Voyagers of the Titanic : passengers, sailors, shipbuilders, aristocrats, and the worlds they came from

“An astonishing work.”—Julian Fellowes, Creator and Executive Producer of “Downton Abbey” “A book well worthy of marking the centenary of the crystal-clear night when the immense ship slid to her terrible doom.”—Simon Winchester, __New York Times__ bestselling author of __The Professor and the Madman__ It has been one hundred years since the sinking of the passenger liner Titanic in the North Atlantic, yet worldwide fascination with the epic tragedy remains as strong as ever. With __Voyagers of the Titanic__, Richard Davenport-Hines gives us a magnificent history of the people intimately connected with the infamous ship—from deal-makers and industry giants, like J.P. Morgan, who built and operated it; to Molly Brown, John Jacob Astor IV, and other glittering aristocrats who occupied its first class cabins; to the men and women traveling below decks hoping to find a better life in America. Commemorating the centennial anniversary of the great disaster, __Voyagers of the Titanic__ offers a fascinating, uniquely original view of one of the most momentous catastrophes of the 20th century. “An astonishing work.” —Julian Fellowes, Creator and Executive Producer of “Downton Abbey” “A book well worthy of marking the centenary of the crystal-clear night when the immense ship slid to her terrible doom.” —Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman It has been one hundred years since the sinking of the passenger liner Titanic in the North Atlantic, yet worldwide fascination with the epic tragedy remains as strong as ever. With Voyagers of the Titanic , Richard Davenport-Hines gives us a magnificent history of the people intimately connected with the infamous ship—from deal-makers and industry giants, like J.P. Morgan, who built and operated it; to Molly Brown, John Jacob Astor IV, and other glittering aristocrats who occupied its first class cabins; to the men and women traveling below decks hoping to find a better life in America. Commemorating the centennial anniversary of the great disaster, Voyagers of the Titanic offers a fascinating, uniquely original view of one of the most momentous catastrophes of the 20th century.

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 Of the 2,240 people aboard the ship, 1,517 perished. While many accounts focus on the technical aspects of the Titanic's sinking, "Voyagers of the Titanic" follows the stories of the men, women, and children whose lives intersected on its fateful last day. Covering the 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, dreamed, and died abroad the mythic ship. With magnificent prose, he also explores the politics behind the Titanic's creation, involving larger-than-life figures like J.P. Morgan, the ship's owner, and Lord Pirrie, the ship's builder. The memory of the ship's sinking 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 Prologue: From Greenland's icy mountains On land. Boarding ; Speed ; Shipowners ; Shipbuilders ; Sailors At sea. First class ; Second class ; Third class ; Officers and crew Life and death.Collision ; The meaning shows in the defeated thing. While many accounts of the Titanic's voyage focus on the technical or mechanical aspects of why the ship sank, Davenport-Hines follows the stories of the men, women, and children whose lives intersected on the vessel's fateful last day.