Titanic: A Survivor’s Story [Paperback]

Archibald Gracie (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0897334523 | ISBN-13: 978-0897334525 | Publication Date: February 18, 1998 | Edition: 2

Here is a survivor's vivid account of the greatest maritime disaster in history. The information contained in Gracie's account is available from no other source. He provides details of those final moments, including names of passengers pulled from the ocean and of those men who, in a panic, jumped into lifeboats as they were being lowered, causing injury and further danger to life. Walter Lord, author of 'A Night to Remember', comments that Gracie's book - written shortly before he died from the exposure he suffered on the night - is "invaluable for chasing down who went in what boat", and calls Gracie "an indefatigable detective".

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With Titanic mania still gripping the country, especially its younger women, material on the doomed ship is in high demand. This volume combines accounts from two survivors of the disaster and is a good value for libraries.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Colonel Archibald Gracie was among the last to leave the sinking Titanic on that cold April night in 1912. His is the most accurate contemporary account of what happened from the moment that the great liner hit the iceberg. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 365 pages
• Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers; 2 edition (February 18, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897334523
• ISBN-13: 978-0897334525
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,192,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid & Meticulous Firsthand Account of Disaster, March 29, 2003

By 

mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Titanic (Maritime) (Paperback)

Colonel Archibald Gracie is one of the few people who actually went down with the Titanic and lived to tell about it. First published in 1913, "Titanic" is his detailed account of the last day he spent aboard ship, the evacuation of passengers on the port side of the ship, and of his incredible survival on an overturned lifeboat after being plunged into the frigid ocean when the Titanic finally completely submerged. The first 113 pages of the book are dedicated to Colonel Gracie's firsthand account. In the remaining approximately 200 pages, Col. Gracie has compiled testimony from as many other eyewitnesses as he could find. These firsthand accounts of passengers and crew are taken from the official inquiries in the United States and Great Britain, personal correspondence and interviews with Col. Gracie, and occasionally from firsthand accounts that were published in books and magazines of the day. Taken together, they render a very detailed picture of what went on that fateful night and why more people were not saved. Colonel Gracie died 8 months after the Titanic sank, of illness possibly related to the prolonged exposure to cold that he endured the night the Titanic went down.

This is one of the most comprehensive and precise accounts of the Titanic disaster that you will find. Colonel Gracie is an engaging storyteller. I like his decision to organize the eyewitness accounts by lifeboat. The book also provides some interesting insights into the manners and social attitudes of the time.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent example of a survivor's account, August 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Titanic: A Survivor’s Story (Paperback)

I read this book at first to establish some truths about this great story. I feel that it had become a far fetched story of modern times , with all the romantic films and books available today. I came away from reading this book with a sense of great loss. Gracie, has spent a short time explaining the everyday bustle of those on board and at least 300 pages about how the ship sank and who was involved it what.

A truly fantastic read ,and one that has inspired me to read more on the subject. Thanks Archibald !!!!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant pairing of contrasting accounts of the same tragedy, November 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Titanic: A Survivor’s Story (Paperback)

Two of the most poignant survivor accounts of the Titanic sinking. Mr. Gracie, an elderly man with many social ties to others on the ship and Mr. Thayer, the 17 year old son of a prominent businessman were both first class passengers. Both nearly drowned as the Titanic plunged to the bottom of the Atlantic; but found refuge on the upside down collapsible lifeboat B. Mr. Gracie lost his best friend and Mr. Thayer lost his father. The grief each feels still calls out to us.

The style of each narrative is interesting to compare. Gracie, when describing his own experience or his impressions of the significance of the sinking, uses the flowing purple prose of the late 19th century (his style is more straightforward in his compilations of accounts of other passengers and he has even used their actual statements). Thayer, writing in 1940 about his own experience, is terser; but his reflection that the world seemed calm and his place in it assured before that night is poetic. Archibald Gracie died soon after he wrote his narrative. I'm unsure; but I believe Jack Thayer did not live long after he wrote his story. Since Mr. Thayer's account is not generally available in other sources, and Mr. Gracie was so thorough about who was in (or, in his case, on) each lifeboat, this book will be appreciated by any Titanic buff.