TITANIC: TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY
by John P. Eaton & Charles A. Haas
*****
Published by Patrick Stephens Ltd.
ISBN: 1-85260-493-X
Binding: Hardback
Pages: 352
Price: £25
Coming in very close behind Titanic: An Illustrated History is this book.
The authors have worked together on several occasions, notably on "Destination Disaster",
but this was their first large scale book. Again the illustrations make it a must have publication,
with countless photographs of the people and places connected with the disaster. Especially interesting
are the photo's of many passengers and crew that come from the authors private collection.
At over 340 pages long the book is packed with extensive information, starting with the formation of the
Harland & Wolff shipyards and the White Star Line/Oceanic Steam Navigation Co.
and culminating in discovery and exploration of the wreck site. The appendices are also very useful,
consisting of an extensive passenger list as well as the Cargo Manifest for the
voyage, both of these prove interesting reading.
The book is pro-Salvage, whereas those connected with the Titanic Historical Society are usually
fiercely anti-salvage.
I am not a great fan of the design of some of the chapters, especially those dealing with the
sinking of the ship. I feel that the paragraphs are too fragmented, and this makes for difficult reading,
and does not lead to a flowing interpretation of what was happening when.
On the positive side I simply cannot convey how much information is included
in this book. At the moment it is in it's second edition, which includes colour photographs of the
wreck site taken by the authors, who are the only historians to have dived
on the ship. The book is widely available.
