Titanic Voices: Memories from the Fateful Voyage

by Donald Hyslop and Donald Alaister Forsyth and Shelia Jemima Hyslop

Book Overview

Reliving the tragedy through first-hand remembrances, this is the moving and bestselling account of Titanic's victims, survivors, heroes, and villains. 42 color & 200 b&w illustrations. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312174284
• ISBN13: 9780312174286
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 2.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.6" x 12.0"

Customer Reviews

Unique and poignant, not like any other Titanic book

I happened on this book at a B & B in England. I only had time to read a few pages, but as soon as I returned to the States I ordered a copy for myself. It is the story of the Titanic told in the words of the people who were there; those who built her, commanded her, worked on her, sailed on her, and both lived--and died--on the journey. It is not another tired history of the ship. There is no conjecture, no opinion, no theories offered on one of the most publicized disasters of modern time. Those topics have been exhaustively covered elsewhere. This book is told almost entirely through the writings and oral histories of those people whose lives were forever changed by the ship's sinking. As such, it is a poignant, first-hand look at the life and times of people both rich and poor who sailed aboard the "unsinkable" Titanic. Because it is in their words, it provides a perspective that no ordinary history book can capture. Reading a letter written by a passenger to his family back home, from the deck of the Titanic herself, little knowing the calamity that lay ahead, is a moving experience. The book also delves into (again, through the words of the people involved) the tremendous long-term impact the loss of life had on the survivors, their families, and the city of Southhampton, where the Titanic's first and only voyage began and most of her crew lived. The book is also extensively illustrated with photos and drawings related to the ship and her passengers. Even my wife, who detests history, enjoyed this book; while it is chronologically well organized and does indeed relate the events leading up to, during and after the ship's sinking, it is not a history book. It is a moving and emotional journey alongside 1503 ordinary people who were fated to die in the north Atlantic, and captures a simpler period in modern times, when "technology" was considered infallible.

A fascinating historical record

... As the Introduction makes clear, this book was written to chronicle the associations between the Titanic and the town and people of Southampton. ... it is a fascinating and detailed record of considerable interest to any true Titanic historian, (as opposed to someone whose knowledge of the ship is based entirely on that dreadful movie). ... This is a fine collection of anecdotes, letters and photographs, many of them not found in other books, and a fitting tribute to the 686 crew members who were residents of Southampton who died in the disaster. Also recommended - The Odyssey of C.H. Lightholler by Patrick Stenson - the astonishing life story of Titanic's Second Officer.

THE BEST TITANIC BOOK I HAVE EVER READ.

THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC. IT STARTS IN 1907 WHEN IDEA OF THE "TITANIC" AROSE. IT DESCRIBES THE HARDSHIPS PEOPLE AND COMPANIES HAD TO GO THROUGH TO MAKE THE TITANIC FANTASY A REALITY. IT SHOWS IN-DEPTH PHOTOS OF THE TITANIC,PASSENGERS,CREW,WATERLOO STATION,ETC. THE BOOK ITSELF IS PUT TOGETHER SO BEAUTIFULLY. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE, BUY IT TODAY AND START YOUR OWN TITANIC LIBRARY.

A Must Have For Any Titanic Library

This book is wonderful in it's originality with real original photos,and letters,and memories of survivors and relatives of this disaster.I started reading this book,and could not put it down until the last page-then it was time to start over!An errie book,with voices of the past one can almost hear.

Titanic Voices deserve to be heard

Titanic Voices presents vivid accounts of the construction, victualing, sailing, and sinking of this virtually unsinkable ocean liner. An exhibit in Southhampton, England spurred the creation of this book, which utilizes period newspaper articles, oral histories, and many previously unpublished photographs to help people understand the personal significance of the disaster. A highlight is the inclusion of accounts of many crew members, who are often ignored in other volumes on the disaster