What do you think?
Rate this book
Titanic: The Story Of The Unsinkable Ship
★ Titanic ★ It has been more than one hundred years since the RMS Titanic sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic ocean. The disaster has captivated history buffs and non-history buffs alike, and it is easy to see why. Some of the most illustrious people of the day were on some survived, and some did not. Legends abound about whether the ship’s maiden voyage was cursed. And then there is the ship arguably the most luxurious vessel to ever travel oversea. Inside you will read about... ✓ Conceiving of and Building the Titanic ✓ The Ship of Dreams ✓ Setting Sail ✓ The Passengers ✓ The Iceberg and the Sinking ✓ The Aftermath ✓ The Titanic Remembered and Re-Discovered The disaster holds secrets and stories of love and bravery, cowardice and greed. Explore these and other themes that surround the sinking of the grand ship, Titanic.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2017
1628 people are currently reading
2059 people want to read
About the author
Hourly History
691 books854 followersAt Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.
Receive our new eBooks for free every Friday.
Sign up at: www.hourlyhistory.com/free
Receive our new eBooks for free every Friday.
Sign up at: www.hourlyhistory.com/free
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
April 22, 2018
A concise summary of the Titanic. While there were some interesting new insights, particularly related to the ship interior design and the stories around specific passengers, most of the material was already known. Surprisingly, the actual part about the sinking & the reasons behind it are barely covered in the book. Because the book is so short, it provides scant backup for the ultimate claim that the likely cause of the sinking was bad luck rather than errors by the crew and design/fabrication flaws in the ship itself (Many studies have proven otherwise).
The writing style is fluid and the book is an easy read. Recommended if you are looking for a quick review or study of the topic. Otherwise, you can find more detailed knowledge about the Titanic on Titanic’s Wikipedia page.
The writing style is fluid and the book is an easy read. Recommended if you are looking for a quick review or study of the topic. Otherwise, you can find more detailed knowledge about the Titanic on Titanic’s Wikipedia page.
August 1, 2019
This is a great little freebie off Amazon. This series has books that cover the history of key events and famous people throughout history. The books are approximately 50 pages long and give a brief history of the subject which in some cases is quite enough. Gives insight into the person or event and you can always get a more detailed book if that's what you desire. Reasonably priced and quite a few free so I am happy to learn a little about things I feel I ought to know more about.
February 2, 2021
I'm currently in an obsession about the Titanic so it was hard not to love this one. It was also written in a way that was enjoyable to read, and while I didn't learn much new information the stuff that was there was still neat to reread. Also I appreciated that it was a short book yet with important details so that if I wanted to reference a few of the Titanic facts they'd be easy to find. A good book for anyone who loves the Titanic.
"Finally, many people view the undersea wreckage as a kind of gravesite or memorial to the people who lost their lives. Moving it would be akin to digging up the bodies. The wreckage is actually protected by United Nations law, much as other historical sites are similarly protected."
Personally I am glad that it hasn't been pulled up from under the waves. I think it should belong there for a remembrance. It's like a memorial grave for those who died. 🚢
"Finally, many people view the undersea wreckage as a kind of gravesite or memorial to the people who lost their lives. Moving it would be akin to digging up the bodies. The wreckage is actually protected by United Nations law, much as other historical sites are similarly protected."
Personally I am glad that it hasn't been pulled up from under the waves. I think it should belong there for a remembrance. It's like a memorial grave for those who died. 🚢
July 1, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this story about the RMS Titanic, the so-called 'Unsinkable Ship.' Everyone is the world has got to know the story of the Titanic that sank in 1912 but there's always a whole lot more to learn about it and its dramatic voyage. That's why it was such a good read.
My favorite chapters were about the ship setting sail and especially the chapter of 'Passengers.' It contained a lot of information both about well known survivors and the ones who perished with the ship. The aftermath was also pretty interesting to read about, I must say.
It was also interesting to read about when the Titanic got rediscovered in 1985 by Robert Ballard. Because of this we know so much more about the ship that was a mystery before. I also liked how this book delved into the subject of why this disaster is the one that is most memorable. Very intriguing!
My favorite chapters were about the ship setting sail and especially the chapter of 'Passengers.' It contained a lot of information both about well known survivors and the ones who perished with the ship. The aftermath was also pretty interesting to read about, I must say.
It was also interesting to read about when the Titanic got rediscovered in 1985 by Robert Ballard. Because of this we know so much more about the ship that was a mystery before. I also liked how this book delved into the subject of why this disaster is the one that is most memorable. Very intriguing!
March 30, 2024
I have read and watched much on the Titanic. I've always been fascinated about historical disasters and also underwater discoveries like when Robert Ballard found the wreck site. So, I was curious to read this quick run through from ship build to afterward shipwreck. For a short piece, the Hourly History covered the topic well and open-minded. Good quick historical read.
February 3, 2018
Great read.
This book has proper details about the Titanic, its passengers, its history and the event when it had sunk completely. I loved how every detail was presented. Surely a book you must not miss if you love Titanic.
This book has proper details about the Titanic, its passengers, its history and the event when it had sunk completely. I loved how every detail was presented. Surely a book you must not miss if you love Titanic.
March 11, 2021
i never usually read non-fiction, but i think i might start. this was really interesting and easy to read. really enjoyed it. didn't learn anything too big and new but good nevertheless.
read for the 52 book challenge #8. A Book In The 900s Of The Dewey Decimal System
read for the 52 book challenge #8. A Book In The 900s Of The Dewey Decimal System
May 10, 2022
Titanic
An interesting non fiction story. Short but full of information about one of the most famous ship. I finished it in one sitting.
An interesting non fiction story. Short but full of information about one of the most famous ship. I finished it in one sitting.
May 25, 2024
The Titanic is one of my Roman empires, it is just so intriguing to me! This was a brilliant short round-up of the whole fiasco!
May 23, 2019
As the title suggests, the book is about RMS Titanic that sank on her maiden voyage. Built along with two other famous vessels named Olympic and Britannic, Titanic was as known as the unsinkable ship. This book talks about a number of rumors encompassed with the disturbing buzz of haunting curses and superstitions. Titanic sank on the early hours of 15th april but its devastation begun on the night of 14th april. However even before it set sail, did you know the ship was responsible for loss of lives ?
Reading about Titanic is never easy. It was and still is tragic and gut wrenching. The loss of lives in this tragedy was beyond imagination. The author also stated that sinking of this enormous vessel was not in vain in fact because of this, several disaster prevention rules and regulations came into effect which were helpful in the future voyages.
This book was utterly emotional, cataloging the beginning of beautifully epic voyage to the rising panic which ultimately ended with a loss of so many lives.
Although there are various movie and tv series adaptations,documentaries are out there, i feel that this book took different approach. Not only there were unknown facts that i didn't even thought existed but it also stated how some of the survivors helped in the future and saw this as a life changing event. I would highly recommend it.
Reading about Titanic is never easy. It was and still is tragic and gut wrenching. The loss of lives in this tragedy was beyond imagination. The author also stated that sinking of this enormous vessel was not in vain in fact because of this, several disaster prevention rules and regulations came into effect which were helpful in the future voyages.
This book was utterly emotional, cataloging the beginning of beautifully epic voyage to the rising panic which ultimately ended with a loss of so many lives.
Although there are various movie and tv series adaptations,documentaries are out there, i feel that this book took different approach. Not only there were unknown facts that i didn't even thought existed but it also stated how some of the survivors helped in the future and saw this as a life changing event. I would highly recommend it.
May 12, 2020
It's an hour of Titanic history - the basics. Nothing more, nothing less.
March 27, 2018
Informative
This book contains a lot about The Titanic I was unaware of and gives information on why the ship failed on impact and unaware the married owners of Maceys refused to leave each other and chose to die together. Very sad.
This book contains a lot about The Titanic I was unaware of and gives information on why the ship failed on impact and unaware the married owners of Maceys refused to leave each other and chose to die together. Very sad.
September 1, 2019
Titanic that has clearly resonated with people through its one hundred year history; it is realistic to assume that her story will continue to stand the test of time.
It was perceived that even god cannot sink this ship. But nature in the form of iceberg had different plans. This story remains relevant today when we human species constantly test the limits of the nature through our technological might.
It was perceived that even god cannot sink this ship. But nature in the form of iceberg had different plans. This story remains relevant today when we human species constantly test the limits of the nature through our technological might.
October 3, 2021
A concise history of the Titanic disaster. This is only really an overview of what happened that night, but it manages to get in a lot of information considering its length. There are lots more of these potted histories available, and many of them are free, so I plan on having a look through the list and trying a few out.
March 24, 2020
***Lockdown Book 1***
A short, interesting précis of the Titanic, including a background on the White Star Line, notable people on board and the background of the ship itself. Plus it only took 45 minutes to read.
A short, interesting précis of the Titanic, including a background on the White Star Line, notable people on board and the background of the ship itself. Plus it only took 45 minutes to read.
February 25, 2017
When somebody thinks of passenger liners, the name Titanic comes to mind. What makes (aside from the fact that it sank on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York) so memorable? The size and expense (7.5 million British Pounds) and the fact that it was believed to be unsinkable. With the turn of the century, many new innovations were being developed and added to make this and her two sister ships the most luxurious in the world.
The Titanic was first conceived in 1907. The White Star Line commissioned the building of three ships, RMS Olympic, RMS Titanic, and RMS Britannic. They were ordered by White Star Line that was controlled by the International Mercantile Marine Company which was partially owned by J.P. Morgan, the infamous American banker. The ships were built in Belfast, Ireland by the firm Harland and Wolff and met all the specifications required.
Most people think of the unforgettable 1997 love story Titanic, directed by James Cameron. The story does paint a good, if not a completely accurate picture of the ship and what the different classes would experience on this maiden voyage. I have always found ships (and shipwrecks) fascination and the Titanic is no different. I have read other, more detailed accounts of the building and sinking of this ship. This, however, gives the reader a bird’s eye view of a great ship and its untimely demise.
After reading accounts of this disaster, one could conclude that hitting the iceberg was due to very bad luck, but one of the major contributing factors for the large numbers of causalities would be the insufficient number of lifeboats and the ineptitude of the crew in an emergency. The only sea trial, done a couple of weeks earlier, only lasted a day and didn’t include emergency drills.
The Titanic was first conceived in 1907. The White Star Line commissioned the building of three ships, RMS Olympic, RMS Titanic, and RMS Britannic. They were ordered by White Star Line that was controlled by the International Mercantile Marine Company which was partially owned by J.P. Morgan, the infamous American banker. The ships were built in Belfast, Ireland by the firm Harland and Wolff and met all the specifications required.
Most people think of the unforgettable 1997 love story Titanic, directed by James Cameron. The story does paint a good, if not a completely accurate picture of the ship and what the different classes would experience on this maiden voyage. I have always found ships (and shipwrecks) fascination and the Titanic is no different. I have read other, more detailed accounts of the building and sinking of this ship. This, however, gives the reader a bird’s eye view of a great ship and its untimely demise.
After reading accounts of this disaster, one could conclude that hitting the iceberg was due to very bad luck, but one of the major contributing factors for the large numbers of causalities would be the insufficient number of lifeboats and the ineptitude of the crew in an emergency. The only sea trial, done a couple of weeks earlier, only lasted a day and didn’t include emergency drills.
January 23, 2021
No other catastrophe in history could have been more effortlessly avoided or was more inescapable, and it is this ostensible contradiction that runs through the entire story. A chain of events and decisions that began years before the Titanic was even built, and ending only seconds before she struck the iceberg, led to that deadly “convergence of the twain.”
And had any one of them been altered, the whole disaster, or at least the appalling loss of life, might have been averted.
Nevertheless, each event, each decision relentlessly led to the next until the ship lay at the bottom of the ocean and had taken fifteen-hundred lives with it. The Titanic’s second officer, Charles Herbert Lightoller, would testify later how a once-in-a-lifetime combination of weather and sea conditions came together to make the iceberg nearly invisible to the ship’s lookouts.
Yet by the time she collided with the berg, the Titanic was deep inside an icefield she had received no less than six warnings about that same day—the last one, which was rudely cut off, had come less than an hour before the collision.
Harland and Wolff, as well as all who collaborated on the construction of the Titanic, spared no expense in making sure that it was the most luxurious vessel on the water, and they certainly earned the nickname “the ship of dreams.” Once complete, she was not only massive, but incredibly impressive and luxurious. The Titanic boasted more than 800 staterooms and eleven decks outfitted in opulent style and comfort. Even third class accommodations surpassed the competition.
The ship complied with every safety regulation on the books, but carried enough lifeboats for only half the people on board her that night—only a third of her total volume—and many of those left the ship only partly filled, due mainly to the belief held by so many passengers, even when the Titanic was already sinking, that she was unsinkable.
The officers in charge of the lifeboats were instructed that women and children would have first priority in the boats, yet almost half of the survivors would be men.
Titanic: The Story of the Unsinkable Ship by Henry Freeman charts in brief the History of the ship’s creation as well as the disastrous fate it met. The book has been divided into seven chapters:
1) Conceiving of and Building the Titanic
2) “The Ship of Dreams”
3) Setting Sail
4) The Passengers
5) The Iceberg and the Sinking
6) The Aftermath
7) The Titanic Remembered and Re-Discovered
Titanic was lost at a time when predispositions were an accepted fact of life, class discrepancies were abruptly drawn and harshly enforced, “egalitarianism” was just an obscure word in the dictionary, the “white man’s burden” was still being shouldered, and the sun of the Pax Britannica hadn’t yet set.
Whether the opinions, insolences, and philosophies of this era were eventually right or wrong is inconsequential: what is indispensable is to reminisce that at the time they were accepted as valid, and people’s actions were determined by that validity.
Some things, though, never change. Bravery, altruism, meeting death with dignity are unchallengeable. So are spinelessness, conceit, and foolhardiness.
These qualities were all present in those aboard the Titanic the night she sank.
This 76 ge book tells the story of the Titanic, exhibiting the share of blunderers, incompetents, cowards, and even a villain or two.
But more important is the story of the heroes, the men and women who rose above themselves by word or deed, who deserve to be remembered.
And had any one of them been altered, the whole disaster, or at least the appalling loss of life, might have been averted.
Nevertheless, each event, each decision relentlessly led to the next until the ship lay at the bottom of the ocean and had taken fifteen-hundred lives with it. The Titanic’s second officer, Charles Herbert Lightoller, would testify later how a once-in-a-lifetime combination of weather and sea conditions came together to make the iceberg nearly invisible to the ship’s lookouts.
Yet by the time she collided with the berg, the Titanic was deep inside an icefield she had received no less than six warnings about that same day—the last one, which was rudely cut off, had come less than an hour before the collision.
Harland and Wolff, as well as all who collaborated on the construction of the Titanic, spared no expense in making sure that it was the most luxurious vessel on the water, and they certainly earned the nickname “the ship of dreams.” Once complete, she was not only massive, but incredibly impressive and luxurious. The Titanic boasted more than 800 staterooms and eleven decks outfitted in opulent style and comfort. Even third class accommodations surpassed the competition.
The ship complied with every safety regulation on the books, but carried enough lifeboats for only half the people on board her that night—only a third of her total volume—and many of those left the ship only partly filled, due mainly to the belief held by so many passengers, even when the Titanic was already sinking, that she was unsinkable.
The officers in charge of the lifeboats were instructed that women and children would have first priority in the boats, yet almost half of the survivors would be men.
Titanic: The Story of the Unsinkable Ship by Henry Freeman charts in brief the History of the ship’s creation as well as the disastrous fate it met. The book has been divided into seven chapters:
1) Conceiving of and Building the Titanic
2) “The Ship of Dreams”
3) Setting Sail
4) The Passengers
5) The Iceberg and the Sinking
6) The Aftermath
7) The Titanic Remembered and Re-Discovered
Titanic was lost at a time when predispositions were an accepted fact of life, class discrepancies were abruptly drawn and harshly enforced, “egalitarianism” was just an obscure word in the dictionary, the “white man’s burden” was still being shouldered, and the sun of the Pax Britannica hadn’t yet set.
Whether the opinions, insolences, and philosophies of this era were eventually right or wrong is inconsequential: what is indispensable is to reminisce that at the time they were accepted as valid, and people’s actions were determined by that validity.
Some things, though, never change. Bravery, altruism, meeting death with dignity are unchallengeable. So are spinelessness, conceit, and foolhardiness.
These qualities were all present in those aboard the Titanic the night she sank.
This 76 ge book tells the story of the Titanic, exhibiting the share of blunderers, incompetents, cowards, and even a villain or two.
But more important is the story of the heroes, the men and women who rose above themselves by word or deed, who deserve to be remembered.
June 11, 2023
There were a lot of factual inaccuracies, for example John Astor's wife's name was Madeline, not Margaret; the naval disaster in 1707 was at the Scilly Isles, not Sicily; Margaret Brown's lifeboat did not return for survivors.
As there is no one clear factor to blame the disaster on, the author assigns the blame to bad luck, completely disregarding the compound effect of a number of factors. Statements are made about people's thought processes and actions, without providing the evidence, for example what occurred in the lifeboats after the boat went down. Neither is there any discussion about events for which there is conflicting evidence, such as whether Murdoch shot himself or not.
Although a quick and easy read for an overview, this book can't be relied on for facts and conclusions.
As there is no one clear factor to blame the disaster on, the author assigns the blame to bad luck, completely disregarding the compound effect of a number of factors. Statements are made about people's thought processes and actions, without providing the evidence, for example what occurred in the lifeboats after the boat went down. Neither is there any discussion about events for which there is conflicting evidence, such as whether Murdoch shot himself or not.
Although a quick and easy read for an overview, this book can't be relied on for facts and conclusions.
January 19, 2018
I do like these Hourly reads .. There are lots of interesting topics to choose from and this one caught my attention. Providing information that was new to me in a concise, well written format was exactly what I was looking for. Enough detail and statistics to be very interesting, without going into minutae. Whether I would want to read more about this tragic event, I remain unsure .. perhaps an account from a survivor would be my preference ..
June 16, 2018
A wonderfully compelling read about one of history's most iconic moments. This book tells the story about Titanic in just a couple of easy to read chapters, while still giving a detailed account of events. It also, very successfully, paints a picture of the society of that time - a socio-economic backdrop that explains the tragedy, its aftermath and events leading up to it. Deeply moving. Highly recommended.
January 3, 2022
Much more of a narrative than a micro history - there are some relatively unknown pieces of information in here, but anyone with a more than surface level knowledge of the titanic will probably know almost everything in here already. Also, as with other titles in the same series, the recounting of the history is massively compromised by personal opinion of the author, who believes that the sinking was down to purely bad luck - all discussion of cost cutting, treatment of staff and third class passengers that led to unsafe conditions, and rescue attempt failures, are mentioned very briefly with no critical analysis whatsoever. Give it a miss!
July 13, 2023
decent as a start to learning more
This book should be read, simply as a summary. It is not definitive and could be read in just a couple of hours. It has certainly awakened a desire in me to know the truth, especially about whether people in conjunction with the ship called it unsinkable. The author seems to think this was never said. I shall look into this matter more deeply. Not a complete waste of time, as it wet my appetite for more.
This book should be read, simply as a summary. It is not definitive and could be read in just a couple of hours. It has certainly awakened a desire in me to know the truth, especially about whether people in conjunction with the ship called it unsinkable. The author seems to think this was never said. I shall look into this matter more deeply. Not a complete waste of time, as it wet my appetite for more.
April 22, 2022
I find history very interesting. I have always been curious about information on the Titanic so I found some things in this book that I had not heard before. Short read but provided a lot of information one may not have known.
September 21, 2020
Short book, easily digestible. I sort of knew the ending already.
February 21, 2023
I could learn about the titanic all day long and not get bored
November 27, 2025
interesting quick read of the history of the titanic's sinking, its infrastructure and statistics .
May 2, 2024
A great book!
Like most other people, I know the story well regarding the Titanic. I actually learned a few new things from this book. A great quick read about a historic event everyone should know about.
Like most other people, I know the story well regarding the Titanic. I actually learned a few new things from this book. A great quick read about a historic event everyone should know about.
April 16, 2020
This book was an easy to read history lesson on the story of the Titanic and its tragic sinking. I've read several books on the Titanic, but I found I was still able to learn a few new things from this read. Overall, this was an enjoyable read for a history buff. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 16, 2025
one of my favourite books, i read this book first time when i was 14.
March 27, 2021
Another great One Hour History book. I bought this hoping to get a brief overview of the Titanic to see if I would be interested in reading a more detailed book and it didn't disappoint. Very well researched and written, this is a concise and accurate description of the Titanic disaster, a few new things that I haven't seen on tv etc and has piqued my interest to go further. Very good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews