Book Description
Nearly 100 years after the most famous maritime disaster in history, we are assured that we know everything there is to know about the White Star Liner Titanic and that there is little more to add to the story. While the basic story is undeniable- a collision with an iceberg resulted in 1500 out of 2200 perishing - the details of what happened during the evacuation are still debated, plagued by disinformation, personal politics and our simple lack of knowledge. This book details the elements that combined to transform one of humanity's triumphant achievements of engineering into a devastating encapsulation of overconfidence and other human failings.
Punctuating the main narrative are diversions to explore in detail several of the more controversial aspects of the sinking. These "interludes" explore why the iceberg was not seen until a collision was inevitable; critically questions the behaviour of members of the crew, particularly the officers that night; asks whether the 3rd class were held below and how far any acts of discrimination extended to other classes and crew; considers whether the crew were tardy in preparing the boats and whether men were debarred from entering some of the frail craft; discusses whether White Star Chairman and 1st class passenger Bruce Ismay truly deserves his unflattering reputation and whether ship's designer Thomas Andrews and 5th Officer Lowe are worthy recipients of the "heroic" epithet; and assesses the rumours of the fates of Captain Smith, the band, Senior Wireless Operator Phillips...and whether an officer shot himself that night.
Finally, the book considers whether a Titanic with a full lifeboat complement could have evacuated everyone in the 2 hours and 40 minutes from collision to sinking, and also ponders the possibility that an inquiry into another ship's loss in 1909 could have energised public opinion to provide "boats for all"...an inquiry that never ultimately happened.
Punctuating the main narrative are diversions to explore in detail several of the more controversial aspects of the sinking. These "interludes" explore why the iceberg was not seen until a collision was inevitable; critically questions the behaviour of members of the crew, particularly the officers that night; asks whether the 3rd class were held below and how far any acts of discrimination extended to other classes and crew; considers whether the crew were tardy in preparing the boats and whether men were debarred from entering some of the frail craft; discusses whether White Star Chairman and 1st class passenger Bruce Ismay truly deserves his unflattering reputation and whether ship's designer Thomas Andrews and 5th Officer Lowe are worthy recipients of the "heroic" epithet; and assesses the rumours of the fates of Captain Smith, the band, Senior Wireless Operator Phillips...and whether an officer shot himself that night.
Finally, the book considers whether a Titanic with a full lifeboat complement could have evacuated everyone in the 2 hours and 40 minutes from collision to sinking, and also ponders the possibility that an inquiry into another ship's loss in 1909 could have energised public opinion to provide "boats for all"...an inquiry that never ultimately happened.
Product Description
Nearly 100 years after the most famous maritime disaster in history, we are assured that we know everything there is to know about the White Star Liner Titanic and that there is little more to add to the story. While the basic story is undeniable- a collision with an iceberg resulted in 1500 out of 2200 perishing - the details of what happened during the evacuation are still debated, plagued by disinformation, personal politics and our simple lack of knowledge. This book details the elements that combined to transform one of humanity's triumphant achievements of engineering into a devastating encapsulation of overconfidence and other human failings.
Punctuating the main narrative are diversions to explore in detail several of the more controversial aspects of the sinking. These "interludes" explore why the iceberg was not seen until a collision was inevitable; critically questions the behaviour of members of the crew, particularly the officers that night; asks whether the 3rd class were held below and how far any acts of discrimination extended to other classes and crew; considers whether the crew were tardy in preparing the boats and whether men were debarred from entering some of the frail craft; discusses whether White Star Chairman and 1st class passenger Bruce Ismay truly deserves his unflattering reputation and whether ship's designer Thomas Andrews and 5th Officer Lowe are worthy recipients of the "heroic" epithet; and assesses the rumours of the fates of Captain Smith, the band, Senior Wireless Operator Phillips...and whether an officer shot himself that night.
Finally, the book considers whether a Titanic with a full lifeboat complement could have evacuated everyone in the 2 hours and 40 minutes from collision to sinking, and also ponders the possibility that an inquiry into another ship's loss in 1909 could have energised public opinion to provide "boats for all"...an inquiry that never ultimately happened.
A review of the book can be found at http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/the-titanic-everything-was-against-us-reviewed.html
Punctuating the main narrative are diversions to explore in detail several of the more controversial aspects of the sinking. These "interludes" explore why the iceberg was not seen until a collision was inevitable; critically questions the behaviour of members of the crew, particularly the officers that night; asks whether the 3rd class were held below and how far any acts of discrimination extended to other classes and crew; considers whether the crew were tardy in preparing the boats and whether men were debarred from entering some of the frail craft; discusses whether White Star Chairman and 1st class passenger Bruce Ismay truly deserves his unflattering reputation and whether ship's designer Thomas Andrews and 5th Officer Lowe are worthy recipients of the "heroic" epithet; and assesses the rumours of the fates of Captain Smith, the band, Senior Wireless Operator Phillips...and whether an officer shot himself that night.
Finally, the book considers whether a Titanic with a full lifeboat complement could have evacuated everyone in the 2 hours and 40 minutes from collision to sinking, and also ponders the possibility that an inquiry into another ship's loss in 1909 could have energised public opinion to provide "boats for all"...an inquiry that never ultimately happened.
A review of the book can be found at http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/the-titanic-everything-was-against-us-reviewed.html
