James Cameron's Titanic (Hardcover)

~ James Cameron (Author), Ed Marsh (Author), Jain Lemos (Author) "movie is as close as you can get to being in a time machine and going back to the ship says Cameron. It is a..." (more)
Key Phrases: millionaire suite, boat deck, Digital Domain, Grand Staircase, Dining Saloon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

James Cameron's Titanic is a book conceived on the epic scale of the movie--not only do the massive page size and sky-high production values of the book do justice to the big ship, they give Kate Winslet's titanic hats an impact comparable to what the big screen gives them. It's also fun to get the effect of exploring a set as vast, complex, and fiscally and physically dangerous as the one Cameron created for Titanic the film. He is Hollywood's answer to Ahab, so he deserves a great big book.

Nor will fans be disappointed to hear Winslet break character--she plays an upper-class lass from the stuffiest circles--and explain how she helped her costar prepare for their first scene together, in which she stripped for her dishy portrait. "I was naked in front of Leo on the first day of shooting," says Winslet in the book. "She had no shame with it," says DiCaprio, who apparently despises shame. "She wanted to break the ice a little beforehand, so she flashed me. I wasn't prepared for that, so she had one up on me. I was pretty comfortable after that."

While the stars were getting acquainted and the wild-eyed director was figuring out historically unprecedented ways of blending live footage with computer imagery ("Cheat the size of the tugboats 10 percent smaller ... It will make the ship look even more majestic as it leaves Southampton!"), the core cast of 150 extras was taking a crash course in manners. Etiquette coach and choreographer Lynne Hockney even taught the Core (as they were called) that there was a proper way to laugh. "It was the Gilded Age, a time of the grand hostess, lavish parties and tireless pleasure-seeking," Hockney says in the book. "And each social class was scrambling to reach the one above it. This made proper behavior terribly important.... You cannot slouch in a corset, for example. You perch." One wishes there was a frame or two from the Hockney film running on a tape loop in the wardrobe building, Titanic Etiquette: A Time-Traveler's Guide. If it were available for sale, people would be buying it.

On the other hand, there's always the movie. Or this book. --Tim Appelo --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

Some jump, some fall, each dotting the water's surface like the period at the end of a sentence. Then, the stern slips under the water, plunging everyone into a coldness so intense it is indistinguishable from fire. Ten minutes.Twenty minutes. The inchoate wail of 1500 souls slowly fades to individual cries from the darkness. We know you can hear us! Save one life! 700 survivors stand by in lifeboats built for 1200, afraid to act for fear of getting swamped. They tell themselves that the voices from the water do not belong to their husbands or their loved ones. They are merely the cries of the damned....
-- From James Cameron's Titanic

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (December 10, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0067575161
• ISBN-13: 978-0067575161
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 10.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (314 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #280,360 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful movie companion!, May 11, 2001

By	D. Litton (Wilmington, NC) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"James Cameron's Titanic" has a little something for all different sets of movie fans. There's an incredible amount of photos and captures from the movie which will no doubt be scanned and posted on the net by hundreds of the movie's teenage fans (and those sites DO exist), while the way in which the making of the film is presented in words and behind-the-scenes photographs will surely please film students and buffs. The detail payed to the execution of the material is as meticulous and praise-worthy as the movie itself. This is a must-have for any fan of the movie, offering more than you could ask for for a movie that gives you everything you want from it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dazzling, January 16, 2001

By	Enzo Petrella (Miami, Florida USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: James Cameron's Titanic (Paperback)

As a filmmaker, this book provided me with great insights on the making of one of the most seen films of all times. It's awesome for filmmakers as well as regular audience. It will blow you away. You will see the film under a different light.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!, August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: James Cameron's Titanic (Paperback)

If you loved the beautiful film, you'll love this! The pictures are beautiful and it makes you appreciate the talent even more. Simply amazing!