Jack Winocour

Lawrence Beesley

Tells the true story of the sinking of the S.S. Titanic

The Story of the Titanic, as Told by Its Survivors

In this dramatic real-life tale Lawrence Beesley tells first-hand what it was like to be on the Titanic as it plunged into the icy waters of the North Atlantic on that fateful night in April 1912.Beesley wrote this book and it was published just nine weeks after the disaster.Could the Titanic sinking have been averted? Was there a fundamental design flaw? Did Titanic break in two as it sank? Why did so many people die in the disaster?Its a story of what went wrong, of human endeavour and what lessons were learned.First published 1912 and now republished in 2010 by InfoTech Communications, UK.

The Loss of the S. S. Titanic - Its Story and Its Lessons

The circumstances in which this book came to be written are as follows. Some five weeks after the survivors from the Titanic landed in New York, I was the guest at luncheon of Hon. Samuel J. Elder and Hon. Charles T. Gallagher, both well-known lawyers in Boston. After luncheon I was asked to relate to those present the experiences of the survivors in leaving the Titanic and reaching the Carpathia.

Juvenile History - - American

The Loss of the S. S. Titanic

In "The Loss of the S. S. Titanic," Lawrence Beesley presents an insightful and deeply personal account of the tragic sinking of the Titanic, drawing on his experiences as a survivor. The narrative combines meticulous detail with a poignant literary style, resembling eyewitness testimony more than a conventional historical record. Beesley not only chronologically details the events on that fateful night but also explores the emotional and psychological impacts on passengers, effectively capturing the sense of urgency and desperation that enveloped the ship. His reflective prose allows readers to engage intimately with the calamity of human loss and the horror of the maritime disaster, serving as both a historical document and a literary artifact of the early 20th century's fascination with the Titanic phenomenon. Lawrence Beesley, an English science teacher and journalist, embarked on the Titanic's maiden voyage, providing him with a unique perspective on the events that unfolded. His background in education is evident in his structured writing style, which combines scientific observation with humanistic reflections. Beesley's personal narrative offers not just a recounting of his survival but also commentary on societal issues and maritime safety concerns that arose from the disaster, underscoring the complexity of the moment. I highly recommend "The Loss of the S. S. Titanic" to both literature enthusiasts and history buffs alike. Beesley's work transcends mere recounting, offering a lens through which the reader can appreciate the profound human experience beneath the waves of time. This book is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the cultural and historical significance of the Titanic tragedy.

Its Story and Its Lessons

The Loss of the S.S. Titanic is a classic Titanic biography and a fascinating and gripping actual account from a survivor of the R.M.S. Titanic, Laurence Beesley. His words bring you as close as you can possibly be to that great disaster at sea. "The circumstances in which this book came to be written are as follows. Some five weeks after the survivors from the Titanic landed in New York, I was the guest at luncheon of Hon. Samuel J. Elder and Hon. Charles T. Gallagher, both well-known lawyers in Boston. After luncheon I was asked to relate to those present the experiences of the survivors in leaving the Titanic and reaching the Carpathia. When I had done so, Mr. Robert Lincoln O'Brien, the editor of the Boston Herald, urged me as a matter of public interest to write a correct history of the Titanic disaster, his reason being that he knew several publications were in preparation by people who had not been present at the disaster, but from newspaper accounts were piecing together a description of it. He said that these publications would probably be erroneous, full of highly coloured details, and generally calculated to disturb public thought on the matter. He was supported in his request by all present, and under this general pressure I accompanied him to Messrs. Houghton Mifflin Company, where we discussed the question of publication."

The Loss of the S.S. Titanic

Whoever reads the account of the cries that came to us afloat on the sea from those sinking in the ice-cold water must remember that they were addressed to him just as much as to those who heard them, and that the duty, of seeing that reforms are carried out devolves on every one who knows that such cries were heard in utter helplessness the night the Titanic sank. Show Excerpt Cawley--should have a place in the honourable list of those who did their duty faithfully to the ship and the line they served. CHAPTER II FROM SOUTHAMPTON TO THE NIGHT OF THE COLLISION Soon after noon the whistles blew for friends to go ashore, the gangways were withdrawn, and the Titanic moved slowly down the dock, to the accompaniment of last messages and shouted farewells of those on the quay. There was no cheering or hooting of steamers' whistles from the fleet of ships that lined the dock, as might seem probable on the occasion of the largest vessel in the world putting to sea on her maiden voyage; the whole scene was quiet and rather ordinary, with little of the picturesque and interesting ceremonial which imagination paints as usual in such circumstances. But if this was lacking, two unexpected dramatic incidents supplied a thrill of excitement and interest to the departure from dock. The first of these occurred just bef

'The best first-hand account of a passenger's experiences - a first-rate piece of descriptive writing' THE GUARDIAN

I Survived the Titanic

The Loss of the Titanic

The circumstances in which this book came to be written are as follows. Some five weeks after the survivors from the Titanic landed in New York, I was the guest at luncheon of Hon. Samuel J. Elder and Hon. Charles T. Gallagher, both well-known lawyers in Boston. After luncheon I was asked to relate to those present the experiences of the survivors in leaving the Titanic and reaching the Carpathia. When I had done so, Mr. Robert Lincoln O'Brien, the editor of the Boston Herald, urged me as a matter of public interest to write a correct history of the Titanic disaster, his reason being that he knew several publications were in preparation by people who had not been present at the disaster, but from newspaper accounts were piecing together a description of it. He said that these publications would probably be erroneous, full of highly coloured details, and generally calculated to disturb public thought on the matter. He was supported in his request by all present, and under this general pressure I accompanied him to Messrs. Houghton Mifflin Company, where we discussed the question of publication. Messrs. Houghton Mifflin Company took at that time exactly the same view that I did, that it was probably not advisable to put on record the Loss of the SS. Titanic, by Lawrence Beesle 4 incidents connected with the Titanic's sinking: it seemed better to forget details as rapidly as possible. However, we decided to take a few days to think about it. At our next meeting we found ourselves in agreement again, --but this time on the common ground that it would probably be a wise thing to write a history of the Titanic disaster as correctly as possible. I was supported in this decision by the fact that a short account, which I wrote at intervals on board the Carpathia, in the hope that it would calm public opinion by stating the truth of what happened as nearly as I could recollect it, appeared in all the American, English, and Colonial papers and had exactly the effect it was i

The Loss of the SS Titanic

A first-person survivor's account of the sinking of this great ship chronicles the fateful maiden voyage of Titanic with often searing detail. Reissue.

Lawrence Beesley

About

Books

Join the club