Rostron, Sir Arthur H. Home from the Sea. 1st British printing. London: Cassell. 1931. hardcover. isbn: none. scarcity: very scarce.

The Captain of the Carpathia’s biography was written at the end of a long and illustrious career with the Cunard line. Rostron’s star ascended with the rescuing of the Titanic survivors and it never went down again. His role in the rescue brought him fame and recognition, and promotion as well. He was later given command of Cunard’s biggest and newest passenger steamers including the Mauretania and the Berengaria. He was finally promoted to the prestigious position of Commodore of the Cunard line.

There is one full chapter on Rostron’s part in the rescue of the Titanic survivors. His writing style is calm and controlled, with little room for extravagence. Although his book is informative, it is rarely exciting. There is one full chapter, 28 pages, on his role in the Titanic disaster. Here, at least, Rostron’s matter-of-fact style changes, for the chapter on Titanic is gripping. He recounts how he first heard the news, with his first officer rushing into the captain’s quarters unnanounced and quite improperly. Then the hurried preparations and the great race in the dark to reach the sinking liner. Unfortunately, the Titanic chapter is the highlight of the book.

Rostron goes on with several chapters on his experiences in the Great War, then several more on his experiences with passengers, and though they are all interesting, his heart doesn’t really seem to be in the telling.

Cover image courtesy of Kalman Tanito.

Rostron, Sir Arthur H. Home from the Sea. 1st American printing. NY: Macmillan. 1931. hardcover. isbn: none. scarcity: very scarce.

The American and British editions seem to have been published more or less simultaneously.

Rostron, Sir Arthur. The Loss of the Titanic. Riverside, CT: 7 C’s Press. 1975. wraps. isbn: 0911962131. scarcity: hard to find.

Reprint booklet of Captain Rostron’s account of his rescue of the Titanic survivors.

Rostron, Sir Arthur & Mrs. Margaret Howman. The Loss of the Titanic. 1st printing. Wiltshire: Titanic Signals Archive. October, 1991. wraps. Edited by J.A.B. (John Booth). Introduction by Margaret Howman, daughter of Captain Rostron. isbn: 0951819003. scarcity: very scarce.

This short book combines the Titanic chapter from Arthur Rostron’s autobiography, Home from the Sea, with wireless messages sent and received by Carpathia’s captain. The messages are contained in a wireless book and total 38 messages in all. Carpathia’s message book is now part of the Titanic Signals Archives. There are photographic samples of some of the messages, as well as photographs taken aboard the ship during and following the rescue.

The book also contains a facsimile of a note Rostron wrote to his wife in his personal copy of Home from the Sea.

This was also released in 1995 as an audio book on two cassette tapes, published by White Star Publications, Wiltshire. With thanks to Patty Miller for notice about the audio book version.

Rostron, Sir Arthur & Margaret Howman. The Loss of the Titanic. Cambridge House Books. January, 1991. wraps. forward by Margaret Howman, daughter of Captain Rostron. isbn: 0951819003. scarcity: very scarce.

I assume this edition is another version of the previous listing.
Yet another edition done by State Mutual Book & Periodical Service, under same isbn number.

Rostron, Captain Arthur H. The Rescue of the Titanic Survivors by the Carpathia, April 15, 1912. Scribner’s Monthly, March 1913. 1st printing. NY: Scribner’s Monthly. March, 1913. volume 53, Jan to June, 1913. photographs by Louis Mansfield Ogden. isbn: none. scarcity: very scarce.

An article in the March, 1913 (volume 53, No. 3) issue of Scribner’s Monthly Magazine by Rostron about his rescue of the Titanic survivors. It is most commonly found in the hardcover bound edition which includes the issues from January thru June, 1913.