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 100^th 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 20^th 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?]