THE DISCOVERY OF THE TITANIC
by Dr. Robert D. Ballard
****
Published by Madisson press
ISBN: 0-446-51385-7
Binding: Hardback
Pages: 238
Price: £25/$35
N.B. This book can be found in bargain bookstores for considerably less.
The above details are for the hardback version, published 1998
This is the book that started Ballard's writing career. It was researched with the aid of Rick Archbold, who went
on to collaborate with Ballard on some of his other projects.
A large format book, and a million copy best-seller, dealing primarily
with the search, discovery, and exploration of the Titanic wreck site, interspersed with these sections
are chapters on the historical aspects of what happened that night.
The photography of the wreck site can be described as nothing less than awesome,
especially the photo-mosaics of the bow and stern sections. The comparisons of "then and now" are
also very interesting, and in the book is to be found, what is to my mind, one of the most moving photographs
ever taken in relation to Titanic; On page 192 there is a photo of two shoes lying side by side,
all that remains of a body that once lay there.
Ken Marschall makes an appearance in the book that really kicked off his career
in the major league, capturing Titanic not only as she was but as she now lies on the seabed,
remarkable when the images were drawn using only information gleaned from radio conversations with Ballard.
The text is crisp and easy to read, and the pictures do compliment the writing, rather than distracting
the reader.
On the whole a very impressive book, which is nicely balanced between illustrations and text.
