Anchor Free Shipping at $50 Worldwide
Delivery & Return:Free shipping on all orders over $50
Estimated Delivery:7-15 days international
People:9 people viewing this product right now!
Easy Returns:Enjoy hassle-free returns within 30 days!
Payment:Secure checkout
SKU:50962035
This original and “meticulously researched retelling of history’s most infamous voyage” (Denise Kiernan, New York Times bestselling author) uses the sinking of the Titanic as a prism through which to examine the end of the Edwardian era and the seismic shift modernity brought to the Western world. “While there are many Titanic books, this is one readers will consider a favorite” (Voyage).In April 1912, six notable people were among those privileged to experience the height of luxury—first class passage on “the ship of dreams,” the RMS Titanic: Lucy Leslie, Countess of Rothes; son of the British Empire Tommy Andrews; American captain of industry John Thayer and his son Jack; Jewish-American immigrant Ida Straus; and American model and movie star Dorothy Gibson. Within a week of setting sail, they were all caught up in the horrifying disaster of the Titanic’s sinking, one of the biggest news stories of the century. Today, we can see their stories and the Titanic’s voyage as the beginning of the end of the established hierarchy of the Edwardian era. Writing in his signature elegant prose and using previously unpublished sources, deck plans, journal entries, and surviving artifacts, Gareth Russell peers through the portholes of these first-class travelers to immerse us in a time of unprecedented change in British and American history. Through their intertwining lives, he examines social, technological, political, and economic forces such as the nuances of the British class system, the explosion of competition in the shipping trade, the birth of the movie industry, the Irish Home Rule Crisis, and the Jewish-American immigrant experience while also recounting their intimate stories of bravery, tragedy, and selflessness. Lavishly illustrated with color and black and white photographs, this is “a beautiful requiem” (The Wall Street Journal) in which “readers get the story of this particular floating Tower of Babel in riveting detail, and with all the wider context they could want” (Christian Science Monitor).
"The Ship of Dreams", by Irish author Gareth Russell, is the latest, and one of the best books about the Titanic. Built in 1912, the ship didn't survive it's maiden voyage between LeHarve and Hoboken, It entered history with all the fervor of a "myth"; a myth of "unsinkability" and "endless luxury". However, the truth was that as large and powerful as the Titanic was, it would soon be superceded by larger, faster, and even more beautiful ships. But like a beautiful woman killed in her prime, the Titanic never suffered the agonies of growing old and feeble. She'll always be remembered for her uniqueness and the way she met her end.The subtitle of Russell's book is, "The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era". He looks at the ship from manufacture to her sinking from the view of the changes in society and class and economics as the England of King Edward VII gave way in 1910 to the rule of George V. The book is a superb look at British society, as the world begins to change and Britain faces the loss of her colonies. That won't happen til after WW1, but by 1912, many of the factors that will cause the war are beginning to be in place.But if Gareth Russell's writing about society is well done, he also brings new life to the study of the Titanic and its tragic end. He mentions several facts that I - a fairly dedicated Titanic-buff have missed - one of which is that the First Class section had very few cabins with private baths. With the exception of a few, including the one the Isadore Strauses traveled in - passengers used the hall toilets and bath rooms. It seems incredible to me that Thomas Andrews - the designer of the boat who traveled on the maiden voyage and lost his life - couldn't incorporate even small toilet and shower rooms in the cabins!Several other facts about the ship and its passengers and crew were also new. For instance, while we're all familiar with most of the wealthy First Class passengers, I'd never heard of Countess Rothes, who was traveling with her cousin and a ladies maid. The Countess seconded the crew assigned to her lifeboat, rowing with them, and helping to cheer the other women in the lifeboat. There were several characters Russell focuses on, including Thomas Andrews and the Thayer family from Philadelphia.Gareth Russell's book is an absolute joy to read. I found myself slowing my reading down, so as not to end the book too soon. I can heartily recommend "The Ship of Dreams".
