Giveaway: Voyagers of the Titanic by Richard Davenport Hines
Book Description:
Late in the night of April 14, 1912, the mighty Titanic, a passenger liner traveling from Southampton, England, to New York City, struck an iceberg four hundred miles south of Newfoundland. Its sinking over the next two and a half hours brought the ship—mythological in name and size—one hundred years of infamy.
Of the 2,240 people aboard the ship, 1,517 perished either by drowning or by freezing to death in the frigid North Atlantic waters. What followed the disaster was tantamount to a worldwide outpouring of grief: In New York, Paris, London, and other major cities, people lined the streets and crowded around the offices of the White Star Line, the Titanic’s shipping company, to inquire for news of their loved ones and for details about the lives of some of the famous people of their time.
While many accounts of the Titanic’s voyage focus on the technical or mechanical aspects of why the ship sank, Voyagers of the Titanic follows the stories of the men, women, and children whose lives intersected on the vessel’s fateful last day, covering the full range of first, second, and third class—from plutocrats and captains of industry to cobblers and tailors looking for a better life in America.
Richard Davenport-Hines delves into the fascinating lives of those who ate, drank, reveled, dreamed, and died aboard the mythic ship: from John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest person on board, whose comportment that night was subject to speculation and gossip for years after the event, to Archibald Butt, the much-beloved military aide to Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft, who died helping others into the Titanic’s few lifeboats. With magnificent prose, Voyagers of the Titanic also brings to life the untold stories of the ship’s middle and third classes—clergymen, teachers, hoteliers, engineers, shopkeepers, counterjumpers, and clerks—each of whom had a story that not only illuminates the fascinating ship but also the times in which it sailed. In addition, Davenport-Hines explores the fascinating politics behind the Titanic’s creation, which involved larger-than-life figures such as J. P. Morgan, the ship’s owner, and Lord Pirrie, the ship’s builder.
The memory of this tragedy still remains a part of the American psyche and Voyagers of the Titanic brings that clear night back to us with all of its drama and pathos.
You can read my review over at Historical Tapestry, here.
This giveaway is for my Canadian and U.S. readers and ends on April 23rd. Please enter using Rafflecopter below.a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Looks like another great viewpoint to write about. Certainly has stayed in our minds all these years.
holdenj said... April 10, 2012 at 4:44 AM
I was going to comment along the same lines as holdenj. It's the different perspective that appeals to me.
fredamans said... April 10, 2012 at 8:28 AM
An interesting and memorable giveaway. Thanks.elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
petite said... April 10, 2012 at 9:27 AM
Impressive and interesting. I would enjoy this greatly. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
traveler said... April 10, 2012 at 9:30 AM
Well I am a Titanic addict and would love this!
Nikki in Niagara said... April 10, 2012 at 9:49 AM
I've always been fascinated by the Titanic story (long before the movie). It would be great to win!
Bev Hankins said... April 10, 2012 at 11:47 AM
I would love to win this for my daughter who loves anything Titanic, thank you for the chance to make her happy after a very trying 2 weeks.
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
Wendy Newcomb said... April 10, 2012 at 12:20 PM
This definitely sounds very good! I've always been fascinated by the Titanic story.
Literary Chanteuse said... April 10, 2012 at 1:39 PM
I love reading anything related to the Titanic. This is one book I would love to get my hands on.
Laura at Library of Clean Reads said... April 10, 2012 at 4:17 PM
Thanks for the giveaway. I'm fascinated by the Titanic. Maybe I was on this ship in another life time.
clenna said... April 10, 2012 at 4:49 PM
This sounds like a very interesting story. One that I would love to read.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Linda Kish said... April 10, 2012 at 8:45 PM
I've always been fascinated by the Titanic. What a great giveaway.
Na said... April 11, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Thanks for doing this giveaway! :) If I win, my email is grigory99 at yahoo dot com
*crosses fingers*
The Godfather said... April 11, 2012 at 10:22 PM
Thank you for a wonderful review on this book about the Titanic. Sounds like a great read. Thanks for the chance.
:) Jeanne
momma8385 said... April 11, 2012 at 11:57 PM
I have always been intrigued by the Titanic. I would love to win this book! Thanks for the chance.
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
Nancye said... April 12, 2012 at 10:49 AM
I have recently been re-looking at all things Titanic, as my 8-year-old is currently fascinated by the history of it and what happened. This is an excellent find, so thank you very much!
Lisa LaVergne-Pottgen said... April 12, 2012 at 4:31 PM
This sounds very interesting. I would love to read it. I have always been interested in reading about the people aboard the Titanic.
Beth said... April 12, 2012 at 5:13 PM
I'd enjoy reading this book about the Titanic.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
rubynreba said... April 13, 2012 at 10:20 AM
This sounds like a very interesting book. Thanks for the giveaway.
bn100 said... April 15, 2012 at 12:46 PM
I have always wanted to get the whole story about the Titanic. This makes for a very interesting read. Thanks for having this giveaway.
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
Anita Yancey said... April 15, 2012 at 5:03 PM
Always interested in the Titanic!
Anonymous said... April 18, 2012 at 9:02 AM
So interesting anything about the titanic catches my interest.Lomazowr@gmail.com
rhonda said... April 18, 2012 at 7:12 PM
This approach seems a lot more interesting to me than the historical fiction treatments of the story we've been seeing so many of. Thanks for promoting it.
Carl Scott said... April 19, 2012 at 11:24 AM
It is an interesting perspective about this tragedy.
Maureen said... April 20, 2012 at 2:43 PM
I read the review of this at HT a little while ago - I'm so behind on catching up on my blog reading. I have been enjoying all of the Titanic themed posts. Thanks for this giveaway.
Unknown said... April 21, 2012 at 6:41 PM
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