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Title: Ghosts of the Titanic by Charles R. Pellegrino, James Cameron ISBN: 0-380-72472-3 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 03 July, 2001 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.29 (31 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Science, lies, and the Titanic
Comment: Did the N.Y. Times give a scientist a raw deal? I think so. First off, Pellegrino really does his homework, and that is a fact, not a fantasy. In the Discovery Channel Expeditions he is listed, aboard the Research Vessels at the wreck site, as "Underwater Archaeologist" and "Scientist at large." Simply go to Robert D. Ballard's book, "Discovery of the Titanic," and you will see that Dr. Ballard himself credits Pellegrino with the archaeological analysis that produced the "downblast theory." This analysis (still on-going) was begun during the winter 1985 expedition to the hydrothermal vents on the Galapagos Rift (A famous Ballard expedition in its own right! See Pellegrino's "Her Name, Titanic.") As for the reality of survivor's quotes, just a random flip-through reveals: Page 220, "Excerpt from a letter to Walter Lord... March 29, 1956..." Page 196: "Leading fireman Charles Hendrickson testified...Oiler Fred Scott told... Examiner Hharbinson [at the British Inquiry]..." Throughout the book, the author specifically cites who said what to whom and when - (eg: Captain Smith's and Mr. Strauss' last words to Mrs Henry Harris, as recorded in Mrs. Harris' diary) - hardly worthy of an accusation of "circus barking and fantasy." See also for example, Pellegrino's careful, point-by-point analysis of the evidence supporting James Cameron's theory that the entire five story, solid oak structure of the Titanic's grand stairway developed many tons of positive buoyancy and broke free of its mountings as the bow went underwater (which the NY Times calls a "flimsy idea" - as if the notion that wood floats is a "wild assertion"). Anyone who assumes that the N.Y. Times actually put Mr. Parfit's "book review" through a legal review prior to publication needs to be enlightened: Book reviews are allowed, by the law, almost total freedom to get the facts wrong because strict deadlines are automatically assumed. Moreover, a reading of the N.Y. Times review will reveal from the very first paragraph that the author, Parfit, was writing at an almost hysterical, vengeful pitch. You cannot read this without finding the thrashing itself entertaining, and wondering, "What did Pelligrino do to get the Times so mad at him?" A reading of the recently published decision by the N.Y. State Supreme Court. Appellate Division (June 27, 2000, Index No. 100423/99) might - just might - shed some light on this. A writer for the N.Y. Times had, in 1998, accused Pellegrino, in his book "Unearthing Atlantis" of falsely associating himself with the family of the famous Greek archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos, and even stealing credit for Marinatos's "Thera theory." (Sound familiar?) All the way up through the appellate court, the accusation was ruled unanimously as "patently false and susceptible to defamatory meaning." People who win libel cases can often be heard to complain about the original lie, the original accusation, being literally shouted by the media while the vindication, coming years later, gets a barely whispered "only kidding" somewhere behind page 74 of the classifieds in the times. Pellegrino's deal seems a little more raw than that. In his case, only days or weeks after the matter was settled, the Times came out with a "book review" reiterating similar charges (we read that Pellegrino falsely associated himself with the famed oceanographer Robert Ballard, and now even tries to steal some credit for Ballard's discovery of the Titanic). Book reviews, as I have indicated above and as any lawyer can tell you, are virtually sue-proof. Translation? Legally, anyone who wants to couch character assassination in a book review can get away with it. Coincidence? Maybe. But does it not have the disturbing stench of pay-back?
Rating: 5
Summary: Magificent book
Comment: I've read many books on the Titanic but never one quite like "Ghosts of the Titanic". Dr Charles Pellegrini's magnificent book had me spellbound from the very first chapter as the author presents the events of the night of April 14th/15th 1912 in a totally fresh and compelling manner.
Be warned: This book grips the reader like a steel trap!
In "Ghosts of the Titanic" you will learn of:
The very first victims of the Titanic's collision with the iceberg.
The steward who set a new world record for the high dive.
How Major Peuchen's wallet came to be lying where it was in Titanic's debris field and the importance of finding the wallet.
Why Thomas Andrews, Titanic's designer, stayed on board the stricken liner and made no attempt to leave the ship.
What damage the iceberg inflicted on the Titanic and then what Titanic did to the iceberg.
The words whispered by Captain Smith when he saw the flooded mail room.
How close the iceberg was to Titanic when it was first sighted.
Where the California really was in relation to the Titanic.
The meaning of the very last message transmitted from Titanic's radio room.
This list is only a portion of the startling revelations to be found in this book.
There have been many fine books written on the Titanic distaster. In this writers humble opinion "Ghosts of the Titanic" is the best, the winner in a photo-finish from the excellent works of Walter Lord. A "must read" for any lover of history and science and an "absolute must read" for those fascinated by the Titanic disaster.
Rating: 4
Summary: An interesting mixture of science and amateur history.
Comment: The author of this book is actually a scientist who has personally visited the Titianic wreck. As such the book is a very interesting work that attempts to cover the last few hours of the ship, and his own theories on how it sunk.
The science part of the book is very good. He argues well that it was a series of small punctures that sunk the ship, and uses a set of illustraions of the ship at various sinking times to prove this. There are some figures in this book, such as the terminal velocity of the ship as it sank, and the PSI (pressure) exherted on the wreck. These are presented simply- I am not a scientist, but I found his explainations easy to understand.
Alongside the scientific narrative he also tells the story of the last hours before the ship sank, from the points of view of various passengers. This is a rather exciting read and does indeed feel more like a movie or action novel. It is well mixed with the scientific explainations, but perhaps a little too mixed- he jumps from science to history very randomly. One moment he will be discussing sea bed bacteria, the next he will be discussing a first class passenger's last words to his wife!
My only real criticism is that as a historian he is far to judgemenal- he is attmepting to create heros and villains much in the same way as in the movie "Titanic." Furthermore he seems rather critical of the English, whom he sees as stupid and arrogant and ineffiecient- again something clearly influenced by the movie. This leads to a bias that makes the historical part seem rather too fictional. Occasionally he is wrong on certain details- Lino wasn't a new invention in 1912, for example. He is far too keen to place modern American values (such as attitudes towards class) on an event that took place nearly 100 years ago.
Novice readers be aware that he does talk in naval jargon, such as Port/Starbord to Steerage (third class) and smokestack (funnel).
Overall this is a good book, well written and easy to read- and it also tells a powerful and compelling story. His scientific arguements are excellent and well put, but his history is amateur and shouldn't be taken as fact.
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Title: The Story of the Titanic as Told by Its Survivors by Jack Winocour ISBN: 0486206106 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 01 June, 1960 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: A Night to Remember by Walter Lord ISBN: 0553278274 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 02 June, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Her Name, Titanic by Charles R. Pellegrino ISBN: 0380708922 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 June, 1990 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: Ghosts of the Abyss: A Journey Into The Heart of the Titanic by Donald Lynch, Don Lynch, Ken Marschall, James Cameron ISBN: 0306812231 Publisher: DaCapo Press Pub. Date: 08 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: Sodom & Gomorrah by Charles R. Pellegrino ISBN: 0380726335 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 December, 1995 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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