Customer Reviews

Forgotten Empress

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The book is captivating. David Zeni doesn't miss a beat and tells the reader the story of Empress of Ireland as it happened in a way that paints a vivid picture of the true horror. May 29th, 1914 should live as much in our memory as that April night in 1912. David Zeni's "Forgotten Empress" is a fitting tribute to the Empress.

David Zeni has written a comprehensive novel on the sinking of the Empress Of Ireland. He weaves the cast of characters through the tragic sinking. He left no stone unturned in his research. There are the wealthy: Sir Henry Seton Karr, Grace Dunlevy, and Sabina Grundy. The famous: The Irvings'. And the tragic: Fanny Mounsey among 1000 others who perished. If you collect ocean liner books- this one belongs on your shelf.

This fascinating book tells the true and virtually unknown story of the sinking of a trans-Atlantic passenger ship in the St. Lawrence River in 1914, killing 1012 people. The Empress of Ireland had a higher fatality of passengers (840) than either Titanic (832) in 1912 or Lusitania (791) in 1915. For some reason, this tragedy is almost unknown. Now, David Zeni brings it back to life in this absorbing, well-written book. Zeni covers the controversy surrounding the cause of the sinking in great detail. He also provides interesting word portraits of many of the passengers, and discusses the aftermath, including the investigation into the tragedy. The book includes numerous photographs, charts, and maps. Hard to put down and well worth the read. Plus you will be able to impress your friends with your knowledge should they ever bring up the Titanic or Lusitania.

David Zeni has done a superb job in telling the sad story of the Empress of Ireland. His rich styleof writing kept me wanting to read the entire book with out stopping. He has dug out facts that earlier works on this forgotten steamer never touched, and he did it with extreme detail. If you like stories about the other lost liners of the turn of the century, this book should be on your list.

I've read this book many times and each time, I discover more things that I didn't realize the first time around. The book is both incredible and beautiful. It is a wonderful tribute to a terrible tragedy that never should have happened. Unfortunately, it did happen.

Each chapter is unique and different from the one before it. Yet, they all tie in together to make a story of such intrigue that I have found it hard to put down each time I've read it!

I'm certainly glad that Mr. Zeni wrote this gripping story. It is obvious that a lot of research and detail went into its preparation. I would like to thank Mr. Zeni for writing this magnificent book.