Titanic by David Ross

 

When people commended the captain

When people praised the captain of the Titanic for going down with his ship, George Bernard Shaw wrote tartly: 'So did the cat'. The story of this amazing ship has become legendary, and the subject of countless books, novels and films. It is one of endless fascination.

David Ross conducts a comprehensive forensic examination of the ship, and the tragic disaster in this book. He explores the structure of the ship, the class distinction, the timing of the disaster,  the conduct of the officers and crew and the enquiries.  The most interesting part was the part that the ship the Californian played, which Ross writes about in detail.

I also liked the descriptions of the cabins, dining-rooms and facilities of each class. First Class, of course, sounds sumptuous, but the passengers in Third Class enjoyed generous facilities compared with other ships. They had three meals a day in their dining-room with a choice of dishes, and a means for complaining if service was poor. There was also a men's smoking room, and a 'general room', similar to a waiting room in a train station.

This was an interesting and easy read with ample illustrations, photographs and paintings.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.