Reading a lot of non-fiction this month, and like other works featuring a disaster ([book:Columbine|5632446], [book:The Longest Minute: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906|60784534] and others) - if it were fiction, I'd say it has "too many characters" ... following the stories of so many people, and having them not be "characters" there often isn't the same connection as to a fictional work, even taking into account that these stories are actually true. I do have to wonder that so much dialog is included in the book. In the "Facts About the Titanic" at the end the author does note "There are no reconstructed conversations in this book. The words quoted are given exactly as people remembered them being spoken. yet there is margin for error. The same conversations are often reported with slight variations."  Of course that is the case. In Columbine, the author had more detailed notes about what was taken exactly from recorded journals, interviews, etc ... and that seems a bit more reliable. I have a hard time remembering exactly what I said, and this doesn't address WHEN these words quoted were recorded (directly after the disaster? Or with a survivor 40+ years after the fact?) Add in memory (also addressed in Columbine, and here, how most of the women said they left on the "last boat" ... because that was the perception in THEIR mind, they were leaving, the ordeal was over, without really knowing what was going on. It's addressed a wife asking her husband the time on the Carparthia during the rescue, him thinking it was about 4:30 pm when it was actually 9:30 am). Even with actual witness interviews ... one wonders about how correct things are completely. What is given during the main portion of the book sets things out as fact, and then these questions are only brought up afterward.  But at least they are brought up.  

The Acknowledgments were NOT included in the audio, and there was good information there that I feel like the listener misses out out (also some illustrations and such at the start which don't convert to audio).  Here, there is even more information about how details were gathered and compiled.  There is a passenger list included in the Kindle copy as well.

Of course, I've seen the blockbuster movie. There are quite a few books out there ... I haven't read most yet (I think only a couple where the Titanic was just a small side-story). I do have several of the novels about the sinking on my to read list. It will be interesting to see if I remember some details from this appearing in fictionalized works. I think I got a fairly good "story" of what happened. It was interesting even if it is difficult to even attempt to keep track of names and other details. 

This was included in AudiblePlus, and the text included with KindleUnlimited. I noticed that this was included at the local library as well (text and audio).  The audio copy just listed the basic chronological chapters ... there were headings which I always appreciate being included. It helps me focus on the idea of the chapter, and while it was stated quickly in the narration, it's more helpful to see it in print on my Audible app, I glance at it as I'm listening, as I turn the book on and off. 

Originally published in 1955 with new editions published in later years. 1983 and 2012 listed in the copyright info on the Kindle edition. The Audible edition lists 2015.