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On a Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the RMS Titanic by J. Kent Layton, Tad Fitch, Bill Wormstedt
squ1dsqu1d's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book, must read for anyone more than casually interested in Titanic. Thorough and surprisingly readable.
butterscotched's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This is probably the most well-researched non-technical books about the events leading up to and the immediate aftermath of the Titanic disaster. There is only cursory information about the American and British inquiries and even less information about the discovery of the wreck, but what the book DOES contain is well done. Read this as an audiobook and even the narrator’s dry delivery couldn’t water down the level of detail given here.
aaronj21's review against another edition
5.0
This book was phenomenal!
I had heard some of the hype surrounding it as one of, if not the best, non-fiction volume about the famous ocean liner and its tragic sinking. For me this book more than lived up to the acclaim. It was meticulously detailed and thorough, with a wealth of footnotes and appendices for even more information about key aspects like the use of firearms on the night of the sinking, the Californian affair, and the leadership merits of captain Smith.
I would recommend this book to anyone who’s really interested in Titanic history and ready to sink their teeth into an ambitious, complete account of the historic vessel.
I had heard some of the hype surrounding it as one of, if not the best, non-fiction volume about the famous ocean liner and its tragic sinking. For me this book more than lived up to the acclaim. It was meticulously detailed and thorough, with a wealth of footnotes and appendices for even more information about key aspects like the use of firearms on the night of the sinking, the Californian affair, and the leadership merits of captain Smith.
I would recommend this book to anyone who’s really interested in Titanic history and ready to sink their teeth into an ambitious, complete account of the historic vessel.
meg_kenobi's review against another edition
5.0
I've been incredibly passionate about the Titanic for over 20 years now. I have read every book I could possibly find on the subject, but On A Sea Of Glass is without a doubt the best of them. It's detailed and well-researched. It's told in chronological order and often reads more like a novel than your typical non-fiction book. I have difficulty naming any book as my favorite. But if any were to take that spot, it would be this one. If you have any interest in the subject, whether you are new to the topic or have been involved with it for years, you need to read this book. It should be on the top of your list. Be prepared to set time aside for it, it's a heavy read and if you want to fully grasp everything discussed, you won't want to rush through it.
firetight's review against another edition
5.0
Mé zhodnocení: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiU3OnL4pyo
midnight_vision's review
5.0
Even though this is a dense book in terms of information, I found it easy to read. I learned so much, and I especially appreciate the section on mythbusting. I used a second bookmark to flip to the end notes since there was sometimes extra tidbits of info, and the length of the end notes section really shows how much research they did. The pictures helped give me more context for what I was reading about, which was very appreciated. Definitely worth the money for anyone who has a serious interest in Titanic.
jdubbs8791's review
5.0
This book is a beast! The authors have painstakingly taken what feels like ALL the witness accounts and most of the credible research and written it as an almost narrative chronology.
It is DENSE with information, small type and two columns per page. I usually absorb Titanic books - even large ones - quickly, but not this one.
Easily the most definitive tome it does focus on the building, sinking, and aftermath but not the discovery. As such, some major controversies, such as the Californian affair are given relatively cursory attention in sidebars and appendices, but the authors are clear as to why, and I accept the explanations.
A couple small complaints:
1- it lacks a survivor list, so as I weeded through several chapters with hundreds of quotes and experiences, I kept wondering which of them survived and had to cross reference with another book.
2- end notes suck. They're fine if they're serving as citations, and some of these do, but just as many are further details and finer points of text material. I understand that to put them as footnotes would change the page layout and lengthen the book, but flipping back and forth on nearly every page is difficult, especially on this giant text.
It is DENSE with information, small type and two columns per page. I usually absorb Titanic books - even large ones - quickly, but not this one.
Easily the most definitive tome it does focus on the building, sinking, and aftermath but not the discovery. As such, some major controversies, such as the Californian affair are given relatively cursory attention in sidebars and appendices, but the authors are clear as to why, and I accept the explanations.
A couple small complaints:
1- it lacks a survivor list, so as I weeded through several chapters with hundreds of quotes and experiences, I kept wondering which of them survived and had to cross reference with another book.
2- end notes suck. They're fine if they're serving as citations, and some of these do, but just as many are further details and finer points of text material. I understand that to put them as footnotes would change the page layout and lengthen the book, but flipping back and forth on nearly every page is difficult, especially on this giant text.