Total Titanic: The Most Up-to-Date Guide to the Disaster of the Century

by Marc Shapiro

Recounts the building and voyage of the Titanic, its sinking and the aftermath, distinguishing fact from myth, and lists the passengers, crew, and cargo

Genres: Nonfiction, History

190 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

About the author

Marc Shapiro is the author of the New York Times bestselling biography, J.K. Rowling: The Wizard behind Harry Potter, and more than a dozen other celebrity biographies. He has been a freelance entertainment journalist for more than twenty-five years, covering film, television, and music for a number of national and international newspapers and magazines.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/marcsh...

Reviews

[Nick Guzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accurate and concise primer of the events surrounding the Titanic's construction, fatal maiden voyage, sinking, and aftermath. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an easy read that makes the basic facts of the disaster totally accessible. Value is added with Shapiro's contextual touches that briefly humanize the many vibrant personalities ("It should be remembered that these were real people whose lives were cut short by accident, ignorance, and catastrophe," he outlines in his brief introduction) and communicates the problematic societal class issues of the era.

[Huguette Larochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

love that little book , is read lots about Titanic ,
but i learn some in this book i did not know. very complete .
interesting reads.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice introduction to the events before, during, and after the sinking.

[Mareena · Rating 4 out of 5]

On April 14, 1912 at 11:40 p.m. the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. It was her maiden voyage. Just under three hours later - at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912 - the last visible section of the Titanic slipped beneath the waves. More than 1,500 souls perished, with just over 700 passengers surviving what is perhaps the most well-known maritime disaster of the early twentieth-century. This book seeks to separate fiction from fact, reporting on what actually happened.

I have to say that I've always been interested in the sinking of the Titanic. And yes, I've seen the 1997 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett twice. As I read this book, I was repeatedly struck by the number of personal histories that were cut short, but that I wanted to know more about.

I suppose that the story of the two children who became known as the 'Titanic Orphans' is already known to history buffs, and I knew a little about their story myself, but it was very interesting for me to discover what happened to both the brothers later on in their lives. I give this book an A! and look forward to reading more from Marc Shapiro in the future.

[Bladestryke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do think it's silly to put the most up-to-date on a cover of a book that will undoubtedly be out of date , this book did a great job with the subject. it's cleanly written and very well organised with lots of I formation from the basics to lists to info on the aftereffects of the survivors. a must read for any Titanic scholar.

[Simon]

I recieved this book quite suddenly from a friend in my doorframe at 11:46pm on April 1st, 2011.
I like Titanic and she had been book shopping so i got a nice little gift. When I actually read it there will be a far better review below.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the Titanic. This book proved to be a quick read with a lot of interesting information.

[Mellanie C]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13134695