Titanic at Two A.M.

by Paul J. Quinn

The illustrations, photographs, and survivor accounts in this book combine to describe the suspenseful minutes leading to the final dramatic plunge of the Titanic. 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 to separate the 1,600 people still on board and the icy waters of the Atlantic. The narrative follows passengers and crew around the ship as they unknowingly act out one of the greatest tragedies of this century. This year marked the 85th anniversary of this event. The legend of the Titanic's ill-fated maiden voyage lives on in "Titanic at Two A.M".

Genres: History, Nonfiction

117 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1997

Reviews

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has some interesting information and some new different theories. There are some errors in both grammar and facts. But the illustrations make up for it. The illustrations are amazing, really beautiful and breath-taking. The illustrations in this book really help you imagine Titanic's final moments.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this book up at my public library. I had recently read several books on Titanic and read online portions of witnesses' testimony at the U.S. Senate Hearings besides having watched the blockbuster movie a couple more times, so when I checked this out I was thinking it would be about equal to a child's book about the big ship. A very light, easy read. The print is nice and large to make for quick, easy reading and there are diagrams and painted illustrations on just about every other page. The book only covers the last twenty minutes of Titanic's life. It really made me think this was just another person's lame attempt to make a few quick bucks with the same old story, and not an especially worthwhile book. I suppose I borrowed it as a lark.

But! I was completely absorbed in the minute-by-minute details as Quinn assembled eye-witnesses' accounts regarding the various goings on during the final moments of the doomed ship and then further clarified what was said by including simple pictures Mr. Quinn had himself made. Of course the book A Night To Remember draws the reader in, but this book absolutely put me right there in the freezing cold for the first time. I truly empathasied with the shipwrecked passengers. Got teary eyed imagining the horror those people faced and how the survivors might later wake up thinking for a moment it had all been just a nightmare, then realizing it truly had happened. What an experience! I couldn't stop wondering how I would have reacted that cold, starry night in the middle of the North Atlantic. Brrrr!

Another quite beguiling part of this author's approach was how he gave the Sea a personality and life. The ice cold green water crept silently, bubbled, and overpowered like a creepy human thief lurking in my own dark house!

It's a GoodRead and I very highly recommend it as supplement to the full story as told in other books.

[Joel Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's odd for me to give such a high rating to a book with as many grammatical errors as this one has, but I liked it. Something about the author's description of the end stages of the Titanic's sinking really resonated with me; for example, he traces the path of the water into the doomed ship as if it had a mind of its own, and would not be stopped. Recommended for Titanic fans even though they probably won't learn much new information from it.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This looks good... from a distance. The pictures, which is why I buy any Titanic book, are awful. Obviously, the story of the sinking isn't going to change much from author to author, so I am always looking for new paintings or drawings of the ship. I was very bummed, because this book wasn't cheap.