Titanic: Legacy of the World's Greatest Ocean Liner

Customer Reviews:

absolutely beautiful book, threads past and present, a must for those interested in the Titanic.......2007-03-21

For me, the greatest story of the Titanic was the true story. I'm not really one for nonfiction, and yet this story just fascinates me (and so many others) unbelievably. Anyway, this book is beautifully and poeticly written, full of amazing pictures and history. Best of all, it is incredibly up to date with a wealth of new findings and information about the wreck. Grade: A-

Titanic.......2006-04-24

What Bill C. said is completely off topic this is a book about the greatest sea disaster that changed the world the Titanic. NOT the Lusitania which was sunk even after americans were warned by the german embassy in the US to travelers that any ship flying the british flag would be sunk. Bill C obviously needs to learn his history cause hes really showing how little he knows, The book is great it covers just about every major point of Titanic. If you want to read about the Lusitania which was on her last voyage from the start and was to be scrapped after she returned to england go read bob ballards book about the Sinking of the Lustiania. If you want to read a book about the greatest sea disaster that was foretold 14 years before by a writer and one that changed how things were done from having the wireless systems up 24 hours a day to ensure that distress messages would be receved to lifeboats for everyone regardless the tonnage which was how Titanic was required by law to carry 16 boats cause it stated anyship over 16,000 Tons is required to carry 16 boats even though Titanic was 57,000 Long Tons.

I would recommed this book to anyone that wants a well put together book or anyone that is a Titanic buff.

A lot of bull about the Titanic.........2005-06-17

as the world's greatest ocean liner. The Lusitania (which sunk in 1915) brought the USA into World War One.That Lusitania was an important ship! The Titanic sinking did nothing sinking for the USA or any country that could equal bringing a country into a World War.

Attractive Book for Light Reading.......2002-12-27

Overall, this is a nicely-designed and illustrated book that would make a great gift. Many of the artifact photos (of which there are plenty) are unique to this book. The issue of salvage haunts every page of this book. On numerous occasions author Susan Wels makes the case for RMS Titanic, Inc. and their salvage operations. That may or may not be fine to you, depending upon your view of the whole salvage thing, but you'll probably find that it gets kind of annoying and repetitive after a while. Much is made of the fact that Titanic-finder Robert Ballard initially supported some salvage operations (he is now opposed to them).

All of that aside, the rest of the book is nice to look at and worth reading. The text plays second-fiddle to the photographs, but that's fine for a book such as this.

I was a bit surprised at one error in the text- in describing Captain Smith's safety record, Wels notes that he was captain of the Germanic when it `capsized' in 1899. Well, the Germanic sank upright at its pier because of an ice storm; it was quickly re-floated and spent another 51 years in service; the captain and crew were found not at fault by White Star; and the captain at the time was Edward McKinstry, not Edward J. Smith.

The Titanic saga in one easy, illustrated lesson........2000-07-10

Accurate, up to date, treatment in one volume of what happened to the Titanic. Also with excellent coverage of the discovery of the remains seventy years later, with copious pictures and illustrations. Students needing a short one-volume outline of the tragedy will find it here. Sensitivity and intelligence characterise this fine volume.

Average customer rating:

The Real Thing
Absolutely the best...
fanatastic
More Engrossing than Cameron's Fantasy
Just an excerpt, but interesting...

The Titanic Disaster Hearings

Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671025538

Amazon.com

When Tom Kuntz, the "Word for Word" section editor of the New York Times, started researching a column on the Senate hearings about the Titanic disaster, he discovered that this supposedly public information was tough for the public to come by--it was stuck away in archives on cumbersome microfiche. The Times just hates anything that comes between people and information--just look at its historic efforts to publicize the government's Vietnam policy in the recent book The Day the Presses Stopped: A History of the Pentagon Papers Case. So Kuntz intelligently excerpted and published, for the first time ever, these transcripts, noting without fear or favor his own paper's participation in the then-common practice of checkbook journalism and presenting hundreds of pages of gripping eyewitness testimony. The Titanic Disaster Hearings also includes a helpful, if rather brief, index to the testimony, so you can look up "Lookout men, glasses for" and turn to the page with this heartbreaking discussion of the owners' inexplicable refusal to give the lookouts binoculars:

SENATOR SMITH: Suppose you had had [binoculars], could you have seen this black object [the iceberg] a greater distance?

MR. FLEET [a Titanic lookout]: We could have seen it a bit sooner.

SENATOR SMITH: How much sooner?

MR. FLEET: Well, enough to get out of the way...

"Here the world learned of Isidor and Ida Straus's decision to die together rather than separate under the 'women and children first' evacuation tradition," writes Kuntz. "Archibald Gracie vividly described people swarming up the Titanic's rear decks as the ship plunged deeper into the sea." One does not envy the wireless operators explaining how their state-of-the-art system managed to screw up so badly, nor Titanic officer Pitman, who claimed his passengers and crewmen refused his order to row back to pick up screaming survivors in their boat, which had room for 20 more people, because they feared those in the water would swamp them:

SENATOR SMITH: How many of these cries were there? Was it a chorus, or was it--

MR. PITMAN: I would rather you did not speak about that.

SENATOR SMITH: I would like to know how you were impressed by it.

MR. PITMAN: Well, I can not very well describe it. I would rather you would not speak of it.

SENATOR SMITH: I realize that it is not a pleasant theme, and yet I would like to know whether these cries were general and in chorus, or desultory and occasional?

MR. PITMAN: There was a continual moan for about an hour.

There are 32 useful pictures in the book, but its raison d'être is words, which Kuntz has compiled and arranged in an addictively readable fashion.

Book Description

Merely a day after Titanic survivors arrived in port in New York City, a United States Senate committee began an investigation into the wreck of the great "unsinkable" ship. For the first time in book form, here is the dramatic testimony of crew and passengers from all walks of life, as they recall the sights and sounds of the night of April 14, 1912.

From the manners of the day to the conduct fo those boarding the lifeboats, from acts of kindness to palpable greed, here is an unforgettable portrait of human nature in the face of the Titanic tragedy, in the words of the men and women who survived.... J. Bruce Ismay, British officer of the White Star Line, who hopped into a lifeboat to save himself and never looked back to see her go down....Second officer Charles Lightoller's harrowing plunge as the sinking ship's force of suction pulled him under water....On-duty lookout Frederick Fleet's admission that the iceberg might have been avoided if the crew had been equipped with binoculars....Passenger Daisy Minahan, who recalled the refusal of an officer in her lifeboat to aid those adrift in the frigid waters...and many more witnesses to one of the most shattering events of our century. Illustrated with historical photographs, The Titanic Disaster Hearings is a vital piece of the puzzle that has sparked worldwide fascination.

Customer Reviews:

The Real Thing.......2007-08-24

As a retired Coast Guard Captain and marine accident investigator I read with interest "The Titanic Disaster Hearings". What I found interesting were the question asked by mostly non nautical persons. At times they didn't make sense because the persons asking the questions really didn't know what they were talking about or asking. Equally interesting were how the witnesses did their best to answer what to them must have been ridicules questions. Seemed to me the Bruce Ismay got a bum rap in the movies and elsewhere. After reading his testimony I could see where he was doing his best to answer the confusing questions being asked of him. His answers were direct and I didn't see any where he was trying to hide information or trying to be evasive. Good easy book to read.

Absolutely the best..........2007-03-19

I have been reading Titanic material for about 3 years now, and this was by far the best, most informative and straightforward account. This is the story, told by eyewitnesses, just days after the disaster. No fictional characters, no romance, just bone-chilling descriptions. Although it is in the format of questions and answers, it is an easy read and riveting for the most part (I did get a little bored by all the testimony regarding the Marconi telegraph system, and whether or not the wireless operators from the Titanic and Carpathia should have been paid for their exclusive stories). I might recommend this book to someone who is already familiar with the story of the Titanic - all the persons and details can get a bit confusing without a general background. This book certainly doesn't clear up any of the confusion about the details that night - but it is a fascinating insight into how so many people can experience the same thing and come away with different impressions. This is a piece of history in itself.

fanatastic.......2006-03-02

will definetly be doing business again with this company. books arrived on time (before expected date) and in the promised condition. i recommend people tp do business with this company.

More Engrossing than Cameron's Fantasy.......2005-07-04

This book provides significant meaningful insight into the events, and the times, of the April 14-15, 1912 Titanic sinking. The factual picture that emerges in this book is deeply moving as a thought provoking look at the human drama, terror, shock and suffering of the tragedy.

Just an excerpt, but interesting..........2004-10-07

This is an excerpt from the 1100 pages of testimony from the investigation held by the US Senate into the Titanic disaster. It is dry reading in parts, and sometimes repetitious, but Kuntz manages to glean the most important points and persons from that massive manuscript, and piece together the tragedy to give the most complete account possible (as was known at the time).

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book
A most outstanding book.
Very well written account
Very complete description of the discovery of Titanic
The actual story of the discovery plus beautiful images...

The Discovery of the Titanic
Robert D. Ballard
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0446671746

Amazon.com

As Woods Hole oceanographer Robert Ballard demonstrates in his absorbing, profusely illustrated book about his years-long hunt for the wreck of the Titanic, science isn't all that different from Hollywood. Just as a Hollywood type--say, the director whose quest to make the world's most expensive film is chronicled in Paula Parisi's Titanic and the Making of James Cameron--must use the cachet of his studio connections to raise cash, a Woods Hole scientist must use that eminent institution's reputation to win financing for his or her projects. Like the movie that sprang from the finding of the wreck, Ballard's scientific exploration is a tale of triumph against long odds. He's also got some good historical data on the drama of the sinking. Here are a few ear-witness accounts of the moment of the iceberg's impact on the Titanic: "A disquieting ripping sound like a piece of cloth"; "A thousand marbles"; "As though somebody had drawn a giant finger along the side of the ship." Ballard quotes the most precise description of the fatal instant, given by colorful Second Officer Lightoller: "Not that it was by any means a violent concussion, but just a distinct and unpleasant break in the monotony of her motion." Ballard's book helps you get the feeling of climbing aboard and being there for that distinctly unpleasant moment. --Tim Appelo

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2007-01-07

This is a sensational book.I have read this one quite a bit.
I love the bit where they find the boiler on the bottom of the ocean.
It talks about the trials they went through trying to find the elusive Titanic.Nobody had seen that ship since it sunk in 1912.
I have always loved reading about that ship,something about the whole story has fascinated me.
I think the era it all happened in,as well as the beauty of the ship itself.It certainly had a mystique of its own.
To look at the pictures of the ship how it has deteriorated over time is very ghostly.To see objects such as dolls heads and boots realy shows you the tragedy that once happened on a very cold night.
The stupidity to push the ship full speed through an iceberg field maked the mind boggle.Playing dice with all those lives,and to top it all off the lack of life boats on board.
Dr.Robert D. Ballard became a legend himself after the discovery of the most famous ship to ever hit the waves.

A most outstanding book........2004-09-21

Dr Robert Ballard will forever remain the man who found the Titanic. In so doing, he became the world's most famous ocean explorer who found the world's most famous ship.

It is not for me to inform readers of the story of the Titanic. Almost everyone grew up knowing something about that ship - even if the finer points of information they thought they knew were inaccurate.

Having then achieved the outstanding feat of finding this elusive shipwreck, Bob Ballard has put together the most complete - and yet again "outstanding," tale of search, discovery and finally success, coupled with an accurate portrayal of the life and death of the ship itself. All the facts and historic photographs are there - and, speaking as a professional shipwreck historian, he really has done the most thorough job of work here.

Finally, he has put together the most (and I deliberately use that word again) "outstanding" collection of artwork created by Ken Marschall. I may be wrong, but it seems to me nobody had heard of this artist until the first editions of this book appeared - now he is a household name amongst those in the know.

From thousands of photographic images taken far below the surface, Bob Ballard created montage after montage of the various sections and profiles of the wreck (i.e. big photographs made up of thousands of little photographs) so that Mr Marschall was able to provide us with paintings which look like single colour photographs of this and that section which go together to make up the entire wreck.

I congratulate Dr Ballard on an excellent and professional job of work. Altogether, the most outstanding book for which 5 stars are not enough.

NM

Very well written account.......2002-02-26

I bought this book soon after the hype brought on by the film. I have always been a history fan. The stories surrounding the fate of the Titanic have always intrigued me.

I knew of Ballard from previous expeditions that he had done. I have seen his work on The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel.

This book is well thought out. From the search in the early days to the actual discovery and exploration. It's amazing how Ballard was able to stick with it over the years and the difficult times.

The book is written more as a story than as a text book. Plenty of history. The underwater photos are magnificent. I read the book and just wonder at all the problems that they had to overcome. The setbacks. The failures. It's all here in an easy to read and follow book.

If you are at all interested in the Titanic and it's discovery, this is a good book to read.

Very complete description of the discovery of Titanic.......2001-09-19

This book describes the discovery of the Titanic in a perfect way. Besides telling the sad story of her maiden voyage, that ended so tragically, Dr. Ballard describes his own struggle to complete his long time wish to find Titanic. He talks about troubles raising funds, the tragedy of almost losing the discovery to another expedition and the very exhaustive and mostly boring search. But also about the joy of finally finding the wreck and his emotions during all of this. All this is told from a integer point of view, also crediting the other people for their part in the discovery. The book includes many photographs and two nice full-color foldouts of the wreck. This new edition also includes a chapter in which Dr. Ballard comments on more recent visits, conducted by others, to the Titanic and his views on the (commercial) salvaging of Titanic wreckage.

The actual story of the discovery plus beautiful images..........2001-04-04

The ever interesting Titanic lives on.

The best part about this book is almost being there with Ballard as this great ship is seen again by human eyes for the very first time in many decades. And of course the great images (both the actual pictures and the illustrations of how the parts of the wreck are situated on the bottom) that this book contains.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read.......2006-07-14

Colonel Archibald Gracie was on board the Titanic when it sank. He was one of the lucky men who was able to cling to a capsized boat for survival. He details his account of the crossing, both before and after the iceberg. He mentions many people that he spoke with on the voyage, hoping to bring comfort to any families whose loved ones he encountered. The book seems to have been a form of therapy for the man and also an attempt to help those with questions after the sinking.

The book is written in 1912 language, but it is still very readable and easy to understand. It is really an excellent resource for specific information; Gracie examines each lifeboat individually with passenger's names (except for the 3rd class) and relays incidents from each compiled from testimony from those in each boat. He uses official documents like the court trial transcripts for his book, making it very credible.

Also included is a short account of John Thayer from the 40s. He was only 17 when the ship sank and lost his father of the same name in the tragedy. Thayer was another of the men clinging to the capsized boat that saved Gracie's life. His testimony enforces many of the things said by Gracie.

Vivid & Meticulous Firsthand Account of Disaster.......2003-03-30

Colonel Archibald Gracie is one of the few people who actually went down with the Titanic and lived to tell about it. First published in 1913, "Titanic" is his detailed account of the last day he spent aboard ship, the evacuation of passengers on the port side of the ship, and of his incredible survival on an overturned lifeboat after being plunged into the frigid ocean when the Titanic finally completely submerged. The first 113 pages of the book are dedicated to Colonel Gracie's firsthand account. In the remaining approximately 200 pages, Col. Gracie has compiled testimony from as many other eyewitnesses as he could find. These firsthand accounts of passengers and crew are taken from the official inquiries in the United States and Great Britain, personal correspondence and interviews with Col. Gracie, and occasionally from firsthand accounts that were published in books and magazines of the day. Taken together, they render a very detailed picture of what went on that fateful night and why more people were not saved. Colonel Gracie died 8 months after the Titanic sank, of illness possibly related to the prolonged exposure to cold that he endured the night the Titanic went down.

This is one of the most comprehensive and precise accounts of the Titanic disaster that you will find. Colonel Gracie is an engaging storyteller. I like his decision to organize the eyewitness accounts by lifeboat. The book also provides some interesting insights into the manners and social attitudes of the time.

Still a very readable account of the Titanic disaster.......2000-06-02

Originally published in 1913 as The Truth About the Titanic, Titanic: A Survivor's Story was the first book by an actual Titanic survivor to appear in print. Colonel Archibald Gracie, a military historian who is treated really brutally by James Cameron in his film, was not only a brave man but an indefatigable historian of the disaster. In the months remaining to him after the sinking (Colonel Gracie died in December 1912, possibly of aftereffects from his harrowing escape), Gracie tracked down other survivors and was the first to make an attempt at putting each survivor into the boat he or she escaped from. Written with period charm, this is an important book about the disaster and will dispell any remaining images of Cameron's doofy "Archie."

Poignant pairing of contrasting accounts of the same tragedy.......1998-11-27

Two of the most poignant survivor accounts of the Titanic sinking. Mr. Gracie, an elderly man with many social ties to others on the ship and Mr. Thayer, the 17 year old son of a prominent businessman were both first class passengers. Both nearly drowned as the Titanic plunged to the bottom of the Atlantic; but found refuge on the upside down collapsible lifeboat B. Mr. Gracie lost his best friend and Mr. Thayer lost his father. The grief each feels still calls out to us.

The style of each narrative is interesting to compare. Gracie, when describing his own experience or his impressions of the significance of the sinking, uses the flowing purple prose of the late 19th century (his style is more straightforward in his compilations of accounts of other passengers and he has even used their actual statements). Thayer, writing in 1940 about his own experience, is terser; but his reflection that the world seemed calm and his place in it assured before that night is poetic. Archibald Gracie died soon after he wrote his narrative. I'm unsure; but I believe Jack Thayer did not live long after he wrote his story. Since Mr. Thayer's account is not generally available in other sources, and Mr. Gracie was so thorough about who was in (or, in his case, on) each lifeboat, this book will be appreciated by any Titanic buff.

Excelent example of a survivor's account.......1998-08-24

I read this book at first to establish some truths about this great story. I feel that it had become a far fetched story of modern times , with all the romantic films and books available today. I came away from reading this book with a sense of great loss. Gracie, has spent a short time explaining the everyday bustle of those on board and at least 300 pages about how the ship sank and who was involved it what.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT BOOK........1999-06-30

I have studied TITANIC most of life and before the movie, TITANIC, It was hard to find TITANIC books. This one and Don Lynch's TITANIC AN ILLUSTRATED history were the best out. This is like a dictonary. It has the most informaition of all TITANIC books. I would recomend this book to anyone. It is a great book for the begginer for its info and great price. BUY THIS BOOK!

amazing and detailed.10/10 for the breath taking pictures.......1999-05-06

before james camereon released his 'titanic'I was unaware of any facts about the great ship ,except for the fact that she hit an iceberg and sank with the loss of 1500 lives. now however after reading countless books and articles i have compiled a detailed knowledge of her . this book , althogh not 100% acurate is very good and deserves to be up there with books such as walter lords 'a night to remember' if you are not a titanic fan, you will be after reading this book.the pictures to are breath taking

A MUST FOR ANY TITANIC BUFF

Very good.......1999-01-04

This is the 4th book that I bought about the Titanic. I thought it had alot of wonderful information about the sinking and the aftermath of this tragedy.

Really Good!.......1998-07-19

This book is the second book that I bought about Tianic. It is not the best Titanic book that I have read, but it's excellent facts have helped me a lot in my Titanic project that we're doing in English at school. It's really well written and the accounts of some of the survivers are really interesting. I'd reccomend this book to all Titanic fans - Lauren, 13

Great Fact Book.......1998-04-25

This is one of my my personal favorite Titanic books. I am a Titanic buff and am hungry for facts, and, to say the least, am now full. This book has from the Titanic gross tonnage to how much money Col. John Jacob Astor had in his pocket when his body was found.

Customer Reviews:

A Haunting and absorbing history.......2006-05-21

Although this book is supposedly about the sinking and finding of the Titanic the true story in this book is about the effect the Titanic has had on all those who have been in contact with her. Charles Pellegrino's emotional narrative on both the sinking and the discovery of this special ship keep this from being just another dry documentary. Of special intrest (especially in retrospect) is his description of how anyone who has come in contact with her (Titanic) has had their life altered by the experience. Remember this book was written BEFORE the James Cameron blockbuster and look at the effect Titanic has had on his life. Recommended for anyone who is a Titanic buff.

A most interesting book.......1998-02-05

Mr. Pellegrino has written an excellent book about that tragic ship and about the background of the men who found her. A must have for any serious TITANIC "buff". It is also a great companion book to Dr. Ballards "Dicovery of the TITANIC" as it offers insights not contained in his book.

Titanic: Fortune and Fate : Letters, Mementos, and Personal Effects from Those Who Sailed on the Lost Ship

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Book
Thank you Newport News, VA; Mariners Museum!
The Fortune of owing "Titanic: Fortune & Fate"
Titanic Fortune and Fate
Excellent

Titanic: Fortune and Fate : Letters, Mementos, and Personal Effects from Those Who Sailed on the Lost Ship
The Mariners' Museum
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684857103
Release Date: 1998-08-04

Amazon.com

This small volume, companion to an exhibit put on by the Mariners' Museum of Newport News, Virginia, brings readers a little closer to understanding the lives of the passengers and crew of Titanic. The numerous photographs include not only portraits of people on board the ship, but snapshots of several artifacts--including Titanic postcards and passenger lists, as well as John Jacob Astor's gold cuff links and the medal given to the crew of the Carpathia for their rescue efforts.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Book.......2007-01-20

This book is great for a quick read on the Titanic. The pictures are wonderful and filled with interesting captions. Also, there are brief anecdotes, such as the story behind Mr. Astor's watch. The book discreetly handles such a terrible human tragedy.

Thank you Newport News, VA; Mariners Museum!.......2004-10-04

This is one of the best White Star Line Titanic books I own. As a Titaniac I find the pages of this book to be seen many, many times. Having been to the touring exhibit in Norfolk, and the exhibit at The Mariners Museum I appreciated the effort. This would make one want to visit The Orlando, FL musuem instead of those other things like Universal, or Disney World. Any Titanic, Olympic, or Britannic enthusiast would love this book to add to his/her collection.

The Fortune of owing "Titanic: Fortune & Fate".......2002-11-02

There isn't much to say about the amazing book exept that throught the words and photos of the passangers' letters, diaries, quotes, tickets, staterooms, clothing, ect.; you get an exellent feeling of who was on the Titanic, not just a group as a whole, but you begin to know them as individuals.
Believe me, this "Fortune" is one exellent investment!!![...]

Titanic Fortune and Fate.......2001-01-17

This book must adorn your bookshelf if you are a serious Titanic fan. The book contains everything from a complete passenger list, tantilizing facts and amazing pictures of artifacts that will make any "Titanic-maniac" feel like they're owning the real thing!

As you read the book, you can't help but feel as though you've been transported back to 1912 and feel a part of history...

This book is definately a keeper, Good Work!

Excellent.......1999-12-24

If you're a Titanic buff, then this book is a must-have. The pictures of the artifacts and people, and the factoids that go with them make the stories come alive. What really got to me was the entire passenger list stating the names, ages, class, and if they survived.

Average customer rating:

New Information for Titanic Enthusiasts
Her Name, Titanic...
Taking it Back
A Killer
The closest thing to time travel

Her Name, Titanic
Charles R. Pellegrino
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380708922

Book Description

"NOT EVEN GOD HIMSELF COULD SINK THIS SHIP?

On the evening of Sunday, April 14, 1912, the awesome ocean liner Titanic-the majestic queen of the White Star fleet-struck an iceberg and quickly vanished into the frigid blackness of the North Atlantic. Seventy-three years later, a dedicated group of scientists set sail in search of the sunken behemoth-an incredible mission that uncovered shocking secrets buried two miles below the ocean's surface.

In Her Name, Titantic, Dr. Charles Pellegrino combines two enthralling adventures in one: re-creating with breathtaking immediacy the terrible night the great ship went down...and offering a riveting, first-hand account of a remarkable expedition-and the miraculous scientific technology-that helped shed astonishing new light on the greatest seagoing disaster of the 20th century.

Customer Reviews:

New Information for Titanic Enthusiasts.......2003-04-17

Those familiar with the work of Charles Pellegrino know that his writing always drifts from the distant past to the present to the distant future, connecting disparate circumstances together into a coherent "big picture" by way of entertaining discourses on paleontology, archeology, biology, and astrophysics, to name but a few of the fields Mr. Pellegrino has worked in. In "Her Name, Titanic", the disparate events in question are the sinking of the ocean liner Titanic in 1912 and its discovery on the ocean floor in 1985, as well as subsequent missions to document the Titanic's wreckage more fully. "Her Name, Titanic" presents previously unpublished information about the sinking of the Titanic in the form of fictionalized narratives and direct quotes from survivors, based on newly discovered (at the time of writing) diaries and communication logs. There is much discussion of the technology and accomplishments of deep sea exploration, including interviews with Bob Ballard and other members of the teams that discovered and explored the Titanic wreckage. I didn't like "Her Name, Titanic" as much as I usually like Charles Pellegrino's books. This book actually focuses on one subject more than most of his books do, which turned out not to be a good thing. I found Pellegrino's enthusiasm to be somewhat less infectious than usual, as the middle portion of the book bogged down with too much talk about deep sea submersibles. Of course, if this is your field of interest, you may find that part of the book fascinating. Titanic aficionados will be thrilled to read new accounts of what happened that night in April 1912. I give the new information 5 stars and the more tedious aspects of the book 3 stars, so 4 stars as a whole.

Her Name, Titanic..........2002-12-04

This unique and fascinating book goes beyond any TITANIC bookthat has ever been written. It is perhaps the most dramatic account of the sinking of the legendary "unsinkable" Cunard liner -- and of the incredible, science fiction-like finding of the ship.

"As ropes were unhooked and boat number fourteen struck out, portholes still glowed below the surface. From five feet under, in a room that was still unflooded, a man was peering out into the ocean. Adjacent portholes illumunated the white bottom of a lifeboat. Looking up, he watched it cast away..."

Time seemed to have come unstuck the day the TITANIC's grave was discovered. An empty lifeboat davit turned up on the robot ARGO's tv screens, and suddenly it was 1912 again, suddenly the horrors came spewing out like a nightmare from the past. Scientiests burst into tears, and many who saw those first pictures suffered what they later called minor nervous breakdowns. The world looked on, dumbfounded by the fallibility of man's suppsedly most invincible creations.

HER NAME, TITANIC includes a vivid portrait of explorer Robert Ballard, the brilliant leader of the expedition that discovered the TITANIC's remains. The author portrays Ballard and his crew in a compelling style unlike that of any other book on the subject. Charles Pellegrino is a scientist as well as an author, and he describes in riveting detail the scientific aspects of the machines and the processes involved in the expeditions.

But more than that, this is the first book to go beyond the headlines. By delving deep into the meaning of the TITANIC, which has evolved slowly from tragedy to symbol, and by putting himself into the minds of the people who play the characters in the drama. Charles Pellegrino has created a spellbinding work of oceanography that succeeds in illuminating new truths about the meaning of science -- and about the tragedies and joys of the human adventure.

Taking it Back.......2002-01-15

Because many of the stories Pellegrino told appeared in no other books, including the British and American Inquiries into the sinking, I and other Titanic Historical Society members bought into the widely-voiced notion that Pellegrino's facts were "all made up." As it turns out, he and Walter Lord have over the years assembled an entire library of unpublished expedition logs and survivors' accounts, the full contents of which were recently reproduced for THS and Earthship tv. Referring to the accounts as "a real eye-opener," THS historian Don Lynch, who recently sailed with Pellegrino on James Cameron's 3-D Imax filming expedition to the Titanic, found the author to be a true seeker, blessed with hyper-energy and an undying sense of wonder that makes him seem at times like an overgrown child, "if not occasionally like a class 1-A pain in the neck... but a lovable pain in the neck". As for the availability of the library, Pellegrino has begun to post it on his web site, fully annotated, and downloadable by an "honor system" by which readers will hopefully send donations to the Michael J. Fox organization for Parkinson's disease research (where Fox makes sure that every dime goes directly to research). This tells me everything I need to know about Pellegrino and the Titanic.

A Killer.......2001-02-02

I came to this book through a rather round-about path, first introduced to the author through some papers he had written on advanced nuclear propulsion systems for rockets. Then some of my colleagues at the Air and Space Museum told me that the guy wrote mind-bending techno-thrillers on the side (and he does!), and finally I came to his non-fiction. I happen to be a hard-core engineer/test pilot and have always considered myself about as hard-boiled as they come. But when I read about Thomas Andrews and his men in the engine room - and about Rosa Abott and her two boys, I was really overcome and I just had to put the book down and leave the room before my wife and the kids saw that my eyes were full of tears.

The closest thing to time travel.......2000-10-12

This is the first book since "A Night to Remember" that actually carries you back through time to the decks of the sinking Titanic until you actually feel it yourself. You feel the emotions of the people that night - and then you are yanked forward in time to the expeditions that first discovered and explored the Titanic, and then Pellegrino moves you back and forth in time again and again from the night of the sinking to the expeditions until at last you become, like James Cameron's Rose, unstuck in time. It is easy to see how Cameron was so moved by Pellegrino's morphings through time. A reading of this scientist's other books reveals that he seems to be unable to tell a tale in linear fashion. In both "Unearthing Atlantis" and "Ghosts of the Titanic," he unfolds archaeological investigations by telling the whole history backwards! It is difficult to imagine what he will do with time next. But I'll be there for the ride. You can bet on it.

Titanic at Two A.M.: An Illustrated Narrative with Survivor Accounts

Average customer rating:

LAST TWENTY MINUTES
I Loved This Book
A Great Titanic Book
Great Illustrations, Good Story
An Interesting Read

Titanic at Two A.M.: An Illustrated Narrative with Survivor Accounts
Paul J. Quinn
Manufacturer: Fantail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Transportation | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0965520935

Book Description

At 2:00 a.m. the great Titanic lay wounded in the middle of the ocean with two lifeboats remaining. In twenty minutes there would be nothing left between the 1,600 people on board and the icy waters of the Atlantic. The brand new liner - the largest and most luxurious in the world - would sink. Titanic at Two A.M. describes the suspenseful minutes leading to the final dramatic plunge of the ship with fifteen color illustrations and numerous black and white photographs. Survivor accounts throughout the book will put you up front and close to the final events of a tragedy which has become a legend.

Titanic At Two A.M. Hurry, there isn't much time.

Customer Reviews:

LAST TWENTY MINUTES.......2006-07-24

Those taken by the final moments of Titanic will find plenty to like in Quinn's book. It all starts at two am, with many believing the ship will stay afloat and the worst avoided. Minute by minute the situation worsens and becomes more desperate, until the final plunge we all know is coming.

This is not a very long book, and each chapter covers a five minute period extending to 2:20. But it is supplemented with insets discussing questions about the sinking. The author's illustrations add considerably as well.

I Loved This Book.......2002-04-26

I wondered across this book in the search and got it. The illustrations and the story are great. I recommend it to everyone. It is one of my favorite Titanic books. The paintings are so great!

A Great Titanic Book.......2000-06-30

As I have read over 135 books on Titanic, this one is very high on my list of great Titanic books. Paul Quinn brings an immediacy to the disaster. If you have ever wanted to know what it was like in the last 20 minutes of the great ships life, this book is a 'must read'. Paul also does the great ship justice as far as his illustrations go. Check this one out!

Great Illustrations, Good Story.......2000-03-13

This is a really interesting book. There are paintings in it that I never saw before that show all kinds of intersting scenes from that night. It is mainly about the time period between 2:00 and 2:20 a.m. when the ship was going down.

I was really drawn into the paintings of people rushing up the boat deck during the ship's final demise.

This book is definitely a thumbs up!

An Interesting Read.......1999-12-03

A good, interesting story of the last 20 minutes. There are illustrations, including paintings, alongside the text that accent the story being told. Recommended.

Complete Idiot's Guide to TITANIC (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

Average customer rating:

Overrated historical event that shouldn't be remembered
A terrific ready reference but needs a slight updating.
A Good Book for Titanic Fun Facts
Someone missed the boat.. so many inaccuracies
Easy to Read & Nicely Sectioned

Complete Idiot's Guide to TITANIC (The Complete Idiot's Guide)
Alpha Team
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0028627121

Amazon.com

Most books about the sinking of Titanic go out of their way to honor the somber occasion, but somber is not the style of the Complete Idiot's Guide series. This is one perky account of calamity, with hundreds of punning headlines ("Cruisin' for a Bruisin'"), a "riveting" account of the ship's construction, and cartoons such as one depicting Death examining a cargo checklist: "2,000 people. 1 iceberg (to be picked up)." It's a treasure-trove of trivia (and significa), with a zillion bite-size bits neatly organized in sensible categories: historical overviews, wreckage exploration, entertainments inspired by the disaster. Strewn throughout the book like orderly flotsam are boxed items featuring fun facts grouped under five rubrics: "Blow Me Down!" (bizarre coincidences and other eyebrow raisers), "Catch the Drift" (definitions of specialized terms), "SOS" (various problems faced aboard the ship and after the fact, including myths and fallacies), "Ahoy There!" (firsthand accounts), and "Lifesavers" (upbeat items--acts of heroism and good things that came out of the wreck, such as Bob Dylan's allegedly Titanic-inspired tune "Desolation Row" on Highway 61 Revisited).

And that's just a drop in the bucket of the lore in this book. Did you know that the wreck launched the career of a New York high school dropout and 21-year-old nobody who beat all the newspapers to the story via the newfangled technology of wireless radio? The kid, David Sarnoff, became president of RCA and the patriarch of television at NBC. For a book smaller than a steamer trunk, the Complete Idiot's Guide packs an impressive load. (For a booklike object literally shaped like a steamer trunk, try The Titanic Collection: Mementos of the Maiden Voyage.) --Tim Appelo

Book Description

With the blockbuster successes of James Cameron's Titanic, its best-selling companion book, and the Broadway musical of the same name, it's clear people have an insatiable appetite for all things Titanic. This fascinating work tells newcomers all about the ship-from its inception, to its building, to the media hype surrounding its fatal maiden voyage, to the passengers aboard, to an up-to-date explanation of how it is believed the iceberg crash caused the ship to sink, to the chaos that ensued, to survivors' stories, and more. This thorough retrospective also contains information on recent underwater recoveries, quotes from survivors, ample illustrative material, and even insights into the Titanic's impact on contemporary pop culture.

Customer Reviews:

Overrated historical event that shouldn't be remembered.......2004-10-10

The Spanish Influenza Pandemic killed 40 million people. The sinking of The Titanic killed around 1500. To the reviewer Piper. You wasted 15 years of your life studying this worthless Titanic event?

A terrific ready reference but needs a slight updating........2001-08-06

For those who do not need love stories or socialogical studies, this is a terrific reference book. It is touted as trivia, but it is much more than that. It is also very accurate except for the final analysis of iceberg vs. rivets. For years I never believed that the iceberg ripped a gash in the ship like a knife. That could not happen simply because ice is much, much softer and much, much more brittle than one-inch thick steel plates. But the iceberg is massive, several times heavier than the ship. So it was just a matter of weight that pushed the shell plating in and ripping open rivet seams like zippers. This book addresses some of those findings and misses the final analysis by only a split hair when it mentions the possibility of inferior iron in the rivets. In fact, William Garzke of Gibbs and Cox (see his and Dunlin's books on Battleships) analyzed the few rivets that were recovered from Titanic and found them to be highly contaminated with carbon inclusions. It is apparent then that rather than being forged from high quality steel bar stock (as the High Tensile Steel rivets were for American warships) the rivets were quickly cast in multiple molds for fast production. The reheating and driving of the rivets did not restructure the grains of the alloy to give the shank maximum resistance against shear as a forged rivet would. Hopefully the next printing of the book will include this finding.

A Good Book for Titanic Fun Facts.......2000-09-24

This book has the basic facts about Titanic, but it also has some really cool facts about the ship and the people on it. It's a great reference book if you need to look up a fact, instead of trying to read every single detail about the ship in a big book. (I've tried it) But if you do want a more detailed book look some where else. My favorite things about this book are- The appendixes, the good layout, and all the weird facts (I like the chapter Deep Prophicies)

Someone missed the boat.. so many inaccuracies.......2000-05-07

I have studied the wreck of the Titanic for over 15 years and I've found this book to be lacking some of the basic details. For example, the book stated that all the women and children from First and Second class survived. This is not true. The book also mentioned the Navratil boys (the Orphans of the Deep) who were misnamed Lolo and Momon in the book. The boys' real names were Edmond (2 years old) and Michel (4 years old). Aside from the trivial facts, I feel that the book makes light of this horrendous disaster with the cartoon characters. The book was confusing because it didn't follow any chronological order before or after the accident. This might be difficult to someone who doesn't know much about what happened on 14-15 April, 1912. The book mentions a color photo spread in the middle of the book, but these photos can be seen anywhere and add little, if any, historical significance. {For example: There are a few pictures of the mostly intact bow, but none of the severely damaged stern. The picture spread consists mostly of still frames from several movies that have been done about the Titanic). This book might be entertaining to those who want to be somewhat enlightened about the disaster; however, those who have studied the Titanic in detail should probably pass this one up. Those who might read it for fun should be aware of the many inaccuracies contained in this book.

Easy to Read & Nicely Sectioned.......1999-10-13

It's not hard to see all the mistakes in this book, because I had been reading about Titanic (along with a few other wrecks) for the last 16 years. It's not quite proper to see the cartoonish characters on just about every page, but it seems to be "The Complete Idiot's Guide" series' style and trademark. I hate to see those mistakes in there, but nonetheless, it is a pretty "complete guide" to this grand dame named Titanic. It's filled with vast information divided in small sections that reading it is not hard at all.

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