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How To Survive The Titanic: Or, The Sinking Of J. Bruce Ismay (2011)

by Frances Wilson(Favorite Author)

3.43 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0062094548 (ISBN13: 9780062094544)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Harper

review 1: I have had a fascination with the Titanic since I was a child. As a historian, I have developed an interest in those people identified in history as the "villains." This book seemed likely to satisfy both fascinations and, for the most part it succeeds. J. Bruce Ismay, Managing Director of the White Star Line, survived the disaster by stepping into a life raft while hundreds of others went down with the ship, froze or drowned in the North Atlantic. Ismay may have survived the wreck, but his reputation did not and he lived the remainder of his life labeled as a coward and a murderer. This book covers the sinking and the farce that was the American Senate inquiry into the sinking as well as Ismay's earlier life and his attempts to put his life back together afterwards. This... more part of the book is very well done, it is fast paced and interesting. Where the author falls a bit short is her attempt to use the writing of Joseph Conrad to explain the role of the disaster in society and Ismay's place in society. There are clear parallels, but, in the opinion of this reader, the thesis seems a bit stretched. That said, it is an interesting read for all of those Titanic aficionados out there.
review 2: This book started out in an interesting way: basically, a story about a man who survived the Titanic who most people believed shouldn't have, and how his life was ruined as a result. Great premise. However, after the first few chapters, it felt to me like the author ran out of things to say. She spins wildly off topic about 2/3 of the way into the book, going into long, in-depth histories about other authors who have written about shipwrecks (not even the Titanic). I really don't know why she did that. She does return to the topic at hand but at that point I had lost interest and didn't even finish the book. less

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