Understanding J. Bruce Ismay: The True Story of the Man They Called 'The Coward of Titanic'

by Clifford Ismay, Tad Fitch (Foreword)

An insight into the man at the heart of the world’s most infamous maritime disaster

Following the Titanic disaster, Bruce Ismay was savaged by both the British and American press for deserting the ship while women and children were still on board. Some papers called him the 'Coward of the Titanic' or 'J. Brute Ismay', and suggested the White Star flag be changed to a 'yellow liver'. History has portrayed Bruce Ismay as a cold, heartless character who showed little compassion for others.

Clifford Ismay’s new book explores the life and motives of this misunderstood man, delving into family letters and diaries, and revisiting the public enquiries, to reveal a shy, compassionate man, who walked Titanic ’s boat deck for over two hours, assisting with preparing and loading the lifeboats before finding a spare seat in the last lifeboat to be successfully lowered from the starboard side, and who possibly suffered with post-traumatic stress for the rest of his life.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[Johanna Lehto · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

One of the best and intresting books I read regarding the Titanic!

A perfect book for any huge Titanic enthusiat. One might not get much new information regarding the sinking itself. However, there was so much new to learn about the man that usually seems to get a lot of blame of the sinking.

I loved how we got to read about the real Mr. Ismay in this book. Not the demonized verison we always hear from the press and media. He was far more complex then that. And glad to get it all in here; His family background, his action during the Tianic disaster and his life after that tragic night.

So yes, I highly recommend to read this book.

[Nory · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book of 2022; a fascinating, and most insightful read , it eliminated all ghosts about Bruce Ismay’s cowardice .
As an a Titanic descendant, it was a joy and privilege to read of Bruce’s incredible bravery .
5 stars congratulations Mr.Ismay

[Graham Connors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since childhood, I've held a curiosity about the Titanic and her fateful maiden voyage. The one character who always held my interest was that of J. Bruce Ismay, the owner of the White Star Line and effectively the owner of Titanic.

Any film or TV account of the Titanic disaster portrays Ismay as the "coward" who saved his own skin. The various dramatic portrayals of the man, stepping casually into a lifeboat or wrapping a shawl about him to look more like a woman, never sat well with me, being far too contrived or overly dramatic. I'm glad this book puts some of those myths to rest.

While written by a member of the Ismay family, this book seems to be well researched, and yes, it is biased in favour of J. Bruce Ismay, but the archival material backs up the view that he was not a coward. I'm glad to have read this account.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, it is a must for Titanic enthusiasts.

[Angela C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my normal read, I mainly read crime, and rarely read historical/factual books, however I really enjoyed this book. It was very well written and gave an insight into the character of J Bruce Ismay, as well as his and his ancestors history. It explained fully how he got to the position in the company he did, his involvement in the way the ships were built and run, and portrayed a man who didn’t just want to make money, but cared about people and their experiences. It is not too heavy, but gives all the facts, and was a really enjoyable read.

[William Brower · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing look into a man whom history and pop culture has marred with a new light. This unbias and different perspective brings Bruce the man to the forefront and not the one commonly seen on film or in other media venues. A page-turner that not only holds the reader but is insightful and can be listed among the greats of Titanic books.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into the man dubbed by the press as The Coward of the Titanic. This gives and insight into the truth about this man and how he became so hated by the press and what actually happened on that night and were his actions somewhat different to the rumours. Loved it.

[R.J. Southworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book does provide a number of interesting insights into the life and personality of Bruce Ismay, the prose sometimes feels a bit clumsy with unnecessary repetition of points, and the whole thing feels like it could provide more information than it does.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, and heartbreaking look into the life of J. Bruce Ismay. A man who has unfairly been portrayed as a villain on the big screen. This couldn't be further from the truth. This is a very important book if you're interested in historical accuracy.

[Cynthia Levers-Brower]

A very good and insightful read!

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject was extremely important and interesting, however the writing is frustrating to say the least. The book title indicates that it’s about understanding J. Bruce Ismay yet we only start discussing Ismay’s childhood and so forth from page 62 until then we learn extensively about his father and his life, the only important aspect seems to be Bruce’s relationship with his father and Bruce’s own complex of inferiority that is mentioned in 2 lines. Something worth diving into, to better understand the man.

The titanic disaster which unfortunately took such a big toll in Ismay’s life starts being discussed in page 123 of 220. One would think it should be discussed sooner given the gravity and extent information about it - hearings, trial by the media.

The writing goes back and forth rather than being a continuous narrative over Bruce’s life, it lacks emotional depth and a lot of context found in other books around this subject. Instead of quoting so many telegrams and communication back and forth that at times are irrelevant to mention, perhaps it would be more effective to illustrate Bruce’s “trial by the media” with newspaper reports or various sources that illustrated this man as a coward.

It would allow for a deeper understanding over the picture that was painted and the reality of who the man was. The book still offers no clarity as to what lead Bruce to be in a life boat with conflicting reports being quoted, it also does not offer clarity on the question of Titanic’s speeding with again conflicting reports being quoted.

The book offers no sympathy for Mr. Ismay’s extensive trauma by simply not mentioning it. It would have been a great discussion to frame the concept of trauma and mental health within this timeframe in history and how Bruce ultimately fell victim to this lack of understanding by his own society over such important concepts.

I don’t think I gained more understanding of J. Bruce Ismay or rather I don’t think this book truly provides what it proposes itself to. I applaud the author for the courageous effort of writing this book and putting himself out there, it’s not easy but ultimately there are other books about the Titanic that provide a better and more nuanced overview of J. Bruce Ismay.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Understanding J. Bruce Ismay” by Clifford Ismay is a very worthwhile read for those of us interested in the history of the White Star Line and the important role of the Ismay family. The author shares diary entries from the family archives along with news clippings and White Star documents, to weave a compelling narrative of the Ismays from 1754 through Bruce’s passing in 1937.

I went into it already believing that Bruce was unfairly scapegoated for the loss of TITANIC and for his own rescue. While I didn’t need to be convinced, there is plenty of material in the book that makes a strong case for his competence and character.

Here’s what kept me from giving it a 4-star rating. I was very surprised that in recounting the life of Bruce’s father, Thomas, there was no mention of the wreck of ATLANTIC. It would have been intriguing to compare Thomas’s reactions of this loss to those of Bruce regarding TITANIC years later. There were also a number of typographical errors in the text and family tree data.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting in that it included a number of letters sent by and to Bruce Ismay. But I didn't learn a lot about the man himself personally or his life after the sinking, more so his professional life within the companies he ran. If you are interested in the founding and forming of the companies for white star and I.M.M and the building of the ships then this is really a much better book for that.

[Phoebe Smythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible read. I read it on my trip to Liverpool and I got to visit the White Star Line building for a Titanic exhibition and it was such a joy to learn about Ismay properly before I went. That smear campaign against him was brutal and this book did a great job of bringing him to the justice he deserves.

[Beverley Rayner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book but I was halfway through the book before Titanic was discussed or mentioned.The book relied mainly on letters sent and received.I am glad I read this book though and Bruce Ismay was definitely not the villain he was portrayed to have been.

[Georgi_Lvs_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce asked of Smith, ‘Do you think the ship is seriously damaged?’ Smith replied, ‘I’m afraid she is,’

A book I have been dying to read!

For a long time I always placed the blame on J.Bruce Ismay for what happened to the Titanic and I believed him as ‘the coward of Titanic’

After reading a number of books, including this one my views have completely changed!

A must read for any titanic fan.