Marcus, Geoffrey. The Maiden Voyage. 1st printing. Lon: George Allen & Unwin. 1969. hardcover. isbn: 0049100394. scarcity: hard to find.

Up to this time, no-one had tackled the task of a comprehensive account of the entire Titanic saga from beginning to end. Marcus was the first to tell the complete story, from the building of the ships, to the maiden voyage, the disaster, the inquiries, and the aftermath. This work is one of my very favorite books on the subject; not only is the volume of information incredible, but the writing style flows with great style. This work is right up there with Walter Lord’s book as one of the most readable accounts ever printed on the subject.

Plus, Marcus has a wonderful talent for setting the scene, and this knack for description pulls the reader ever more deeply into the story. The author’s knowledge of the world of 1912 is extraordinary. No other book has ever described the story so realistically in relation to the world of 1912.

Marcus, Geoffrey. The Maiden Voyage. 1st printing. NY: Viking. 1969. hardcover. isbn: 0670450995. scarcity: fairly common.

The first American edition of Marcus’ book is collectible in and of itself. In a pocket at the end of the book is a wonderful fold-out plan of the Titanic showing the interior arrangement of every deck. Now-a-days Titanic deck plans, wall charts, etc. are abundant, but back in 1969 plans of the ship were usually available only within the pages of text or on the endpapers of a book; far too small to be of much use. Marcus’s plans fold-out to a huge size, almost 24 inches by 40 inches.

This edition by the Easton Press comes in a full, black leather binding.