As one might imagine, that could cause some tension. It's not as if the wealthy and less-wealthy passengers onboard necessarily disliked each other in 1912 Europe and America, though, there was quite a difference in how the rich and the merely "comfortable" were treated. Riding a boat across the vast expanse of an ocean meant that all of the passengers had to stay in one relatively fixed location, without the option of going anywhere very far once the ship's voyage across the Atlantic began therefore, there was bound to be some contact between the classes despite the mammoth size of their shared maritime hotel. The accommodations in even the least expensive quarters of the gigantic sailing vessel were magnificent, beyond what most of those traveling third-class had ever seen. Third-class lodging, though, was no slum on this incredible boat. You have the mixing of social classes, from the wealthy elite (John Jacob Astor, for example) who punch their tickets for first-class accommodations all the way, to the affluent members of second-class, financially secure but not quite up to the level of the Astors on the social scale, down to the third-class passengers, many of whom were in the process of immigrating to the United States when they climbed on board the Titanic. These, among various other hidden facts Butler presents, will leave you questioning what you thought you knew about this tragedy.The maiden voyage and subsequent sinking of the Titanic is perhaps the most fascinating setting for historical fiction to have occurred in the twentieth century. Furthermore, the author makes the startling revelation that a nearby ship ignored the Titanic’s distress call out of fear of awakening their captain. He also debunks the myth that the Titanic was attempting to break speed records instead, the ship was actually marketed as a luxurious ship, which meant it would sacrifice speed due to its massive size. He draws from primary sources and period accounts to dismantle many popular beliefs on the key factors of not only the ship’s sinking, but also the safety protocols and the inadequate actions taken.īutler spends several chapters discussing investigations and inquests that followed the sinking, and how it caused massive reforms on ocean liners.
Butler is thorough in providing enough information on the Titanic-he spent nearly 30 years studying the ship’s history. From revisiting and revising all the facts we already knew of the Titanic’s history to recent discoveries of the ship wreck.
If you’re looking for an updated version of the story, Butler’s passionate narrative explores everything involving the famous ship.
0 kommentar(er)
