The Titanic: The History and Legacy of the World’s Most Famous Ship from 1907 to Today

by Charles River Editors

*Describes the construction of the Titanic, life aboard the ship during its maiden voyage, the sinking of the ship, rescue efforts, and the discovery and exploration of the wreck *Includes accounts written by passengers, crew members, White Star Line officials, and explorers of the wreck *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel.” – Captain Edward J. Smith Just before midnight on April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, the largest ship in the world, hit an iceberg, starting a chain of events that would ultimately make it history’s most famous, and notorious, ship. In the over 100 years since it sank on its maiden voyage, the Titanic has been the subject of endless fascination, as evidenced by the efforts to find its final resting spot, the museums full of its objects, and the countless books, documentaries, and movies made about the doomed ocean liner. Thanks to the dramatization of the Titanic’s sinking and the undying interest in the story, millions of people are familiar with various aspects of the ship’s demise, and the nearly 1,500 people who died in the North Atlantic in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. The sinking of the ship is still nearly as controversial now as it was over 100 years ago, and the drama is just as compelling. The Titanic was neither the first nor last big ship to sink, so it’s clear that much of its appeal stems from the nature of ship itself. Indeed, the Titanic stands out not just for its end but for its beginning, specifically the fact that it was the most luxurious passenger ship ever built at the time. In addition to the time it took to come up with the design, the giant ship took a full three years to build, and no effort or cost was spared to outfit the Titanic in the most lavish ways. Given that the Titanic was over 100 feet tall, nearly 900 feet long, and over 90 feet wide, it’s obvious that those who built her and provided all of its famous amenities had plenty of work to do. The massive ship was carrying thousands of passengers and crew members, each with their own experiences on board, and the various amenities offered among the different classes of passengers ensured that life on some decks of the ship was quite different than life on others. Almost everyone is familiar with what happened to the Titanic during its maiden voyage and the tragedy that followed, but the construction of the Titanic is often overlooked, despite being an amazing story itself, one that combined comfort and raw power with the world’s foremost technological advances. Nonetheless, the seeds of the Titanic’s destruction were sown even before it left for its first and last journey. Similarly, the drama involved with the sinking of the Titanic often obscures the important aftermath of the disaster, particularly the several investigations conducted on both sides of the Atlantic that sought to figure out not only why the Titanic sank but future changes that could be made in order to protect ships and passengers in the future. In fact, the course of the investigations was interesting in itself, especially since the British and Americans reached wildly different conclusions about what went wrong and led to the ship’s demise. The Titanic examines the entire history and legacy of the ship, from its construction to its sinking, as well as the investigations and changes that followed, the discovery of the wreck in 1985, and even the current events surrounding the ship. Along the way, life aboard the Titanic is analyzed through passengers’ accounts, as are the tales of survival and death that continue to resonate.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Historical, Amazon, Ebooks, Biography

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2014

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Lesley Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me from the beginning the construction of Tiranic and her sister ship is mentioned too. Poor Titanic I wish it made it past its maiden voyage with all its ups and downs. As I'm reading it I see everything going on the only parts I didn't care for was like the last three to four chapters.

[Brina · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Read full review here: Brina and the Books

This book contains so many interesting facts about the ship, starting with the construction in 1907. The book even contains quotes from the people who helped building it. It also speaks about the endowments and the controversy about certain changes in the look and safety. I mean, did you know that they used lower bulkheads just so that the First Class passengers had more room to stroll on deck and in their cabins? That’s crazy!
Obviously the book also discusses the infamous hitting the iceberg, the safety measurements taken, the sinking, and the rescue of the remaining passengers.
Even after so many years, it’s so hard to find a person to blame for the catastrophe. I think that everything just came together all at once. There were too many variables and unfortunate coincidences that played a role in the sinking.

For me one of the most interesting parts was the trials and investigations following the sinking. I’ve watched a few documentaries which discussed the very same but it was great to have it in writing again.
The search for the Titanic was also fun to read about: the dedication of the researchers, the money invested, and the technology used.

If you’re looking for the full Titanic experience, this book is definitely for you. Also: it’s free for Kindle!

[Dennis Kocik · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great liner Titanic

Excellent overview of the RMS Titsnic. Her history being built, her tragic maiden voyage, and her present status on the floor of the Atlantic

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This truly covers the period from when the Titanic was first being planned and constructed, to recent (2000's) laws and resolutions to protect the wreck site.

I'm a Titanic buff - for whatever reason, stories and photos and movies about this ship fascinate me, and I've read an ocean liner full of them, more or less. Even so, there were some new-to-me details here.

If you love Titanic, or, if you don't have time/energy to read an entire shipload of books, this covers the story quite thoroughly, though at some points it felt a bit bogged down in minutiae.

[John A Broughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

We all know the story of the Titanic, but this book tells us everything from it's construction to her discovery and beyond. A lot of detail and many first hand accountant pictures make this a great read for someone who wants to go beyond the myths and legends that surround this tragic ship.

[Terry Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and informative.

[Toni Roush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

I admit I'm a history buff so this book seemed to have potential, which it lived up to. I found it fascinating, detailed and well documented.
But I admit what struck me the most were the little human details of the little human lives that were lost. The man who bought his wife a second class ticket but only got steerage for himself and had to talk to her through a gate. The children playing in the passageway. The"gentlemen" in their formalwear going down with the ship sipping brandy and smoking cigars. The band playing into the night. The shoes found scattered on the ocean floor.
It's a tragic historical event given life again by its retelling.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, backed with reliable sources. I learned a lot, not only about the events that led up to this tragedy, but also about the events of its discovery. Good book.

[Glen Chern · Rating 5 out of 5]

The editors who compiled this narrative of the great ship known as the Titanic, do an excellent job of describing not only the construction of what was then the largest commercial ship in the world, but one that remains to this day, one of the greatest mysteries of mankind. The editors describe the construction of the Titanic in Belfast Harbour during the early years of the 20th century. They discuss the people involved in its construction and design. They also discuss the fact that the company that built the Titanic put the needs and whims of high profile high income passengers over the safety of the entire ship by reducing the number of lifeboats from 64 down to 20. They also describe the failures of the crew and the captain to effectively load passengers aboard the life boats after the Titanic struck the iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Many of the life boats which were supposed to hold as many as 67 passengers wound up less than half full some others however were completely full.

One of the discussions raised by the editors, was the investigations by both the United States, and the British into the tragic sinking of the Titanic. The American inquiry was led by a senator James Smith while the British chose to use their own people. The US inquiry put much of the blame for the disaster on the company that built and designed the ship while the British seem to absolve the builders of any responsibility.

One of the remarkable features of this book is the lengthy discussion of the efforts to locate the wreck of the Titanic and to study it and effort to salvage what remained. One name that stands out in this effort is Robert Ballard, a scientist who studied the wreck of the Titanic up close during several dives on several different expeditions to the 12,000 foot depths where there was found. Ballard has made numerous expeditions to the wreckage and is considered one of the experts regarding the condition and future of what may happen to the remainder of the ship

Another name that stands out is that of film director James Cameron, who not only directed and produced the movie the Titanic in the 1990s, but also went down into the deep ocean to see the Titanic up close. Not only did he give America in the world, the film of the same name, but he also provided documentary footage, which has been used to educate children of the world many times over.

This is a remarkable book and one definitely worth reading. The wreck of the Titanic proceeded World War I by just two years, but it still one of the greatest significant historical events of the first 25 years of the 20th century.

[Glen Chern · Rating 5 out of 5]

A titanic history lesson

This book takes the construction of the Titanic From its origins in the Belfast harbor To its tragic sinking On April 14, 1912 in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.The authors Brilliantly Detail The construction of the ship which at the time was the largest ever manufactured in the world.

There is an important discussion of how the The builders Decided that it was more important to provide luxury for their High income high-profile passengers that it was to secure Secure Lives Of those passengers in the event of a catastrophic incident such as what occurred when the titanic struck Iceberg on April 14, 1912. The ship was supposed to have 64 lifeboats Instead it had 20. More than 1500 passengers perished.In addition to the shortage of lifeboats there was also a shortage of coordination and execution In the manner in which The crew Put passengers in the lifeboats.Some Were only about half full of what their capacity was said to be. This was a remarkable piece of data.

The authors spend several Chapters discussing The efforts that went into locating the wreckage of the ship As well as Attempts to salvage What remained.Some of these expeditions Werewolf Strictly Tourist Related But most Appear to have been scientific in nature.The name that stands out the most among those who Visited the wreckage and studied it Was Robert Ballard.Ballard Is considered as 1 of the most respected men to have studied the wreck of the titanic. However, the most notable To study the titanic Was led by film director James Cameron who directed and produced the movie that appeared in the 1,990s.Cameron is credited with developing Documentary information and film That has educated Thousands of children Throughout the United States and the world..

This story of the Titanic Was among and remains 1 of the greatest stories of the 1st 20 years of the 20th century. It is well worth reading.I've found it very enjoyable and very enlightening.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive look at the Titanic and her history from her conception and building through her trials and first voyage to her sinking, loss, and subsequent rediscovery decades later. This has been written with a balanced and open approach, respectful to all those involved and addressing the myths and misconceptions that have arisen over the years since the sinking. On the whole I found this a very informative read with the right balance of objective fact and human opinions including a balanced view of the two inquiries held after the sinking. I also found some of the post discovery chapters quite interesting, although the technological drive behind her rediscovery wasn't the most fascinating to me. I also found the debate around ownership distasteful, not because of how it was presented, but the fact that people are arguing about ownership over a grave site, not something one would expect and I'm willing to bet hasn't happened with the hundreds of other wrecks around the world.

[Alison Knott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing

I found this book to be difficult to read as it chopped and changed so much that I wasn't clear who the author reported was giving a witness account of the events, or whether it was the author who was writing his own take on the events. It was also very repetitive. I really didn't need to read a rehash of the same information several times over in one chapter. It was like reading a newspaper article where the reporter hasn't much to say, and keeps reiterating the same facts in twenty different ways! I am interested in all things Titanic, but I did feel that this book was lacking in some way by not including more pertinent facts regarding the passengers and crew, their (re)actions, and about how the ship floundered.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit of a dry read, but very interesting. This book covers the building of the Titanic, the launch, the testing, the picking up of passengers and the fateful voyage. To give you an indication, the Titanic sets sail at 17%, hits the iceberg 30% of the way through the book, and the survivors reach New York at 54%.
The remainder of the book covers the inquiries into what went wrong, then the search for the boat. Finally we have the discovery of the wreck, the exploration, James Cameron and his film, and now adventure tourism?!?!?
Overall I learnt a lot, but some of the facts are in dispute (such as the number on board, so thus, the number killed).

[David McGlasson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but flawed

This is a fscinating bool, filled with material I had not read before. Less about characters than developments and events, it tells a compelling story of particularly thfoir days of Titanic's only voyage.

I have two complaints. The modern-times stories of searching and exploration don't seem to fit with the rest of the book, and the long-winded recitation of the various legislation is tedious. But most disappointing was a sad lack of editing. Not only was copy editing weak, with numerous typos, but several multi-paragraph sections are repeated verbatim, and one is repeated twice, in different chapters. That's just sloppy work.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This starts off with a fairly good summary of the events that took place while the Titanic was sailing until people were rescused. Information and research is discussed to find out what truly happened to the Titanic and those aboard the ship. The book also has a lot of quotes and stories from those aboard the ship, making the events from a hundred years ago so much more real. The photos added give even more depth and a certain haunting quality to the book. This is a must read for history buffs, especially those into the Titanic.

[Marren · Rating 2 out of 5]

The frequent block quotes did put a bit of a dampen mood on the extensive account of the Titanic because I wanted to hear the author's take from the shipping building to preserving the wreck. However, the majority of the text is in block quotes. Well at least he did a fair assignment of putting the quotes/stories together. The opening paragraphs are so exciting with a very much detail account of ship building, followed by the tragedy of the Titanic hitting the iceberg and eventually sink. It was so sad, reading the plea for help from others ships and people dying in freezing water.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

An extremely thorough and fascinating book which covers every aspect of the Titanic, from construction to present day exploration. Being from Belfast I have always had a keen interest in the ship and wasn't ignorant of the facts but this book takes that detail to a new level. I highly recommend reading this if you have any desire to know much more about the story of this most famous of ships. My only criticism would be the book repeats itself in a few places and there are spelling and grammar mistakes which are slightly distracting.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough.

This book is a complete history of the Titanic from its construction to its current state beneath the Ocean.

I have always had a bizarre fastination with the Titanic. The way litteraly everything that could go wrong , did. This book is so complete that I realized I've heard most of it before. I have read most of the books in the biblography. Still highly recommend this book for people just getting their feet wet. Pun intended 🤣.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, especially the end of the book about the discovery of the great ship.....how it should be protected as it is , by most, considered a graveyard. Very informative. I recommend this book educational. A testament to how something once so beautiful could end up on the bottom of the ocean due to man's greed and selfishness...

I gave it 4 stars simply because it was a little long on talking about passengers, what they said etc. But it was a good book.

[Charlene Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough account of the sinking and finding of the Titanic

Very interesting read - story mixed with actual accounts and historical reports of what happened and testimony. The book could benefit from proofreading edits, however I found it enthralling and a captivating read. Definitely would recommend this book if you have a deep interest in the historical account of the sinking of the Titanic.

[Kara Prem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty comprehensive book. It started with the building of the Titanic and went all the way through the discovery of and the legal battles to protect the wreck. I am not a visual person, so some of the descriptions were hard for me to picture, nor do I know "boat" terms life aft and starboard. I could easily look them up but it still made the early chapters a bit cumbersome to read. Overall I found this to be very interesting.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historic tragedy

This book is a clear, concise tale of both the sinking of the unsinkable and preservation of the memories of those who perished on that fateful night. A well written account that does well not to choose side but clearly states the facts and lets the reader make their own decision.

[Rick Colburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

The more I watch documentaries and read books about the Titanic theoretically I learn and find out.

I don't need to travel to the scene of the tragedy to learn about it I feel that while I know where it is it is better left alone as a memorial to the ship and to those who lost their lives on it.

[steven newell · Rating 5 out of 5]

100 Years And We're Still Learning

There have been multiple books written about this tragedy and each one seems to focus on a different part. This one delves into the construction, stability, and operation of the ship and provides a lot of detail regarding the discovery of the wreck. An excellent read and well researched.

[Priscilla Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Information About the Titantic

I have mixed feelings about the researching under the ocean and what was taken from the wreck. I wonder what the families feel about the taking of items. The book was very interesting. I have seen other information that the ships hull might have been damaged by a fire from coal accidentally burning even before the ship sailed.

[Michael Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep Stuff

A fairly pedantic account of the building, sailing,sinking, and discovery of the Titanic, some 12,000 feet below the Atlantic surface. It was edifying and raises some interesting ethical questions.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting chronicle of the Titanic. Covers the building, the sailing and the finding by Ballard and the others who went there.
This version is full of typos and missing words which detracted from the enjoyment. Also some parts were repeated. Not well edited.

[Rise' Arno · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of information

Although the subject matter of the Titanic is throughly explored, there is so much repetition of the same information that it detracts from an enjoyable reading experience.

[Tracy Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book

I thought this book was very informative about what happened on that fateful night. It does go into technical details as to possible ways why the ship sank. It's an eye opener. It does drug a bit the last few chapters but altogether I enjoyed reading it.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting account of the Titanic from the start of the build to modern day dives. Full of interesting facts and whilst a lot of it is common knowledge, the style of writing is gripping enough to keep you reading on. A recommended read for any history or Titanic fans