How to Survive the Titanic: Or, The Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay

by Frances Wilson Narrated by Robin Sachs

Overview

On the terrifying, chaotic night of April 14, 1912, while the Titanic was sinking, Bruce J. Ismay, the ship's owner, made a decision that would save his life - and end it. Ismay boarded a lifeboat meant for women and children, and within days became 'The Most Talked-of Man in the World.' Branded a coward, he became a flesh-and-blood embodiment of Joseph Conrad's legendary eponymous character, Lord Jim. How to Survive the Titanic interweaves numerous historical accounts and sources with insights drawn from Conrad's novels. Unlike other survivors, this pivotal figure never again spoke about the Titanic. This intriguing history offers a sympathetic yet clear eyed explanation why - important lessons all of us need to survive the tragedies and choices of our own lives.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Wilson gives an absorbing account of the disaster and its cultural associations...her approach yields a rich meditation on the mere moment's hesitation that separates cowardice from courage." - Publishers Weekly
"It is a pleasure to read a book that offers something new on this topic. Titanic completists will certainly want this, and also readers of biography and Edwardian-era history." - Library Journal
"The author demonstrates an impressive knowledge of that night to remember." - Kirkus Reviews
"[Ismay's] dramatic story comes to life...Wilson writes eloquently of this classic Icarus tale..." - NPR
"...a gripping study - part reportage, part biography, part literary criticism...a stimulating, very readable book...will fascinate literary and Titanic enthusiasts alike." - The Telegraph
"Just when it seemed impossible to make the story of the Titanic fresh, along comes this sensitive book, full of strange currents, coincidences and pairings...This book finds submerged truths, unravels riddles, listens to echoes...a deep reading of the catastrophe through one hapless, inert man." - London Evening Standard

BusinessWeek

Persuasive…examines the disaster afresh through the prism of Ismay’s life…Ultimately, Wilson’s portrait-empathetic rather than sympathetic-depicts Ismay as an Everyman troublingly suited to our own uncertain times.

Forbes

A gripping account…Wilson brings a bright new perspective to the event raising provocative moral questions about cowardice and heroism, memory and identity, survival and guilt.

Richard Holmes

A gripping retrospective on the Titanic disaster seen through the eyes of the wealthy ship’s owner…and an inspired interweaving of the moral themes of guilt and responsibility

Lucy Scholes

A haunting story…A meticulously researched and eloquently written account of one of the twentieth century’s most iconic disasters [that] explores a man ‘mired in the moment of his jump.’

Hermione Eyre

Wilson herself casts a Conradian spell…finds submerged truths, unravels riddles, listens to echoes. This book is a deep reading of the catastrophe through one hapless, inert man.

Library Journal

This new look at the Titanic's sinking, including some previously unpublished letters, peers into the life and psyche of J. Bruce Ismay, the ship's owner who survived the disaster by jumping into a lifeboat filled with women and children. Wilson (The Ballad of Dorothy Wordsworth) not only recounts the events of the terrible night of April 14-15, 1912, but she effectively associates Ismay's cowardice and torment with that of Conrad's Lord Jim, thus adding another dimension to the story. VERDICT British actor Robin Sachs's sonorous voice captures just the right emotional tone. Followers of all things Titanic, historians, and literature lovers will appreciate this audiobook, despite some lengthy accounts of the investigations into the sinking. [See the Titanic centenary audio roundup (p. 60) and print titles on p. 108.] [The Harper Perennial pb will publish in March 2012.—Ed.]—Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

JANUARY 2012 - AudioFile

J. Bruce Ismay is a historical footnote: The owner of the TITANIC survived the sinking and lived the rest of his life in shame. Should he have gone down with the ship? He said he jumped onto a lifeboat as it was being lowered, meaning he did not steal a seat. But did he fail life's biggest test of courage? Narrator Robin Sachs inspires both revulsion and compassion for Ismay, a man overwhelmed by fate. Sachs is the voice of many men and women from different cultures, who weigh in with bits and pieces of the drama. There were 2,223 on board the “unsinkable” ship when it sunk 100 years ago, and 1,500 died. This is the tragic story of one who did not. M.S. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175733908
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	10/11/2011
Edition description:	Unabridged

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