Titanic - Voices by Donald Hyslop

Sutton Publishing Ltd. 1997, 2nd. Edition,296pp, X (cloth), £19.99, or 0-7509-1832-2(paperback)

, A great ship's death is always a terrible occurence, that of RMS Titanic made infinitely so by the vast loss of life incurred. Enormous speculation surrounding her loss in 1912 has prompted numerous articles, books and not least the current cinema pic.

TITANIC - Voices differs from others by painting the scene on a far broader canvas. It is a complete history of the maritime industry of those times and particularly that of the port of Southampton, which supplied most of the people for all aspects of the final preparation and the crew for Titanic's ill-fated maiden voyage. It also explores the passenger list which included folk from many countries and walks of life. Inevitably it contains a vivid description of the iceberg collision and sinking. The subsequent investigations into Titanic's loss are reported in detail and the book ends with a particularly moving analysis of the aftermath of this horrifying event.

The volume is well printed and contains many excellent and some full colour reproductions of historic illustrations and documents. The authors are to be complimented for their diligence and skill in providing a fascinating account of this sad slice of maritime history. Remarkable value at the cover price! ARB