The Titanic is a Real Stories From My Time book that focuses on the RMS Titanic and its subsequent sinking on its maiden voyage.
Chapter One: What Was Titanic?[]
Briefly discusses the overall background of the RMS Titanic and the types of the passengers who were on the ship.
Samantha's Story[]
Samantha, Bridget O'Malley, and Jenny O'Malley learn from the New York News that Titanic has sunk and Nellie O'Malley, Aunt Cornelia, and William were on board the ship. The girls return home from the New York Academy for Young Ladies to Uncle Gard. Samantha recounts how excited Nellie had been to return to Ireland and show it to Aunt Cornelia and William, as well Grandmary admonishing the fuss over the ship.
Chapter Two: The Grandest Ship[]
Discusses the advances in technology around the time of White Star Line's conception of the Olympic-class liners, the construction of Titanic and her sister ship, Olympic, in Belfast, Ireland, the hazards of ocean travel, and the advancements in shipbuilding that improved passenger comfort aboard ships.
Samantha's Log: Praying for News[]
Samantha recounts the time she, Nellie, Grandmary, and Archibald Beemis sailed on Queen Caroline five years prior[1] and her time exploring the ship.
Chapter Three: Building a Monstrous Vessel[]
Discusses additional information about the construction of Titanic and Olympic, First and Third-Class amenities and facilities for passengers, safety measures in the event of a catastrophe, and the first day of Titanic’s maiden voyage.
Samantha's Log: Memories of Setting Sail[]
Samantha mentions about the lack of news regarding Nellie, Cornelia, and William. She recounts the time Grandmary let her stay up late for Queen Caroline’s midnight departure.
Chapter Four: A Pleasant Life On Board[]
Discusses the differences of life on board between the First, Second, and Third-class passengers, from the available activities to meals provided between the three classes.
Samantha's Log: Setting Records[]
Samantha recounts the time she was allowed to dine at the Captain's Table, and Admiral Beemis talking about how men made bets on how fast Queen Caroline was going and when she would arrive to England.
Chapter Five: All in the Ship Together[]
Discusses the lives of some of the passengers and the work experience of the crew on board Titanic.
Samantha's Log: Hoping for a Better Life[]
Samantha mentions the newspaper is full of stories of Second- and Third-class Irish passengers on board Titanic. She recounts how meeting Nellie and her sisters exposed the truth about the treatment of poor people and immigrants by the wealthy.
Chapter Six: Iceberg![]
Discusses the events and conditions of April 14, 1912, leading up to Titanic colliding with an iceberg.
Chapter Seven: Horror at Sea[]
Discusses the preparation to abandon ship following the collision and early efforts in the evacuation of the passengers during the sinking.
Samantha's Log: Tragedy in the Water[]
The New York News report the death toll from Titanic’s sinking and the full extent of the tragedy. Uncle Gard tells Samantha he still hasn't forgotten the deaths of her parents from a boating accident when Samantha was five years old.
Chapter Eight: Desperate to Survive[]
Discusses later efforts of evacuating the passengers, Titanic breaking apart and eventual sinking, and the victims' efforts to stay alive in the ocean.
Samantha's Log: Still Waiting[]
The newspapers mention the famous and wealthy passengers who were rescued from Titanic. Bridget and Samantha try to stay optimistic about Nellie, Cornelia, and William's possible survival.
Chapter Nine: After the Disaster[]
Discusses Carpathia rescuing the survivors, the slow pace of news about the sinking of Titanic, and the survivors' arrival in New York.
Samantha's Story Continues[]
Samantha's family receive a telegram from Cornelia, saying she, Nellie, and William are safe on Carpathia and their arrival to New York that afternoon, to everyone's relief. They go to New York Harbor and witness the survivors disembarking from Carpathia, while trying to search for Cornelia, Nellie, and William.
Nellie finds Samantha first, followed by Cornelia and William, and the whole family is reunited. A few days later, Samantha, Bridget, and Jenny decide to help out with relief efforts for the survivors who have lost the breadwinners of their families.
Epilogue[]
Discusses Dr. Robert Ballard's discovery of Titanic in 1985 and the condition of the wreck.
Glossary[]
Definition of bolded words.
Map[]
A map showing the positions of other ships in the vicinity of Titanic at the time of the sinking.
Timeline[]
Timeline of Titanic’s construction to the discovery of the wreck.
Trivia[]
- While the book cover depicts the RMS Titanic as breaking apart between the third and fourth funnels, new research and analyses carried out around the centennial anniversary of the sinking in 2012 indicate the Titanic most likely broke apart between the second and third funnels.[2]
References[]
- ↑ While the text mentions six years ago, this appears to be an error as Samantha and her family sailed on Queen Caroline in early winter 1907. It is also mentioned in The Stolen Sapphire Samantha had previously sailed with Grandmary and Admiral Beemis the previous spring, referencing Samantha's Ocean Liner Adventure.
- ↑ New CGI of How Titanic Sank | Titanic 100, National Geographic's official YouTube channel.