Il viaggio inaugurale del Titanic

by Geoffrey Jules Marcus

Nella notte fra il 14 e il 15 aprile 1912 un gigantesco transatlantico, lungo 270 metri, s'inabissava lentamente, di prua, nelle acque gelide dell'oceano: era il Titanic. A 3700 metri di profondità il relitto giace tuttora sul fondo dell'oceano, al largo dei grandi banchi di Terranova. La tragica sequenza di errori e incurie che causò la più celebre tragedia della marineria moderna, raccontata nel primo resoconto completo, dettagliato, documentato: un tentativo di far luce nel complesso groviglio di leggende e miti che minacci di sommergere completamente la realtà dei fatti. Questo libro fa emergere le imbarazzanti verità taciute dall'inchiesta ufficiale e fornisce risposte ai molti interrogativi rimasti insoluti: lo scopo del libro, dunque, è quello di arrivare il pio vicino possibile alla verità . Un esauriente appendice descrive con ricchezza di particolari i fatti avvenuti a partire dal 1986 con il ritrovamento del relitto del Titanic da parte dello scienziato americano Robert D. Ballare.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Maritime

352 pages, Paperback

Reviews

[David Allen Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many books on the Titanic, but had never heard of The Maiden Voyage until I recently found it for a few dollars at a used book sale. I am sorry I did not find it years ago, because it is an excellent book. Written in the late 1960s, it has the direct connection to disaster survivors who were then still living and who the author clearly talked to, and has not been contaminated by the scenes of the blockbuster 1997 movie "Titanic" nor the 1986 discovery of the wreck. It is a British book with a serious tone, and it is chock full of interesting and informative tidbits that I had not known before. After reading literally dozens of books on the Titanic, I was impressed that here was a book where I still learned things.

The book's strongest point is its information leading up to the loading of the ship and the first days of the voyage. Much information that I had not read before. The account of the sinking itself is not as detailed, but interestingly, contained a variety of scenes and perspectives I had read in no other book on the disaster. It should be noted there is no information on ship breaking in half in the final moments because at the time the book was written, the few accounts of the breakup had been discredited by the biased British inquiry in 1912, which had been desperate to protect British reputation.

The only weak part of the book is its unyielding criticism and attacks on US Senator Smith's 1912 hearings in the days after the sinking. Like most British authors on the tragedy, Marcus makes fun of Smith and tries to discredit what was a comprehensive and useful investigation. The fact Smith knew little about ships led him to ask repeatedly very basic questions, and as a result, his report even today is very readable to the lay person unversed in ships.

Marcus tries to defend Captain Smith's decision to press ahead at high speed after multiple ice warnings and without even posting more lookouts, but his defense is not very convincing, especially since in several parts, he questions the captain's judgement.

He tries to make heroes of the wireless operators, and surely they were, but he also takes pains to point out the final two ominous ice warnings, from the Californian and Mesaba, were never delivered to the officers even though they both warned of dangerous ice right ahead.

Marcus is also harsh, as history has been, on the captain and crew of the Californian, who indisputably saw the Titanic sinking and firing off rockets in the distance calling for help and yet did nothing.

This book has high quality binding and an embossed cover; and high quality black and white photos some of which I had not seen before. Even more impressive, in a slip pocket in the back cover is a large fold out cutaway drawing of the Titanic you can unfold like a map. I have never seen anything like it and in my even used copy this document remained in good condition.

At one point the author almost cursorily notes Walter Lord's epic A Night to Remember, and I wonder if this book was not intended as a British response. But A Night to Remember remains in print decades after first publication, and The Maiden Voyage is long out of print. Regardless, this book is one of the most well-written, informative, and well published accounts of the Titanic disaster I have ever read, and I think it is a pity it is not more well known and available. If you want to learn more about the Titanic, this old book is worth seeking out.

[Anjalique · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing read, being the sixth Titanic book I have picked up, but not the end all/be all book on the subject. What I particularly enjoyed in this book, not having been elaborated on nearly as much in other books, is a more thorough background story on several of the passengers before they ever boarded, the way the Marconi machines and their operators worked, and the post-sinking courtroom drama.

There are certain subjects that are cleared up much more satisfactorily in other same-subject books, such as the last song anyone could remember hearing the band play, differing accounts amongst passengers as to whether the ship broke in two pieces (duh now), etc. Answers to very detailed questions such as these can be found in Walter Lord's books "A Night to Remember" and "The Night Lives On".

One nice bonus is the large blueprint map of the ship that is tucked into the inside cover of the book. Nice touch.

[Nick Guzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked Geoff’s scope (focusing on the Titanic’s whole voyage, sinking, and the aftermath), but it often feels long-winded, breezing past some of the more interesting and human aspects of the disaster in favor of redundant arguments or technical detail. then again i’ve been obsessively reading about the Titanic for 25+ years so this doesn’t feel as “fresh” to me as it may have to readers when this was first published in 1969 so… make of that what you will

[Wojtek Konieczny · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10
Fascynująca lektura - nie tylko ze względu na oczywistość samego fenomenu "Titanica", ale też drobiazgową i kompleksową analizę wszystkich kontekstów i okoliczności. No i napisane jest to też bardzo lekko. Zdecydowanie warto - także dlatego, że większość mechanizmów, o których pisze Marcus, jest niestety zdumiewająco ponadczasowych...

[Dany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pazzesco. Ve ne parlerò presto.

[Beth Fulks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really showed how the smallest decisions could have changed the course of history. An interesting perspective of a story we all think we know.

[Melody]

Found this in Mtn. View, AR and was intrigued. We'll see how it goes!:)

[Wendy]

(found read date in diary)