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Rms Olympic: Titanic's Sister
The RMS Olympic went to the assistance of the Titanic , whose fate eclipsed its sister ship's image. Chirnside argues that the former was the most innovative British-built ocean liner of its time, with a mostly successful run of transatlantic crossings and troop transport. In this first comprehensive history spanning 1908 to 1935, he corrects several misconceptions. Illustrations include the ship's amenities, deck plans, colorful cruise ads and souvenir postcards. Appendices include what is believed to be its only profit and loss account, other statistics, and notes of a competing line's spy. Distributed in the US by Trafalgar Square Publishing. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
318 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 4, 2022
2.5/5 Stars
It's really a shame that I have to rate this at a 2.5 but I don't think I can go any higher. I was very excited to read this book and learn more about a ship that was actually successful, unlike her ill fated and more famous sister. There is a lot of interesting information in this book as well and I learned a lot about the 'Olympic' and the era of steam ship travel. One thing I was particularly interested to learn is that there were a lot of deaths on these trans-Atlantic crossings. It had never occured to me.
However the book has a very big problem, it's dry as a desert. The author presents so much mundane information about each crossing. Every crossing the Olympic made feels like it's covered and that's a problem. The ship made over 250 crossings over 20 odd years. After a whole, passenger numbers and speed readings get very old. I applaud the author for doing such meticulous research, but I wish he had been able to present the information in a more engaging manner. It often felt like work to get through this book.
There will probably never be a more detailed book about 'Olympic' ever written, so it's a shame that I found this one so boring. There is good info and some good stories buried in this book, but overall it cannot overcome the mountains of mundane information within.
It's really a shame that I have to rate this at a 2.5 but I don't think I can go any higher. I was very excited to read this book and learn more about a ship that was actually successful, unlike her ill fated and more famous sister. There is a lot of interesting information in this book as well and I learned a lot about the 'Olympic' and the era of steam ship travel. One thing I was particularly interested to learn is that there were a lot of deaths on these trans-Atlantic crossings. It had never occured to me.
However the book has a very big problem, it's dry as a desert. The author presents so much mundane information about each crossing. Every crossing the Olympic made feels like it's covered and that's a problem. The ship made over 250 crossings over 20 odd years. After a whole, passenger numbers and speed readings get very old. I applaud the author for doing such meticulous research, but I wish he had been able to present the information in a more engaging manner. It often felt like work to get through this book.
There will probably never be a more detailed book about 'Olympic' ever written, so it's a shame that I found this one so boring. There is good info and some good stories buried in this book, but overall it cannot overcome the mountains of mundane information within.
November 10, 2024
RMS Olympic
I enjoyed this extraordinary historical presentation of this great ship, her story, her times, and the people who built,operated and traveled on board. While explaining with great detail, the story never slows or becomes boring due to unneeded specifications. A truly exceptional presentation of nautical and cultural studies.
I enjoyed this extraordinary historical presentation of this great ship, her story, her times, and the people who built,operated and traveled on board. While explaining with great detail, the story never slows or becomes boring due to unneeded specifications. A truly exceptional presentation of nautical and cultural studies.
January 17, 2024
An excellent deep dive on Olympic
I really enjoyed this in-depth history of Olympic. If you are remotely interested in ocean liners or even the Titanic, I’d definitely recommend this book.
I really enjoyed this in-depth history of Olympic. If you are remotely interested in ocean liners or even the Titanic, I’d definitely recommend this book.
June 15, 2025
Interesting account of a ship often overlooked by her more famous (or infamous) sister - many forget that her life was very successful, albeit with her fair share of dramas along the way which are well described in this book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews