Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From

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Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 341 ratings · 86 reviews

Late in the night of April 14, 1912, the mighty Titanic, a passenger liner traveling from Southampton, England, to New York City, struck an iceberg four hundred miles south of Newfoundland. Its sinking over the next two and a half hours brought the ship--mythological in name and size--one hundred years of infamy.

Of the 2,240 people aboard the ship, 1,517 perished either by...more Late in the night of April 14, 1912, the mighty Titanic, a passenger liner traveling from Southampton, England, to New York City, struck an iceberg four hundred miles south of Newfoundland. Its sinking over the next two and a half hours brought the ship--mythological in name and size--one hundred years of infamy.

Of the 2,240 people aboard the ship, 1,517 perished either by drowning or by freezing to death in the frigid North Atlantic waters. What followed the disaster was tantamount to a worldwide outpouring of grief: In New York, Paris, London, and other major cities, people lined the streets and crowded around the offices of the White Star Line, the Titanic's shipping company, to inquire for news of their loved ones and for details about the lives of some of the famous people of their time.

While many accounts of the Titanic's voyage focus on the technical or mechanical aspects of why the ship sank, Voyagers of the Titanic follows the stories of the men, women, and children whose lives intersected on the vessel's fateful last day, covering the full range of first, second, and third class---from plutocrats and captains of industry to cobblers and tailors looking for a better life in America.

Richard Davenport-Hines delves into the fascinating lives of those who ate, drank, reveled, dreamed, and died aboard the mythic ship: from John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest person on board, whose comportment that night was subject to speculation and gossip for years after the event, to Archibald Butt, the much-beloved military aide to Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft, who died helping others into the Titanic's few lifeboats. With magnificent prose, Voyagers of the Titanic also brings to life the untold stories of the ship's middle and third classes--clergymen, teachers, hoteliers, engineers, shopkeepers, counterjumpers, and clerks--each of whom had a story that not only illuminates the fascinating ship but also the times in which it sailed. In addition, Davenport-Hines explores the fascinating politics behind the Titanic's creation, which involved larger-than-life figures such as J. P. Morgan, the ship's owner, and Lord Pirrie, the ship's builder.

The memory of this tragedy still remains a part of the American psyche and Voyagers of the Titanic brings that clear night back to us with all of its drama and pathos.(less)

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published March 6th 2012 by William Morrow (first published January 1st 2011)

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Apr 15, 2012 Mal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Voyagers of the Titanic is a wonderful historical novel loaded with everything you wanted to know about the Titanic and more.

Mr. Davenport-Hines divided this book into three parts. Part One describes the Titanic in whole. Ship owners and ship builders are discussed including the names and details of major players. Technical aspects, design of the ship is also presented. Sailors on board are discussed as well. Part One paints a wonderful picture of shipbuilding and the intricacies behind the scen...more

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May 09, 2013 Kelsey Dangelo rated it 3 of 5 stars

With the passing of the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, I read this recently published book. I've read many books about the sinking of the Titanic: fiction and nonfiction, from newspaper accounts to historical perspectives, to those of the investigative committee, to those of the recoverers of the wreck, probably totaling twenty books in all.
This book focuses on the people that voyaged on the maiden journey of the great ship through iceberg laden waters. The book succeeds in it...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Andy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, illustrated

So this was the other Titanic book I bought the other week, the one I was more interested in reading. I thought I would enjoy it more and though I did, it didn't grip me the way I thought it might. Richard Davenport-Hines brings to life the Titanic through the people, those who built and financed it and the passengers, along with the families and countrymen of the dead.

We follow the journey from conception to build to voyage through the eyes of the many thousands involved. There's a huge amount...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Gene rated it 4 of 5 stars

The centenary has added many books of interest to Titanic Literature.

The wreck left its mark thoroughly on the society of 100 years ago, and the trauma lives on with us.

This book has a lot on many of the people you don't see as much of in most books about the Titanic. The shipbuilders, crew, third-class passengers. We meet the groups from Cornwall and Lebanon who got short shrift, but some did get their say. In the American investigation, Senator Smith, a lawyer from Michigan who was not knowle...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I got this from the library thinking it was a photographic history. Wrong; a chunk of photos but not nearly enough for my taste. But an informative book and worth reading for those of us interested in the topic; though at times it felt like the anti-A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. Most of the people who came off well in Lord’s book suffered a different fate here. In fact, few of the 1st and 2nd glass passengers got much praise from D-H; and he seemed to especially dislike the Americans.

What...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Terri rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: History Buffs

Shelves: non-fiction

I have been fascinated by the Titanic since I was a kid and they sent back the first pictures from the submarine that discovered its final resting place at the bottom of the Atlantic. Not a fan of the Cameron spectacle, I prefer the real life stories and connections that the tragedy created. Davenport-Hines certainly does try to life those connections and stories, but by the end of this 300 page novel it fails, in my opinion.

The book starts out very dry, like many non-fiction books I've attempte...more I have been fascinated by the Titanic since I was a kid and they sent back the first pictures from the submarine that discovered its final resting place at the bottom of the Atlantic. Not a fan of the Cameron spectacle, I prefer the real life stories and connections that the tragedy created. Davenport-Hines certainly does try to life those connections and stories, but by the end of this 300 page novel it fails, in my opinion.

The book starts out very dry, like many non-fiction books I've attempted to read, with a background on the owners of the White Star Line. I couldn't wait for this section to be done because I didn't understand why I had to know this information. I felt like I was in school with no purpose for the facts about the owners and shipping mergers that ended up creating the Titanic. Since most of this part of the book dealt with knowledge about British business and shipping that I have no understanding of, I was bored until reaching the second part of the book.

The best part of the book were the rundown of the First Class, Second Class, Third Class passengers and the Officers and Crew. It was easy to connect with the stories and class struggles presented in these chapters. Some of the individuals were larger than life and others just quiet individuals looking to make a new life for themselves in America. For the lower classes and much of the crew section, since many of these individuals did not survive, I did feel like I was reading a genealogy rundown in the Bible.

Once the ship started sinking, the book felt a bit rushed--skipping from one side of the ship to the other with little explanation of ship terms (starboard, port, stern, davit, etc.) And after the introduction of many individuals in the previous section there was no rundown of who survived and who didn't.

The final chapter attempted to sum up the aftermath of the tragedy. The chapter was really mashed together and jump around quite a bit. The author didn't do a very good job of explaining, beyond the media's role in trumpeting the tragedy, what the American and British governments did to investigate. It was touched on briefly, but with little detail and only to explain the difference between the investigations.

In the end, I believe the author struggled with how to end the book. Suddenly you are reading about the death of the survivors (most pretty dramatic) and with no warning switched and ended with the iceberg melting in some warm sea in the middle of the Atlantic.(less)

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Apr 25, 2012 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars

No one not deaf or blind can have missed all the brouhaha about Titanic's Anniversary. It has been 100 years since that great ship went down, taking approximately 1500 souls to rest in the sea. A lot of books have just been published to coincide with the date. So many words, photos, film, etc. Which one should I read? Well alright, lets find the heart of the matter, which of course, is the PEOPLE. They are the story, not tons of steel. This book gives us information, sometimes in their own words...more No one not deaf or blind can have missed all the brouhaha about Titanic's Anniversary. It has been 100 years since that great ship went down, taking approximately 1500 souls to rest in the sea. A lot of books have just been published to coincide with the date. So many words, photos, film, etc. Which one should I read? Well alright, lets find the heart of the matter, which of course, is the PEOPLE. They are the story, not tons of steel. This book gives us information, sometimes in their own words, about the builders, engineers, stewards, firemen, Marconi operators, hopeful immigrants, card sharps, titled ladies and wealthy robber barons who built served, owned and traveled in the Titanic.

For example, I knew from prior reading and watching films, that there were many immigrants in the steerage class, but I did not know that many of them came from Syria, Lebanon and Armenia, fleeing the Turkish Empire. Among the third class passengers, there were Finns, Swedes, Norwegians, Welsh, Irish, Bulgarians, Italians, French, Germans and just about every other kind of European. There was one black man(from Jamaica) and a single Japanese.

Aboard this floating world were travelers for pleasure, businessmen, scam artists, musicians, the humble and the mighty. They brought their life's savings, their jewelry, their hockey sticks, violins, books, pets and even a fancy motor car worth 5000 pounds. Several Pekinese, at least one French Bulldog, an Airedale and several "lapdogs" traveled with the first class passengers. Also with the first class were the assorted maids, valets, nannies, nurses and other employees, most of them traveling in second class.

Using letters posted in Queenstown,Ireland by passengers and crew, testimony from hearings following the tragic accident, accounts written by the survivors and some fairly wild and inflated newspaper reporting, the author introduces us to real people who lived through nightmare scenes or died in terror in the sea. Their stories are compelling and heart breaking. This is the stuff of great drama. Aristotle said drama should inspire terror and pity. This account is all that and a pistachio ice cream cone.

This one is for Titanic buffs, history lovers and those who relish a great story. I promise you will be affected by it.(less)

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Apr 15, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was a great disappointment as I had seen reviews praising his research. Those reviews were correct his research is extensive but that is where things end. It apparently, that he didn't know how to pare down his research to write a compelling. This book is more an laundry list of the people on board with snippets of their lives before and sometimes after Titanic. He has divided the book into chapters by classes. The chapter on the first class is the most fleshed out as of we know the mo...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Sailor Figment rated it 5 of 5 stars

The thing that most impressed me about this book was all the footnotes and sources. The author really did his research; he didn't just rehash what others have said before.

Each chapter focuses on a different group of people: ship owners, ship builders, sailors, crew, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class passengers. (Also, I thought the character who opens the and closes the book ~no spoiler~ was an eerie touch.) Each chapter gives the background for a number of different people in each category, not just the...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, historical-non-fiction

Now that the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is almost here, I've had the blessed opportunity to be able to review some incredible new books out about the disaster. One such incredible book is called, Voyagers of the Titanic by Richard Davenport-Hines.

In this historical non fiction book, Richard takes the readers some place most books have never gone, in depth into the back stories behind everything you've ever wanted to know regarding the Titanic, those who built her and sailed...more Now that the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is almost here, I've had the blessed opportunity to be able to review some incredible new books out about the disaster. One such incredible book is called, Voyagers of the Titanic by Richard Davenport-Hines.

In this historical non fiction book, Richard takes the readers some place most books have never gone, in depth into the back stories behind everything you've ever wanted to know regarding the Titanic, those who built her and sailed on that fateful voyage. He introduces you to the first, second and third class passengers as if you meet each of the people he describes in detail. From what the menu consisted of, to what they did for entertainment on each of the class decks and most interestingly, where the iceberg may have originated from.

While most books that you'll have an opportunity to read on the sinking of the Titanic will often give you an overview of what happened that night and how she inevitably sank, this one brings to life all the souls she lost and even those who survived that night. While did the California not respond to her distress messages, why would a seasoned Captain ignore the warning of an iceberg, how did Margaret Brown become so friendly with John Jacob Astor IV, one of the richest men on board, how much did the tickets cost that separated each class from one another, and were second and third class passengers really prevented from escaping aboard the lifeboats as James Cameron depicted in his movie? All these amazing questions are answered in this book along with so much more, that if you are a Titanic fan yourself or know of someone who is, this is the perfect book!

Discover what some people died with as they departed the Titanic, what some considered most valuable to them; learn how Titanic was built and what precautions were considered in her building to address three vital factors ship builders at the time had to address; what did Margaret Brown do before she became a wealthy woman; why did the Titanic not have enough lifeboats on board; what items were brought on board the Titanic by all the classes of people; how did fate play a role in people who chose to cancel their tickets and didn't die on the Titanic; why didn't some people when told to get into a lifeboat, instead went back their rooms even though the ship was clearly taking on water?

I received Voyagers of the Titanic compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins publishers for my honest review and thoroughly enjoyed reading about this fated ship from beginning to the very end. Being a huge fan of history and the Titanic, I enjoyed reading about Margaret Brown and John Jacob Astor's unique connection as well as chapters dividing into each class of passengers; from whom they were, how much they paid, what their accommodations were like, what they ate, and what happened when each learned that the ship had hit an iceberg, what did it sound like where they were and so much, much more! I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and plan to re-read this one again and again. There is even a section of photos that takes the reader back to the ship almost a hundred years ago. (less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Alla rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Voyagers of the Titanic” marks the one hundredth anniversary of the Titanic by re-telling the stories of the passengers aboard this ship and the events before, during, and after the sinking.

Part One gives a general overview of the Titanic on land, and the shipowners as well as the shipbuilders that were behind it. Separate sections also follow the sailors, and discuss the boarding and the speed. Part Two follows the Titanic at sea and describes the people on the voyage—the first class, second...more “Voyagers of the Titanic” marks the one hundredth anniversary of the Titanic by re-telling the stories of the passengers aboard this ship and the events before, during, and after the sinking.

Part One gives a general overview of the Titanic on land, and the shipowners as well as the shipbuilders that were behind it. Separate sections also follow the sailors, and discuss the boarding and the speed. Part Two follows the Titanic at sea and describes the people on the voyage—the first class, second class, third class, and the officers and crew. Part Three follows the collision and the events to happen afterwards.

I found it interesting how much detail the author was able to gather about the ship and its accommodations, as well as the huge difference between the social classes. As the author notes, “With the exception of the officers’ quarters on the boat deck, the second-class smoking room at the end of the B deck, and the second-class library and third-class lounge and smoking room on the C deck, most of this superstructure was dedicated to the needs of the first-class passengers. And the first class, as described in this book, with all of its elevators, Turkish baths, gymnasiums, libraries, barber shops, and dark room for photographers, among other accommodations, was certainly striking.

However where this book really shines is when it shares the stories of the passengers. Several well-known personalities of the times who had tickets cancelled shortly before Titanic was set to sail—among them Clay Frick, Pierpont Morgan, George Vanderbilt Milton Hershey and Robert Bacon, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to France. Others weren’t so lucky. There were at least seven sets of honeymooners in first class, among them Jack Astor who owned much of New York. Other passengers included the parents of a young woman in France who carried their purchases for her wedding, the sole black man on the Titanic, the confectioner who was sailing to join his brother in Connecticut whose wife and children was supposed to join him separately, the man who was travelling to Canada with his wife and had his entire life savings on him, the husband who had kidnapped his two sons from his wife and boarded the Titanic with them, adulters posing as married couples, “tricksters” looking for victims to rob, and a variety of refugees, clergymen, and working men all seeking to start a new life, among many other passengers.

The most interesting part of the book is the last part where the collision is described in detail. The night is moonless and cold. The Captain is concerned about ice, thought doesn’t provide any instructions to the crew beforehand. No extra lookouts are posted. And then the event that made Titanic history happens.

There’s a lot of details, research, technical explanations, analysis of events and the moral behavior of the different passengers and the crew. I have read several books on the Titanic, but this is probably the most detailed book on the subject that I’ve come across. (less)

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May 17, 2012 Jane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, history

The overall effect of this book--or the 100 pages of it I read before deciding there were other books that needed reading and this one wasn't worth the effort--is a bit like reading one of those history articles in the UK's Daily Mail, or maybe our very own Chicago Tribune except that's being a bit unfair to the Trib. Davenport-Hines covers the Titanic passengers from the shipowners down to the lower classes in breezy, anecdotal swathes of purple prose larded with adjectives and sprinkled with f...more

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May 31, 2012 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Voyagers of the Titanic starts slow, but the deliberateness of the author in telling his story thoroughly is worth the wait, until the build-up to the actual sinking of the Titanic. Davenport-Hines chose to profile passengers from First, Second, and Third class, and along with biographic information, he included interesting trivia about each person, such as the various breeds of dogs they had on board. Suffice it to say that First Class passengers possessed wealth and privilege beyond belief, Se...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Like most girls who grew up in the mid-nineties, I have an undying love of all things Titanic. It’s impossible for me to resist a book about it, and I was especially intrigued by the subject matter of this one. I already know enough about the ship itself and the outline of events leading to the sinking; an examination of those who sailed on it as people turned survivors or victims seemed like the perfect complement to my knowledge base. Unfortunately, this book was solid at best and dull and dir...more Like most girls who grew up in the mid-nineties, I have an undying love of all things Titanic. It’s impossible for me to resist a book about it, and I was especially intrigued by the subject matter of this one. I already know enough about the ship itself and the outline of events leading to the sinking; an examination of those who sailed on it as people turned survivors or victims seemed like the perfect complement to my knowledge base. Unfortunately, this book was solid at best and dull and directionless at worst.

The book has a very academic tone and relies heavily on quotes from primary sources. At times, it felt almost too researched. There’s a place for this kind of writing, but I’m not sure it’s in a mainstream book like this one, especially one so driven by personal narratives and human emotions. Some of the citations seemed gratuitous; in places, it had the feel of a college research paper padded with quotes in order to appear substantial. I mean, I’m just not sure it’s necessary to repeatedly quote Edith Wharton in order to contextualize the Edwardian era--that sort of thing.

This is definitely a book for people who are interested in how social constructs like class, race, and gender factor into historical events. I wouldn’t recommend to this to many people, but especially not to someone who was largely unfamiliar with Titanic; I think it requires a significant amount of prior knowledge to be well understood.

But by far the most difficult part of the book was the awkward structure. It was a classic case of having too much research and too little organization--at times, Davenport-Hines goes into great detail about people or circumstances that had very little to do with Titanic. It could have done with a LOT more editing to make it flow better.

However, there are some beautifully written passages that made it worthwhile to me. I think the chapter on the collision exemplified what Davenport-Hines was trying to accomplish--a unique history on Titanic that focused more on societal factors and individuals, not an iceberg and engineering. (less)

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Apr 28, 2012 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

With the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking this month/year, there are certain to be scads of books on the subject. I wanted to read just one and picked Voyagers of the Titanic as a recommendation from Entertainment Weekly. A bit dry at times, but overall very good, this book gives details about the people on board the fated ship, from the first class aristocrats to the third class people seeking a better life in America, those who designed and captained the ship and the lowly crew membe...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Ed Smiley rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was quite an excellent book. It has a great deal of research into the social fabric and conventions and the individual lives of those who were involved, with many telling details, including many individuals that were quite obscure. This provides a telling snapshot of the age; its focus is much more on the world of 1912 than on the details of the accident, although giving a good summary of the event.

Coincidentally, I was working on a "dead sailor from the Titanic" Halloween costume (since th...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Sarah Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: titanic

Just in time for the 100th anniversary of Titanic's sinking, VOYAGERS OF THE TITANIC is one of the better books about the people on board. Richard Davenport-Hines surrounds familiar figures with unfamiliar background and details that pull together into a riveting story. With a novelist's eye, Davenport-Hines sets his first-class passengers against the new Edwardian craze for speed; shows the ship's roots in the labor violence of Belfast; and sets third-class passengers within the great migration...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

A very, very detailed account of those who built, financed and traveled on the Titanic. It was a little dry in places, forcing me to skip forward on occasions but nonetheless a historical account which endevours to clear up misconceptions formed over the years.
Class distinction features heavily and was of course responsible for the large loss of life in 3rd class. An interesting insight into that era, and also into the years following the disaster and the tragedies that befell some of the survi...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, audiobook

Everyone knows the story of the Titanic, the great ocean liner that struck an iceberg while crossing the Atlantic in 1912. When constructed it was thought to be unsinkable, but on that frigid night in the North Atlantic waters, the ship sank in two and a half hours, killing 1,517 of the 2,240 aboard.

Unlike many of the other accounts of the Titanic that focused on the sinking of the ship itself, this book provides the story behind many of the passengers on the ship, the crew and the people who bu...more Everyone knows the story of the Titanic, the great ocean liner that struck an iceberg while crossing the Atlantic in 1912. When constructed it was thought to be unsinkable, but on that frigid night in the North Atlantic waters, the ship sank in two and a half hours, killing 1,517 of the 2,240 aboard.

Unlike many of the other accounts of the Titanic that focused on the sinking of the ship itself, this book provides the story behind many of the passengers on the ship, the crew and the people who built her. It’s clear the author has done exhaustive research and has uncovered the tiniest details.

We learn who was on the ship, why they were traveling, what class ticket they bought, what it cost in today’s dollars, what the passengers brought with them, what type of cargo was on the ship, what type of food was served in each dining room, who canceled their voyage after having already bought tickets, who booked at the last minute and why. These are just a few of the many details recounted. We get a tour of the ship, hear what the rooms were like, what amenities were provided for the passengers, what they did upon boarding, what a typical day was like for those in each class (1st, 2nd or 3rd). The ship sounded glorious with one exception, if the weather turned foul and the seas were rough, the passengers were uncomfortable despite their exquisite surroundings.

We learn heartbreaking details of families separated as decisions were made on who went into the lifeboats, learn how the crew handled the situation and get a general feel of the conditions on the ship. First hand information from survivors and conversations overheard by them was also detailed. Families arrived at the port in New York to meet the Carpathia, the rescue ship, with hope that their loved one had survived. As I listened one of the things that kept coming to mind was how much communication and transportation has changed in the 100 years since the disaster. Many of the initial reports and media coverage were inaccurate.

Told in a serious documentary style, Robin Sachs’ powerful narration is easy to listen to. It’s a fascinating and absorbing account of the many individuals who’s lives were touched by the catastrophe. The many, many facts and figures recited are too overwhelming to be recalled offhand unless you have a fantastic memory but the individual, personal stories will resonate with the listener. Titanic history buffs who want to absorb every detail and note every fact would appreciate having a print copy of book.

As I’ve mentioned when reviewing other non-fiction audiobooks, I miss having photographs, charts, maps, drawings and any other reference materials that would enhance my understanding of the story. More audio books are being produced with this type of information included in a pdf file but sadly this one did not.

In spite of the lack of visual reference material this is still a wonderful book. Non-fiction is often an easier choice than fiction for those new to audio and I recommend giving this one a listen.(less)

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Oct 17, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was really impressed with the author's research and appreciated the copious end notes and footnotes. There wasn't much here I didn't already know, but I found it refreshing to read an account of the Titantic told from the passengers' and crew's point of view. There is a chapter on each class and I was pleased to see the Second & Third class chapters were a little meatier than the one on First Class.
The author also does a great job of putting what seems to be, to the modern reader, puzzlin...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Linda Marciniszyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm typically a quick read on any book and unfortunately this book is proving painfully difficult to get through and it's not because I wasn't intetested in the subject matter, I was. But Davenport-Hines has made it difficult fgor me to empathize or even like the poor souls I'm reading about! I would not have guessed prior to beginning to read a book about a tragedy about individuals that looses their lives that I would have difficulty developing remorse when I caame into the subject already fee...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Linda Lipko rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

April 14, 2012 will mark the 100th anniversary date of the sinking of the Titanic.

So much has been written, documented and filmed about the Titanic that it would seem difficult to find a new slant. Yet, the author has indeed accomplished this goal.

Rather than spending pages and pages of technical details regarding the building and sinking of the "unsinkable" luxury liner, Davenport-Hines focuses on the lives of those aboard. He gives in depth stories of the first, second and third class passenge...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Wide rated it 3 of 5 stars

Book Information:
Voyagers of the Titanic:
Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From
by Richard Davenport - Hines

Review:
The Titanic fascinates me. A ship believed to be unsinkable falters in the North Atlantic resulting in the deaths of over 1000 people.
Voyagers is what the title suggests, a book loaded with information about who was on the ship. There is lots of background material through out. Of course not everyone is listed, I believe that would be impossi...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Linda Overstreet rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very insiteful look in the sinking of the Titanic, the people aboard, the fatal night and the circumstances leading up to the collison. Makes those on the Titanic real and breathing, not just a name in history from Captain Edward Smith, to John Astor and his pregnant wife, first officer, William Murdock and second officer Ligrhtroller, to second and third class aboard the ship, even the Unsinkable Molly Brown. Brings to light why so many were still aboard the Titanic when it sank and circumsta...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked the layout of the book. I learned a little bit about the people who built, owned, and sailed the Titantic. The first section was about the building of the ship. The second section about the passengers by class and the seamen on her. The last section was about the sinking of her then the aftermath of the survivors, not only those that sailed her but those who had someone on her. The last chapter was the hardest to read because it was the aftermath and what happened to those who sailed the...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Jennifer Rayment rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Good Stuff

Thoroughly well researched, amazed on how much research was put into this
Incredibly detailed
Gives you a fascinating look into the period of time when the tragedy occurred and especially dealing with class separation
Loved the little back stories he mentions about the passengers - gives you more insight into the time
Really liked how the book was organized into stories based on what class the passengers were on or what their responsibilities were (shipbuilders, first class, second...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel

And in this book was a detailed account of every single person who was on the Titanic, especially the 1st and 2nd class passengers. 3rd class gets a little fuzzy and in those classes, I found the minorities the most interesting. Once again, I thought I was interested in the Titanic, but this book is insane! There is so much detail, you can't keep anything straight for more then a page. I also found when they were docking in New York really interesting. It's the small things that were interesting...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Margo Melville rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was terrific for details about the time period I am interested in. It is so full of Post-Its the cover is wonked up.

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Mar 02, 2012 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ala-2012

This book had a few rough chapters, but I liked it overall. The chapters on the actual sinking and the aftermath were excellent. I loved the framing technique of first discussing the formation of the iceberg, and on the last page dealing with where the berg finally melted. But this is a very slow read. It's much more a history than a novel. The book's first 3 chapters, about the backgrounds and lives of the passengers in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class, almost immediately bog down in minutiae. It seemed...more This book had a few rough chapters, but I liked it overall. The chapters on the actual sinking and the aftermath were excellent. I loved the framing technique of first discussing the formation of the iceberg, and on the last page dealing with where the berg finally melted. But this is a very slow read. It's much more a history than a novel. The book's first 3 chapters, about the backgrounds and lives of the passengers in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class, almost immediately bog down in minutiae. It seemed like every single passenger got at least a sentence, even if all that is known about that passenger was their name and point of departure. I think that's a little much. Some tables or graphs would have been immensely helpful in these chapters. That way, he could have addressed everyone, while being able to focus the text on more interesting passengers. Another chart would have been useful when, in the last chapter, there is a whole paragraph of him explaining the percentages of how many people survived from each class and each gender. Some things are just more effectively expressed through a graph than a long, confusing paragraph.
Another slight issue is that he assumes a certain base knowledge of events and people connected with the Titanic. Some people he mentions merely to say that they aren't as bad as everybody else says they are, which can be confusing, if you didn't know what everybody else was saying in the first place.
I would have loved more exposition of the inquiries. That section seemed curiously cursory. Only two of the people who testified are quoted, making me curious about the testimonies of those who are not. Maybe if I want whole transcripts I should look those up for myself, but surely just a few more quotes wouldn't have been that hard to incorporate in this section?
But on the whole, I learned a lot I didn't know about the Titanic, which is what I was hoping for. It's hard to find something new to say about such an iconic event, and I think Davenport-Hines manages that. That's not nothing. (less)

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Apr 26, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

Late in the night of April 14, 1912, the mighty Titanic, a passenger liner traveling from Southampton, England, to New York City, struck an iceberg four hundred miles south of Newfoundland. Its sinking over the next two and a half hours brought the ship--mythological in name and size--one hundred years of infamy.

Of the 2,240 people aboard the ship, 1,517 perished either by drowning or by freezing to death in the frigid North Atlantic waters. What followed the disaster was tantamount to a worldwi...more Late in the night of April 14, 1912, the mighty Titanic, a passenger liner traveling from Southampton, England, to New York City, struck an iceberg four hundred miles south of Newfoundland. Its sinking over the next two and a half hours brought the ship--mythological in name and size--one hundred years of infamy.

Of the 2,240 people aboard the ship, 1,517 perished either by drowning or by freezing to death in the frigid North Atlantic waters. What followed the disaster was tantamount to a worldwide outpouring of grief: In New York, Paris, London, and other major cities, people lined the streets and crowded around the offices of the White Star Line, the Titanic's shipping company, to inquire for news of their loved ones and for details about the lives of some of the famous people of their time.

While many accounts of the Titanic's voyage focus on the technical or mechanical aspects of why the ship sank, Voyagers of the Titanic follows the stories of the men, women, and children whose lives intersected on the vessel's fateful last day, covering the full range of first, second, and third class---from plutocrats and captains of industry to cobblers and tailors looking for a better life in America.

Richard Davenport-Hines delves into the fascinating lives of those who ate, drank, reveled, dreamed, and died aboard the mythic ship: from John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest person on board, whose comportment that night was subject to speculation and gossip for years after the event, to Archibald Butt, the much-beloved military aide to Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft, who died helping others into the Titanic's few lifeboats. With magnificent prose, Voyagers of the Titanic also brings to life the untold stories of the ship's middle and third classes--clergymen, teachers, hoteliers, engineers, shopkeepers, counterjumpers, and clerks--each of whom had a story that not only illuminates the fascinating ship but also the times in which it sailed. In addition, Davenport-Hines explores the fascinating politics behind the Titanic's creation, which involved larger-than-life figures such as J. P. Morgan, the ship's owner, and Lord Pirrie, the ship's builder.

The memory of this tragedy still remains a part of the American psyche and Voyagers of the Titanic brings that clear night back to us with all of its drama and pathos.(less)

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AKA R.P.T. Davenport-Hines

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“The first chap we said was loafing, until he died. That's nearly always the verdict on a sailing ship, anyway. A man is invariably 'mouching' until he dies, and then we say, "Oh, he must have been bad after all." --Charles Lightoller” — 1 person liked it

“Ritzonia" was the epithet coined by Bernard Bernson, who sold Italian pictures to American millionaires, to describe the unreal, mortifying sameness of their luxury. "Ritzonia," he wrote in 1909, "carries its inmates like a wishing carpet from place to place, the same people, the same meals, the same music. Within its walls you might be at Peking or Prague or Paris or London and you would never know where.” — 1 person liked it

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