By David Hutchings
Throughout history there have been many famous ships; some famous for their speed, some famous for their size, some famous for their luxury and some for their fate.
It was fate that decreed that one great liner would achieve notoriety, infamy almost, that would increase as years passed. The effects that directly resulted from this ship’s passing are still with us––a lasting legacy of a lesson harshly learned through the experience, loss and despair of others.
In today’s world, often ignorant of shipping, Titanic has been erroneously described as a “cruise ship” or “the largest, most luxurious liner ever built” and “out for the record.”
She was certainly not a cruise ship (cruising had many years to go before it became popular for nearly everyone). She was an ocean-going liner, designed to provide regular service across the North Atlantic. Although she was the largest vessel at the time of her appearance, she would within a few months concede this accolade to German ships. She was indeed luxurious and some called her “unsinkable;” she was not designed to be fast but designed for a comfort that could only be bought at a speed lesser than the hectic record-breakers of the time.
Packed with revealing facts about the fateful ship, the story tells why Titanic was built and the events that led to her loss. This compact, authoritative narrative is supported by a fascinating selection of archival illustrations in natural color, some of which have not previously been published. Hardcover. 114 pages.
