Archibald Gracie was probably among the last to leave the sinking Titanic on that cold April night in 1912, one of the most traumatic events in maritime history. In this unique account, he describes his personal experiences and remarkable escape from death in the icy waters of the Atlantic, painting a vivid picture of what it was like on board the Titanic in its final hours. Tracking down other survivors for their stories and attending court hearings to obtain the official record, Colonel Gracie filled in the details of ...
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Archibald Gracie was probably among the last to leave the sinking Titanic on that cold April night in 1912, one of the most traumatic events in maritime history. In this unique account, he describes his personal experiences and remarkable escape from death in the icy waters of the Atlantic, painting a vivid picture of what it was like on board the Titanic in its final hours. Tracking down other survivors for their stories and attending court hearings to obtain the official record, Colonel Gracie filled in the details of his account, struggling to complete it in spite of illness. Largely due to the effects of his ordeal and exposure in the frigid Atlantic, he finally succumbed on December 4, 1912. His book was published in 1913 to universal acclaim and remains one of the most vivid and first-hand accounts of the disaster.
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Good. The book may have minor cosmetic wear (i.e. creased spine/cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, minor sunburn, minor water damage, minor bent). The book may have some highlights/notes/underlined pages-Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included-Safe and Secure Mailer-No Hassle Return.
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New. Features a survivor's account of the greatest maritime disaster in history. This work provides details of those final moments, including names of passengers pulled from the ocean and of those men who, in a panic, jumped into lifeboats as they were being lowered, causing injury and further danger to life. Num Pages: 224 pages. BIC Classification: 1QSAN; 3JJC; BGHA; HBTM; WGG. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 197 x 125 x 16. Weight in Grams: 224. 2008. New Edition. Paperback.....We ship daily from our Bookshop.
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Very Good. 6 BRAND NEW AUDIO CDs. NEW in the shrink wrap. Just a bit of shelf wear. Enjoy this New Audio CD edition GIFT QUALITY for your home and library.
Following the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, several survivors made their stories available for publication. None of these was as helpful or as readable as that of Colonel Archibald Gracie.
When you read his account, keep in mind that Gracie did not live to see 1913 (probably due to the hardships he endured during the sinking), a fact that is marvelous, considering the ambition and scope of his book.
Gracie begins his work with his personal experience aboard the Titanic and ends his narrative with his account of his own miraculous survival. A writer by profession, he informs us that he began his book while on the Carpathian following his rescue from the overturned lifeboat Collapsible "B." However, as the weeks and months passed, he conducted research upon the tragedy, reading every article or account published regarding the disaster and collecting narratives from other survivors. These he recounted in the latter portion of his book. Walter Lord, author of "A Night to Remember," which some consider the definitive book about the Titanic, was moved to call Gracie "an indefatigable detective" whose book was "invaluable for chasing down who went in what (life)boat." A reader cannot help but be impressed with his accounting of each lifeboat that left the Titanic, the names of the individuals in each, and the incidents associated with each.
Gracie's recounting of his first few days aboard the Titanic brings to life the elegance of traveling first class on this magnificent ship. He describes the amenities that he enjoyed and the people whom he encountered during the voyage. One is particularly attracted to his description of his conversations with the Strausses, particularly in light of the fact that this wealthy and elderly couple will refuse rescue in a spirit of noble self-sacrifice that draws both our empathy and admiration. Even the survivors were impressed with a knowledge that something lovely and larger than life was ended forever with the sinking. Gracie pays tribute to the beauty of the women aboard ship, just as Mrs. White, another survivor, was moved to remark later that she had never seen a finer body of men than the passengers on the Titanic (Gracie includes her comments when describing the incidents on Lifeboat 8).
The reader is also impressed with the sense of loss and regret that Gracie feels over the death of his friend James Clinch Smith, with whom he had made a pact to stay together and aid each other in the last struggle for survival as the Titanic slipped deeper into the waters of the North Atlantic. The action which saved Gracie's life -- his leaping with the last fatal wave to the top of the officers deck -- was not followed by his friend and by the mass of humanity which was swept away by it. Like that of all the survivors who were astride Collapsible "B," his escape was largely a matter of serendipity, coupled with the physical endurance of a middle-aged man who has made fitness a part of his regimen. It was not enough, however, to undo the damage that the sinking had done to his otherwise robust constitution.
Reading the portion of his book dealing with the loading of the lifeboats, one is impressed by the fact that this is a very human story. Throughout, the full range of human emotions is provoked as we relive the disaster through the eyes of the survivors who told their stories at the American and British inquiries and through private letters to Gracie. Thanks for him and his meticulous research, these stories are preserved forever.
If you must read only two books about the Titanic in your entire life, make Walter Lord's book one and Gracie's book the other.