After my long life, I didn't think I could learn anything new about the Titanic and its maiden voyage; boy was I wrong. This is a very engaging story of the famous ship, from her conception to her floundering and sinking. The author obviously knew that most people had a basic grasp of the story of the Titanic. So the author spent more time talking about the design of the interior and the differences in service, depending on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class. A point was made that even 3rd class was more luxurious than typically offered on a liner.
Another aspect this author delved into was the story of individual families involved in the tragic loss of life. That made the story more interesting. Another fact was the news that most of the worker-bees of the ship (about 1000 cooks, servers, coal shovelers, room servants, etc.) came from Southampton, England. That must have been a staggering blow to the town and community when the news came out.
Fortunately, all of those lost souls did not die in vain; anyone going on a cruise is required to participate in a practice drill of abandoning the ship. Many things were changed for the better after the loss of so many people. I wondered about raising the hulk and this book answered that question rather neatly. I was not aware that wreckage is protected by United Nations law (similarly to how other historical sites are protected).
Because the author knew people knew the basics of the story; he/she discussed other interesting facts that readers might not know about (when looking for bodies, how many days before the lifejackets would fall apart, etc.). I thought this to be much more interesting than I expected. Great read.
Another aspect this author delved into was the story of individual families involved in the tragic loss of life. That made the story more interesting. Another fact was the news that most of the worker-bees of the ship (about 1000 cooks, servers, coal shovelers, room servants, etc.) came from Southampton, England. That must have been a staggering blow to the town and community when the news came out.
Fortunately, all of those lost souls did not die in vain; anyone going on a cruise is required to participate in a practice drill of abandoning the ship. Many things were changed for the better after the loss of so many people. I wondered about raising the hulk and this book answered that question rather neatly. I was not aware that wreckage is protected by United Nations law (similarly to how other historical sites are protected).
Because the author knew people knew the basics of the story; he/she discussed other interesting facts that readers might not know about (when looking for bodies, how many days before the lifejackets would fall apart, etc.). I thought this to be much more interesting than I expected. Great read.
