Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant biography of an amazing character., 22 April 1999
By A Customer
Titanic Voyager is much, much more than yet another book about the Titanic tragedy. This is the biography of Charles Herbert Lightoller (known as Herbert, Bertie, or "Lights" to his friends and family) who was the senior surviving officer of that ill-fated ship. He was a (sadly forgotten) British character, who was an hero not only in two of the most memorable events of the 20th century, but also in many other adventures in his rich and extraordinary life.Born in 1874 he began his career at sea as an apprentice at the age of 13 on a square-rigged sail and survived indescribable hardship. His love/hate-affair with the sea continued all his life and his career spanned the enormous changes that came with the new century, especially in transportation. He finally "retired" at the age of 72 at the end of World War II. There is an extra dimension to "Lights" story - why did the Captain of a ship sail 1,000 miles off-course to rescue ship-wrecked sailors he didn't know were there, except by intuition? How did the young Herbert survive being dragged under by treacherous seas off Africa when all others perished and, even more astounding, how did he survive being dragged under by the Titanic? Why was he affectionately called "Lucky Lights" by navy crews during World War I and how did he manage to save 127 men on his 60' motor yacht Sundowner (maximum occupancy 21) and bring them back from Dunkirk under heavy enemy fire and bombardment without even a scratch? This is a book you won't be able to put down. Patrick Stenson is a brilliant storyteller and he lets "Lights" speak for himself through the pages. As Walter Lord (author of A Night to Remember) put it "This heartwarming hero deserves a sparkling biography and Patrick Stenson has written it." Judy Macpherson
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Cracking Good Read, 14 Aug 2003
Titanic Voyager, by Patrick Stenson, is the biography of one of the more well-known survivors of the TITANIC sinking, CH Lightoller. His has to be one of the more exciting Titanic survivors'stories and when you read Titanic Voyager, you will discover that TITANIC was but a very brief episode in a long and colourful life. He was, in turn, a ship's officer, proprietor of a bed and breakfast, a chicken farmer, and finally a boat-builder, not to metion a gold prospector and cowboy. His life reads like one long edition of Boy's Own magazine; as you read, it comes quickly apparent that,along the way, he had enough adventure to fill more than one lifetime.Survivor of four--count 'em four--shipwrecks, decorated Navy veteran of WWI, rescuer of 130 men from Dunkirk...the story starts with his going to sea for the first time at 13 and doesn't slow down until nearly the end. I recommend this book highly. Titanic Voyager is a cracking good read.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Biography of C. H. Lightoller, Second Officer, RMS Titanic, 6 Dec 1998
By A Customer
If you enjoy a good yarn, tales of adventure and daring-do, "Titanic Voyager" is for you. This is the biography of Charles Herbert Lightoller, a seafarer who acheived world-wide acclaim as the heroic second, and most senior officer surviving officer of the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Lightoller was portraid in the classic movie "A Night To Remember" by Kenneth More however, his life reads like a true "Boys-Own" adventure from going to sea under sail in his early teans, being shipwrecked on a blazing coal carrying ship, being shipwrecked once again on a desert island in the Southern oceans and eventually giving up the sea to become a prospector and then riding the range as a cowboy on the prairies. Many more adventures follow and Patrick Stenson recounts them with great enthusiasm obvious respect the man himself. Highly recommended.
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