Titanic at Two A.M.: An Illustrated Narrative with Survivor Accounts [Hardcover]

Paul J. Quinn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1997

Paul Quinn creates a cohesive and spellbinding account of the last minutes aboard the Titanic through narrative, colour illustrations, black and white photographs, diagrams, and survivor accounts. You will develop a greater sense of what the survivors saw and heard that night just moments before the ship went under.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Quinn is a member of the Titanic Historical Society and writes and paints for its publication, the Titanic Commutator. Following Robert Ballard's discovery of the wreck in 1985 (see his Discovery of the Titanic, LJ 1/88), there have been numerous books retelling the epic story of the "unsinkable ship" on its maiden voyage with an insufficient number of lifeboats for passengers and crew. Quinn uses structural details gleaned from the accounts of Ballard and many survivors to reconstruct a vivid description of the final 20 minutes of the vessel's life. He has an excellent knowledge of the layout of the ship and has contributed several paintings showing the progress of the sinking. Of course, Quinn had to surmise various scenarios, including his dramatic descriptions of the rising water, the sounds of water flooding the various public rooms, and even which escape routes were likely taken by the third-class passengers. A beautiful addition to the literature of the Titanic and a good purchase for public libraries.?John Kenny, San Francisco P.L.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Paul Quinn is an artist and writer who brings a lifetime of interest and research to his work on the Titanic. He finds a special joy in making the ship come alive through his paints. Paul is a member of the Titanic Historical Society and his work appears in their quarterly journal, The Titanic Commutator. Paul is also the author of "Dusk to Dawn: Survivor Accounts of the Last Night on the Titanic." More of his work can be seen in McGraw Hill's "The Exceptional Child," and Fantail's "South of the Sahara"

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Fantail (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965520935
• ISBN-13: 978-0965520935
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,357,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Titanic Book, June 30, 2000

By 

Susan (Newberg, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Titanic at Two A.M.: An Illustrated Narrative with Survivor Accounts (Hardcover)

As I have read over 135 books on Titanic, this one is very high on my list of great Titanic books. Paul Quinn brings an immediacy to the disaster. If you have ever wanted to know what it was like in the last 20 minutes of the great ships life, this book is a 'must read'. Paul also does the great ship justice as far as his illustrations go. Check this one out!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Illustrations, Good Story, March 12, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Titanic at Two A.M.: An Illustrated Narrative with Survivor Accounts (Hardcover)

This is a really interesting book. There are paintings in it that I never saw before that show all kinds of intersting scenes from that night. It is mainly about the time period between 2:00 and 2:20 a.m. when the ship was going down.

I was really drawn into the paintings of people rushing up the boat deck during the ship's final demise.

This book is definitely a thumbs up!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, April 7, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Titanic at Two A.M.: An Illustrated Narrative with Survivor Accounts (Hardcover)

I have read about 10 books so far on the Titanic and this is one of the best. I originally bought the book for its artwork (Titanic - An Illustrated History is a good one for that as well) but I was surprised to find out that the text was outstanding. Quinn creates an immediacy and a "you are there" feel that makes it a real page turner. Although the book is only about 120+ pages, the author does a good job of focusing on his task: telling the gripping story of the last 20 minutes of the life of the liner. Fully half of the book is devoted to the loading and launching of the four collapsible boats, one of the most exciting and controvertial aspects of the entire sinking. Many of the great players appear in this book including Lightoller, Gracie, Thayer, Beesley, Murdoch and Bride. One of my favorite chapters concerns the sinking of the ship between 2:15 and 2:20 A.M. This chapter is roughly 25 pages long and gives a good idea of what it would have been like to have been on a ship with no remaining lifeboats and quickly tilting on end.

Although I had read much of the information in this book in other places, Quinn put it all together in a way that added new insight into the sinking. Quinn's side discussions on the Californian were also interesting. The only flaw with the book is its heavy price. If you want a more comprehensive account of the sinking, get Titanic - an Illustrated History, Walter Lord's books, or survivor accounts (Archibald Gracies' book for instance or the Titanic Disaster Hearing Transcripts). If, though, you want a good account of those final exciting minutes on the liner and can afford the book, you can't go wrong with this purchase.