Customer Reviews

Down With the Old Canoe: A Cultural History of the Titanic Disaster

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the few Titanic books currently in print which does more than rehash the same old sinking story. Instead, it looks at the reaction of society to the greatest marine tragedy of all time.

The success of Biel's book hinges on his meticulous research and thorough reporting of his findings. One chapter examines how the New York press reported the tragedy in the days following the sinking. Many authors are content to re-state what the New York Times said (accurately reporting that the ship had sunk), and what the New York Sun said (inaccurately reporting "All Saved From Titanic After Collision"). Biel digs deeper, and presents a range of reactions that vary from honest, dedicated journalism to wild speculation.

Biel's also examines how the Titanic affects us to this day. His analysis of Titanic movies such as "A Night to Remember", "Titanic" (1953), and "Raise the Titanic" give the reader a new perspective on these often-overlooked films. More than cinematic re-tellings of the sinking, they reveal the feelings and values of the people who made them.

Although it is not the most exciting of novels, it is a brave work that, like prospectors looking for gold, successfully finds new material in a world of tired, re-hashed, and looked-over facts.

"Down With the Old Canoe," is a detailed rendering of the sociological impact of the Titanic disaster, from the time of her sinking to modern day "enthusiasts." Harvard educated Biel seems to want to include every tidbit and piece of trivia he can find on the impact the sinking had on the day-to-day lives of the worlds populace. He accurately chronicles the delay in America of women being given the right to vote; tying that decision into the chivalry shown by the male victims of the sinking. No sermon given on the evils of wealth for wealth's sake is left unmentioned as it pertained to the millionaires who lost their lives. Moden day "enthusiasts" and their reasons for being so enamored of the lost vessel are explored in depth, and make for fascinating reading. But Biel, himself, remains aloof from the subject; he never even attempts to connect, personally, with his subject. In the final chapters, he reveals that had been his intention: to not cast his person in the book itself. That aloofness; that lack of "first-person" gives "Down With the Old Canoe," a strange dichotomy. At times (especially in those areas dealing with the modern enthusiasts), is is as fast and entertaining a read as a current issue of Time, Newsweek or People magazines. At others, the story Biel attempts to relate is as dry and dull as attempting to read a term paper. Titanic afficinados will enjoy this book; others may want the more thrilling "A Night To Remember."

This is very interesting and poses some interesting questions. However, British readers should note that it is very US-centric. This is not a book for those who are not already enthusiasts about the Titanic.

Plenty of books recount what happened the night the Titanic sank, but this one does something different. It traces how people have understood that night, mostly in the United States, in the decades since. For example, the Titanic figured into the arguments of both opponents and supporters of women's suffrage in 1912. It entered into African American culture in the form of folk songs and spoken-word poetry (the precursor to rap). It's been the subject of poems, novels, songs, musicals, and (of course) movies. James Cameron's 1997 film--the highest grossing movie of all time--is just one attempt to make the disaster speak to contemporary concerns.

With intelligence and wit, Biel shows that many meanings can come from an event. If you want to read a narrative account of the Titanic disaster, try "A Night To Remember." But for the hows and whys of remembrance, read this wonderfully researched book, which is gracefully written and often funny.

Steven Biel writes with a detail and depth of knowledge of his subject. The disaster becomes a touchstone for aspects of popular American culture, a prism through which various 20th century concerns are seen, even as Titanic-as-metaphor becomes increasingly mythic and removed from the actual event.

If by "academic" some of the previous reviewers meant hopelessly dry and equally trite, I'll add a resounding "you bet." Biel represents a reprehensible trend making its way through the academy, one which chooses to focus exclusively on how events are interpreted instead of what they are. It's a convenient excuse to study pop culture and enforce fashionable academic relativism for most, and Mr. Biel is no exception.

Still, all of this I could excuse if the book offered anything resembling relevance. Instead, it's entirely composed of trivia: a virtual catalogue (and not much better written) of anything ever said about the "Titanic" disaster, which leaves one with no impression of what this was all about. I've given Mr. Biel two stars for managing to avoid the unreadable jargon that characterizes much of the work done in his field today, but potential readers should be aware that this book, despite its excessive and anal documenting, offers no thesis worth mentioning.

This was a very good book, although it fails achieve a high score. The text was fairly interesting and the pictures hardly held my interest. Had a few very interesting facts, though.