crushed under falling pieces of steel. Six people died on the ship herself while she was being constructed and fitted out, and another two died in the shipyard workshops and sheds. [89] Just before the launch a worker was killed when a piece of wood fell on him. [90] Gracie never recovered from his ordeal. He died eight months later, most likely from organ failure caused by hypothermia. But, as a writer and historian, he put every day to good use, writing this gripping eye-witness account – not just of Titanic’s death throes but every moment from the collision with the iceberg to the loading of the lifeboats and the rescue of survivors by the Cunard liner, Carpathia. I have often wondered, as the grandson of a bandsman who lost his life, what kind of death he suffered. After reading Gracie’s book, I knew that it was a terrible way to die.a b Hsu, Jeremy (17 April 2012). "How Marconi's Wireless Tech Helped Save Titanic Passengers". msnbc.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021 . Retrieved 24 November 2019. It was kept off-limits to passengers; the famous "flying" scene at the ship's bow from the 1997 film Titanic would not have been permitted in real life. Tragically, this was to be the norm: During the confusion and chaos during the precious hours before Titanic plunged into the sea, nearly every lifeboat would be launched woefully under-filled, some with only a handful of passengers.

Why it’s one of the best Titanic books for kids: Let’s be honest, some kids just don’t like reading anything but “picture books”. So I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 serves as not only a potential gateway for other books about the Titanic, but can potentially get kids into history by making it more fun. Titanic was laid out in a much lighter style similar to that of contemporary high-class hotels—the Ritz Hotel was a reference point—with First Class cabins finished in the Empire style. [52] A variety of other decorative styles, ranging from the Renaissance to Louis XV, were used to decorate cabins and public rooms in First and Second Class areas of the ship. The aim was to convey an impression that the passengers were in a floating hotel rather than a ship; as one passenger recalled, on entering the ship's interior a passenger would "at once lose the feeling that we are on board ship, and seem instead to be entering the hall of some great house on shore". [53] Each inquiry took testimony from both passengers and crew of Titanic, crew members of Leyland Line's Californian, Captain Arthur Rostron of Carpathia and other experts. [211] The British inquiry also took far greater expert testimony, making it the longest and most detailed court of inquiry in British history up to that time. [212] The two inquiries reached broadly similar conclusions: the regulations on the number of lifeboats that ships had to carry were out of date and inadequate, [213] Captain Smith had failed to take proper heed of ice warnings, [214] the lifeboats had not been properly filled or crewed, and the collision was the direct result of steaming into a dangerous area at too high a speed. [213]

How to Vote

What sets this book about the Titanic apart? Shadow of the Titanic is probably the most in-depth account of the lives of these survivors available. Also honestly, I kind of dug the fact that the author points out some interesting truths about Brits that contributed to them being the most likely to die in the tragedy. Many artefacts from Titanic have been recovered from the seabed by RMS Titanic Inc., which exhibits them in touring exhibitions around the world and in a permanent exhibition at the Luxor Las Vegas hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. [265] A number of other museums exhibit artefacts either donated by survivors or retrieved from the floating bodies of victims of the disaster. [266] On 23 April, the Daily Mail reported: "Late in the afternoon hope died out. The waiting crowds thinned, and silent men and women sought their homes. In the humbler homes of Southampton there is scarcely a family who has not lost a relative or friend. Children returning from school appreciated something of tragedy, and woeful little faces were turned to the darkened, fatherless homes." [196] This book is a dry read, devoid of drama and stripped of humanity, but tells more about the disaster than a hundred other books combined. Even Walter Lord’s book, depending substantially as it does, on the account of witnesses forty years after the event, their stories changing with every re-telling of the drama, can’t beat this for hard facts.

Who will enjoy this book: If you loved Brooklyn, this book will be in your wheelhouse. After all, romance, family secrets and the Titanic– what’s not to like? The second critical safety lapse that contributed to the loss of so many lives was the inadequate number of lifeboats carried on Titanic. A mere 16 boats, plus four Engelhardt “collapsibles,” could accommodate just 1,178 people. Titanic could carry up to 2,435 passengers, and a crew of approximately 900 brought her capacity to more than 3,300 people. The passenger facilities aboard Titanic aimed to meet the highest standards of luxury. According to Titanic 's general arrangement plans, the ship could accommodate 833 First Class Passengers, 614 in Second Class and 1,006 in Third Class, for a total passenger capacity of 2,453. In addition, her capacity for crew members exceeded 900, as most documents of her original configuration have stated that her full carrying capacity for both passengers and crew was approximately 3,547. Her interior design was a departure from that of other passenger liners, which had typically been decorated in the rather heavy style of a manor house or an English country house. [52]

Like its British counterpart some weeks later, the Senators had the advantage of questioning witnesses while events were still fresh in their minds and before stories could be conveniently changed. No stone was left unturned: the ice warnings about the danger of icebergs, the inadequate number of lifeboats, the Titanic’s unanswered SOS calls from nearby ships, the shameful statistics of those who lived and those who died…and so on. The White Star Line’s chairman, Bruce Ismay, was accorded no favours. What it’s about: Two ships receive the distress calls from the sinking Titanic within minutes of each other – one races to help, the other chooses not to. The White Star Line faced an increasing challenge from its main rivals, Cunard—which had recently launched Lusitania and Mauretania, the fastest passenger ships then in service—and the German lines Hamburg America and Norddeutscher Lloyd. Ismay preferred to compete on size rather than speed and proposed to commission a new class of liners that would be larger than anything that had gone before, as well as being the last word in comfort and luxury. [7] The White Star Line sought an upgrade of its fleet primarily to respond to the introduction of the Cunard giants but also to considerably strengthen its position on the Southampton–Cherbourg–New York service that had been inaugurated in 1907. The new ships would have sufficient speed to maintain a weekly service with only three ships instead of the original four. Thus, the Olympic and Titanic would replace RMS Teutonic of 1889, RMS Majestic of 1890 as well as RMS Adriatic of 1907. RMS Oceanic would remain on the route until the third new ship could be delivered. [ citation needed] Majestic resumed her old position on the White Star Line's New York service post the loss of Titanic '. [8]