Lost voices from the Titanic : the definitive oral history

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Title:

Lost voices from the Titanic : the definitive oral history

Author:

Barratt, Nick.

ISBN:

9780230622302

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

Physical Description:

xii, 286 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. ; 25 cm.

Contents:

The background and construction of the Titanic -- The maiden voyage of the Titanic -- The aftermath.

Corporate Subject:

Titanic (Steamship)

Titanic (Steamship) -- Sources.

Subject Term:

Shipwrecks -- North Atlantic Ocean.

Shipwrecks -- North Atlantic Ocean -- Sources.

Summary:

On April 15, 1912, the HMS Titanic sank, killing 1,517 people and leaving the rest clinging to debris in the frozen waters of the North Atlantic awaiting rescue. Here, historian Nick Barratt provides the definitive narrative of the disaster in the words of those who were involved--including the designers and naval architects at the White Star Line; first-class aristocratic passengers and the families in third class and steerage, many of whom were simply seeking a better life in America; and the boards of inquiry, whose task it was to help change maritime law to ensure that such an event never took place again. Combining tales of incredible folly and unimaginable courage, Barratt has gathered the aspirations of the owners, the efforts of the crew, and of course, the eyewitness accounts from those lucky enough to survive, transporting the reader back to those heartbreaking moments on that fateful Sunday night.--From publisher description.

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	910.91634 BAR	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

On April 15, 1912, the HMS Titanic sank, killing 1,517 people and leaving the rest clinging to debris in the frozen waters of the North Atlantic awaiting rescue. Here, historian Nick Barratt tells the ship's full story, starting from its original conception and design by owners and naval architects at the White Star Line through its construction at the shipyards in Belfast. Lost Voices From the Titanic offers tales of incredible folly and unimaginable courage--the aspirations of the owners, the efforts of the crew, and of course, the eyewitness accounts from those lucky enough to survive.

In narrating the definitive history of the famous ship, Barratt draws from never before seen archive material and eyewitness accounts by participants at every stage of the Titanic 's life. These long-lost voices bring new life to those heartbreaking moments on the fateful Sunday night when families were torn apart and the legend of the Titanic was cemented in our collective imagination.

Author Notes

Nick Barratt is a broadcaster and historian. He runs Sticks Research Agency as well as writing for newspapers and various magazines. He is director of Firebird Media and is on the Public History Committee of the Historical Association. He lives in London.

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

Barratt's idea for distinguishing his version of the well-worked tale of the Titanic is this: to let stand verbatim, in all their contradictions and subjectivity, survivors' and rescuers' testimony about what happened on the night it sank. Eschewing a narrative, Barratt instead descriptively links such evidence with press articles, forming a chronicle of the fabled ocean liner's brief history from construction to destruction. Likely to engage dedicated Titanic buffs, Barratt's method reflects the great contemporary interest in the White Star Line's new ship, built to compete with the rival Cunard Line's Lusitania. Barratt's volume includes the famous photographs of the Titanic, and of its officers, whose performance navigating the ship, then evacuating its passengers and crew, prompted controversy after the catastrophe. Whether Captain Smith sailed recklessly into an iceberg field; whether shipowner J. Bruce Ismay behaved cravenly; whether there was a panic; whether nearby vessels responded expeditiously to the Titanic's distress calls such debates arose from the differing survivors' accounts that Barratt presents. Chock-full of information, this tome definitely has circulation potential.--Taylor, Gilbert Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Barratt (columnist, Daily Telegraph, London) begins by placing HMS Titanic in historical context with a brief history of the ship's owners and builders. The heart of the story, however, involves survivors' accounts of the voyage and wreck. Here Barratt relies on archival material, much from the UK's National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. This material is compelling to read in full, but Barratt's connecting narrative is uneven. He presents some primary sources without any analysis, while from others he derives baffling conclusions. Several easily avoidable mistakes and inconsistencies (e.g., the number of survivors, which does vary among sources, but Barratt fails to comment on this) are disappointing. The inclusion of excerpts from the official British and American inquiries but not from other authoritative sources further calls into question the book's claim to be comprehensive. And if this is meant to be about the "lost voices," some illustrations of the people featured, instead of the usual images of the ship, would have been enlightening. VERDICT This is not a "definitive" work, nor does it contain actual oral histories, nor were the sources (voices) in any way "lost." However, Barratt's transcripts of some lesser-known primary sources may make this a good companion piece to other books on this subject.-Megan Fraser, Univ. of California Lib., Los Angeles (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Excerpts

"In this book, the dramatic story of the world's most famous ship is told through the voices of those who were there. If you want to know more about Titanic, this is the book to read." --Dr. Robert D. Ballard, co-discoverer of the RMS Titanic "A fascinating new book that includes first-hand accounts, many previously unpublished, from survivors of Titanic's maiden voyage."--Daily Express (UK) "Barratt makes available to readers for the first time a wealth of primary documents and sources--and that is a very good thing. And, much to his credit, he does so without any agenda to advance, point of view to promote, or axes of any kind to grind: he lets the documents speak for themselves. For people who want to know more of the story of the Titanic from the perspective of her time as well as the men and women who built and sailed her, this book is a rare resource." -- Daniel Allen Butler, author of Unsinkable and The Other Side of the Night "Anyone who wonders what more could possibly be written about the Titanic will be surprised and delighted by Nick Barratt's book. It is an invaluable compilation that brings to light an array of fascinating, often moving documents that have never before been published."--Steven Biel, author of Down with the Old Canoe: A Cultural History of the Titanic Disaster "chockfull of information" --Booklist "What sets this book apart from others that have been published on this subject is that survivors are given the opportunity to tell their personal stories, in their own words, and unedited. The result is heartbreaking in detail and illuminating in its authenticity."--Tucson Citizen Excerpted from Lost Voices from the Titanic: The Definitive Oral History by Nick Barratt All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

Library Journal Review

Excerpts

Excerpts

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