Search results for ""author senan molony""

Why is so much heroism attached to the sinking of the Titanic? Why do we accord impossible glory to the miserable, misbegotten drowining of the equivalent of a small town? What process led to the creation of champions? Who were the real heroes, and how were they overlooked? What did society - and the press - do with an overriding need for blame? By identifying the fable-making, and finally throwing off a blanket of boasting, this book enables a fresh, sharp focus on history's most famous shipwreck.We see into the nature of prejudice, public values and political and national motives. It explores the light and the dark of what we thin we know: about the engineers, the musicians, the Captain, his officers, owners and officialdom - as well as the sinking itself and society's curious 'celebration' of abject catastrophe. It also looks at sacrificial victims, in particular the character of Captain Stanley Lord of the Californian, a man tarred with abandoning fifteen hundred people to their fate. Backed up with a new photographic archive and bolstered by a series of contemporary extracts to support its arguments, this is Titanic history presented in an entirely new and authentic light.

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As the Titanic was swallowed by a freezing sea, over 800 miles from the nearest land, her 2,200 passengers and crew attempted desperately to advert tragedy. Lifeboats were lowered, and constant SOS signals sent, but most realised they would require a miracle to avoid their doom. And then it came. Approaching over the horizon was a ship, coming ever closer and then stopping within five or six miles of the Titanic. The joy on board the sinking ship was unimaginable; the crew even reassured passengers that rescue was imminent. Agonisingly, however, the vessel did not come to the rescue - despite rockers of appeal - but gradually turned and moved away, abandoning over 1,500 people to their fate. The search for the 'Mystery Ship' began immediately, and both Britain and the USA accused a ship called the Californian of deserting the Titanic in her hour of need. But was the 'Mystery Ship' the Californian? For the first time, this book explores the totality of evidence, with the discovery of the Titanic's actual wreck site in 1985 allowing crucial insights not available during official investigations seventy-three years earlier. Combining a penetrating argument with an extensive collection of archive photographs and materials, this book aims to find clear answers to the many riddles of the Titanic's 'Mystery Ship'.

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