101 Things You Thought You Knew About the Titanic . . . but Didn't!

March 1, 2012

Maltin takes the well-known story of Titanic and divides it into brief sections, each headed with a common belief and then a statement about whether the belief is based in fact or myth, followed by elaboration. The sections are arranged in chronological order and not integrated into a conventional narrative; this approach makes the book more appealing for dipping in and out than reading straight through. Several of the oddest Titanic legends (e.g. Titanic and her sister ship Olympic were switched in an insurance scam; the ship was sunk by a mummy's curse) are put to rest, and Maltin does a good job of synthesizing sources to give succinct answers to questions about the voyage, passengers, rescue, and aftermath. VERDICT Recommended as a good companion piece to a more comprehensive treatment of the subject.

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