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I have a burning need to know stuff and I love asking awkward questions.

Thursday, February 02, 2012



Just Finished Reading: How to Survive the Titanic or The Sinking of J Bruce Ismay by Frances Wilson

I guess that there are a number of Titanic related books coming out at the moment because the 100th anniversary is due soon – in about 10 weeks actually. This one caught my eye mainly because my local bookshop was selling it for half price. That’s still a hefty price (being in hardback) but I thought it’d probably be worth it. I was right.

I’ve been interested in the Titanic disaster for some time. I mean who wouldn’t be, it’s just such a great story on the human level, the technological level and the cultural level (and not forgetting the mystery level too). This absolutely fascinating book concentrated on the human, the personal, level focused through the lens of one man – J Bruce Ismay. He was, at the time of the tragedy, the owner of the White Star line who managed the Titanic and her sister ship. He was also one of the few survivors who, apparently, calmly stepped into a lifeboat and never looked back. After returning to England he became a social outcast who was shunned by high society as being tantamount to a coward who should, as did the captain, the chief engineer and a great many of the crew, have gone down with the ship. Of course, as the author makes clear, he didn’t do anything wrong. According to his own testimony, and those of others, he left on one of the last boats and there was no one else in that area at that time. At the same time a famous American polo player stepped into the boat with him and disappeared from history – after being divorced by his wife for abandoning her on the Titanic itself (she survived by getting into a boat of the opposite side – with no help from her husband). The problem with Ismay, unfortunately, was that his disposition didn’t lend itself to sympathy (little of which was available in that age if men survived and women and children died in their place). Ismay had a distant seeming personality and often failed to understand the emotions of others. Because of this he came across as being indifferent to the suffering of others as well as being arrogant in his attitude to both the American and British enquiry. Worst of all, despite no accusation actually being made, he was accused of influencing the route the ship took, the speed at which it travelled (and the speed at which it subsequently hit the infamous iceberg) and the fact that it tried to limp away to arrive at New York under its own power, which was something I was completely unaware of.

Without giving too much away this was an excellent addition to the growing number of books on one of the defining incidents of the early 20th century. Not only does the central figure of Ismay give the whole book a focus, a backbone if you will, it allows an examination not only of Edwardian attitudes to the disaster, and Ismay’s apparently shocking behaviour, but also uncovers a series of fascinating sub-stories surrounding that fateful April night in mid-Atlantic. I found the whole thing fascinating and found myself reluctant to put it down at the end of the day. I’d certainly recommend it to anyone with an even passing interest in the subject.

[As an aside I remember reading some years ago a list of the survivors and was surprised (and pleased) to discover two people with my surname on it. However, on searching an on-line database recently I discovered that both young people – aged 21 and 23 – did not in fact survive. I can’t help wondering if they were related to me. My fathers name is not exactly common (though it is apparently far more common in his native Ireland) so you never know. Maybe I should try to find out? I wonder what else it might turn up?]      

4 comments:

Stephen said...

Ismay is painted by many as quite the villain...not only for his actions in leaving the boat, but he seems to take all the heat people want to throw at the White Star line as a whole. I don't know if that's just or not. It's been a while since I read a Titanic book, although this is THE year to do it. There's nothing quite like a hundred-year anniversary.

VV said...

You said, "Ismay had a distant seeming personality and often failed to understand the emotions of others." I wonder if he had Asberger's? I'm interested in the Titanic tragedy, but I've never read any books on it. I've only read articles and watched documentaries.

wstachour said...

I'm fascinated by the accident as well, though I've not made a study of it as you have. But as you say, there are so many things into which one can sink one's teeth!

This book sounds fascinating. I think there are so many stories here; there could be a book for every survivor, I'd think (and for the victims, but for a big logistical issue...)

Only distantly related, but I'm really fascinated by the sinking of the Costa Concordia recently for many of the same reasons--the human error, the human drama, the mechanical and technical issues, etc. I'd pay money to sit on a lawn chair and watch the salvage. I think what they ultimately do with the ship will make for a hell of a story.

CyberKitten said...

sc said: he seems to take all the heat people want to throw at the White Star line as a whole.

That he did. He was the public, and apparently uncaring, face of a company involved in the disaster of the age. That's not a nice place for anyone to be.

V V said: I wonder if he had Asberger's?

Quite possibly. I can't remember if the author mentions the possibility. I checking in the index and there's no reference to it. Ismay certainly had a very strange upbringing which probably made him cold and apparently unfeeling.

v v said: I'm interested in the Titanic tragedy, but I've never read any books on it. I've only read articles and watched documentaries.

This might be a good place to start....

wunelle said: But as you say, there are so many things into which one can sink one's teeth!

Indeed. There's a lot to consider on many different levels.

wunelle said: I think there are so many stories here; there could be a book for every survivor, I'd think (and for the victims, but for a big logistical issue...)

One of the things I found interesting was how often the eye witness reports differed from each other and, rather surprisingly for the age, how many later admitted to lying under oath during the investigations on both sides of the Atlantic.

wunelle said: Only distantly related, but I'm really fascinated by the sinking of the Costa Concordia recently for many of the same reasons--the human error, the human drama, the mechanical and technical issues, etc.

Indeed. There's a book (or two) waiting to be written there. The story we've had so far in the media is certainly a convoluted one which makes it all the more interesting.

wunelle said: I'd pay money to sit on a lawn chair and watch the salvage. I think what they ultimately do with the ship will make for a hell of a story.

It's definitely going to be a major exercise and one that would be fascinating to watch. My guess is that they'll re-float her enough to tow the ship somewhere safer so that they can properly salvage her.