Customer Reviews

On Board RMS Titanic

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Mr.Behe is to be congratulated for compiling such a huge list of first hand survivor accounts. Forget James Cameron's Titanic and its myriad of sensationalist distortions, this book tells the story as it really happened. No Titanic scholar - or those with an interest in history or human drama - can afford to be without this one.

I have been reading and studying about Titanic for about 20 years and this book is by far the one that brings Titanic to life the best. As you read the words of crew members and passengers one gets an entirely new sense of what Titanic was and what she meant to those who sailed on her. A Must Have for anyone who has interest in Titanic.

George Behe, a former president of the Titanic Historical Society, is without question one of the most knowledgeable people around regarding the sinking of the great ocean liner in 1912. Over the past few decades he has amassed an astounding collection of first-hand accounts of the disaster recorded within days or weeks of the famous event, accounts from passengers of every class and from crew members. There are diary entries, newspaper interviews, and above all letters -- some only quick notes to reassure folks back home, some lengthy detailed narratives covering the voyage, the accident, and the rescue. And they are all presented over hundreds of pages in "On Board the RMS Titanic", accompanied by biographical essays on how each of the writers came to be aboard ship.

"On Board the RMS Titanic" is an extraordinary collection of primary source material generated in the immediate aftermath of the event before memories faded and myths had time to intrude, a book unsurpassed in presenting a "you are there" portrait of the sinking of the Titanic. It is an absolutely essential reference book for any serious Titanic student, as important as (and rather more lively than) the transcripts of the American and British official inquiries into the disaster.

Very few books produced these days can claim the merits of being either "original" or "worthwhile". This book can proudly justify both these
claims. Following on from the success of "Titanic: Speed, Safety and Sacrifice" (an underrated book, and quite rare), Mr. Behe has followed this up
with his three volume biography of Titanic victim Archibald Butt, and coming soon is a discussion of the Carpathia's role in the rescue of the Titanic's
survivors. I can hardly wait to see what new revelations these volumes contain and applaud Mr.Behe for his tenacious work in trying to make sense of
the conflicting myriad of data that was generated the night the unsinkable sank.

You know an author has done his job when the reader says, "I've never seen that before." Or, "I can't put the book down." The author has gathered together a series of accounts written by the survivors of the Titanic that have not made their way into other books. Clearly, it has taken years of diligent research to find these. It gives the reader a clear picture of what it was like to sail on the only voyage of the Titanic. The book, which runs about 550 pages takes the reader through each day of the voyage.

I can guarantee you, it will give the reader many hours of pleasure.

George Behe's new book "On Board RMS Titanic" is a treasure trove of first person source material.

George has collected many dozens of letters and accounts for this book. Many were originally published shortly after the disaster, and have not been available since that time, and some have not been published at all, but saved by family members. Some letters were even written before the Titanic sailed, by people writing in anticipation of the voyage. Other accounts were written on the Carpathia, when the events of the sinking were fresh in a survivors mind, and more written shortly afterwards, in 1912 and 1913. No matter how much knowledge you may have of the events on Titanic the night of the sinking, this book has some gems you've never read about before.

This book is a "must have" for anyone interested in reading about, or researching, the Titanic.

George Behe has outdone himself with his latest Titanic-related volume. This book presents a large number of first-hand survivor accounts, many never published before. The accounts are gripping, and allow you to envision what the survivors went through. Many are very poignant, and cut through the mythology to show what really happened that fateful night. A nice inclusion were brief sections of biographical information for the people mentioned throughout the book.

It was refreshing to see a new book on the subject not laced with conspiracy theories or the same-old worn out factual mistakes that are reproduced again and again. There are literally dozens of Titanic books coming out in time for the 100th anniversary of the sinking in 2012, many of which I am really looking forward to reading. However, this one definitely deserves a place at the top of your list.