Book 32, 2018

Sinking of the Titanic: The world's greatest sea disaster by Thomas Herbert Russell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Last night, I finished reading Sinking of the Titanic - The World's Greatest Sea Disaster, by Thomas H Russell. The book was published in September of 1912, mere months after the Titanic disaster, and it was comprised mostly of random accounts of that night, passenger bios, and coverage of the Senate hearing that followed.

The story was not entertaining, per se, but it was informative, well-written, and thought provoking. Much of the narrative covered the heroism of those who stayed behind to go down with the ship, allowing others to live. It was interesting to learn that most of the survivors didn't recall any great jarring when the ship collided with the iceberg, and most of them had no idea of the true danger they were in, because the Titanic was built to be unsinkable. Many who took to the lifeboats did so, believing it was merely a precaution and that they would return to the ship in an hour or two and continue on their journey. It was surprising, too, to learn that the great ship went down rather quietly, without a great amount of suction. Survivors claim it simply slipped out of sight.

With the anniversary of the tragedy nearing, I wanted to read this, and I'm glad I did. It was both sobering and uplifting.

Favorite line: These murdered hundreds were merely another instance of the innocent sacrifices offered to the god of commercial profit. Some day, it is written, we shall cease this heathen worship; we shall demand proper precautions for our people, even though it be at the expense of a few paltry dollars. The time is now.

That paragraph still resonates today, especially in light of the recent fire at Trump Towers, in which a man lost his life. The building was not outfitted with a sprinkler system, because the ownership successfully argued it would be too expensive to install.

A somber reminder, and a satisfying read. Four stars:

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