December 15, 2004.
Titanic: Theatre of Fate (working title) by Senan Molony.
The ever prolific Mr. Molony has tackled Titanic in many diverse fields from the scholarly to the comic. Now he is working on his first children's book. It will be about 50 pages long and will be profusely illustrated. Not too many details are available yet, but it should be out in 2005, first in the British market and hopefully there will be an American edition as well. Stay tuned.
November 23, 2004.
The Titanic in Print and on Screen, An Annotated Guide to Books, Film, Television Shows and Other Media by D. Brian Anderson.
According to the publisher, this bibliography is a survey of the immense volume of literary, dramatic and commercial endeavors that came out of history’s most compelling shipwreck. Organized by genre in accessible categories and short entries, the book includes Titanic-inspired documentaries, narrative films, children’s books, histories, short stories, novels, plays, articles, essays, software, websites, poems and songs.
This will be a softcover book, with 200 pages. The price will be $35. It is currently slated for a May, 2005 release date. For more information, see the link for Brian Anderson on the Author Pages. Some further details are available for this book on McFarland's website.
November 16, 2004.
RMS Olympic, Titanic’s Sister by Mark Chirnside.
According to the author, his second book should available within the next few weeks, probably this month!
October 20, 2004.
Finding Dorothy. An Appreciation of the Life and Career of Dorothy Gibson Brulatour by Randy Bryan Bigham, edited by Jennifer Mills.
Finding Dorothy is the first biography of model and actress Dorothy Gibson (1889-1946), who also found notoriety as a survivor of the Titanic tragedy.
This book provides a thorough analysis of Dorothy’s work as the muse of popular Edwardian artist Harrison Fisher. It also offers an informed critique of her successful but brief career as a leading lady in early American silent cinema. Reviews for each of her movies, drawing upon all available documented sources, are included.
The section of the book concerning her experiences in the 1912 sinking of the Titanic is large and well illustrated, presenting a very descriptive account, culled from many contemporary sources. This section also covers in detail the making of the movie “Saved From the Titanic,” the first motion picture ever produced about the disaster, in which Dorothy herself starred.
The book is actually a package enclosing a soft cover book in magazine format, a CD-ROM of select images and two reproduction art prints, suitable for framing. The price will be $34.99. A significant percentage of proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit the British Titanic Society and the Fort Lee Film Commission. It is due out in January, 2005. For further details, see Bigham's Author Page.
Ordering information should be forthcoming very soon, and will be posted here when the details are available.
October 5, 2004.
White Star Line, a Photographic History by Janette McCutcheon.
Details about this title are still a bit scarce. It will be a softcover book, with 96 pages. It is currently due out in April, 2005 by Tempus Publishing. There is a link to pre-order WSL, a Photographic History on Amazon.com's UK site.
September 3, 2004.
Lusitania: An Irish Tragedy by Senan Molony.
Just received some fascinating details about Molony's new book. Although not directly about the Titanic, it focusses directly on Cobh as the "Halifax" of the Lusitania tragedy. Any Titanophile will know what that means.
Since Cobh was the last port of call of the Titanic, there will be much of interest to Titanic enthusiasts in the many spectacular photographs of the port uncovered from 1915. There are references and new facts about the Titanic on pages 15-16, 35, 53, 60-61, 63, 78, 91-93, 104,122, 144, 147-148, 176 and 183.
The book is hardback, 192pp, 8vo with no fewer than 185 illustrations - 160 of them completely new and unpublished, the best being from a batch of glass plate negatives of the tragedy's immediate aftermath which have never seen the light of day. Sounds like a must have title for anyone interested in either of these two tragedies.
Currently the book is set for an October, 2004 release date. Expected price will be 25 Euro (roughly $28 US). Published by Mercier Press. ISBN 1856354520. There is nothing posted on the publisher's website yet, but if you would like ro pre-order the book, here is a link to Lusitania, an Irish Tragedy on Amazon.com's UK site.
September 1, 2004.
RMS Olympic, Titanic’s Sister by Mark Chirnside.
Here is the publisher's press release for this upcoming biography of Olympic:
"RMS Olympic, White Star Line's 'Old Reliable' has been overshadowed by her ill-fated sisters Titanic and Britannic for over ninety years. The first of a new breed of superliner, the list of superlatives that Olympic has is breath-taking. When built, she was the largest ship in existence being almost 50% larger than her next nearest rival, she was one of the first ships to introduce Turkish Baths and a swimming pool, she carried more troops in the First World War than any other comparable steamship and she was the only liner ever to sink a submarine by ramming it. Surviving from 1911 until 1935, Olympic was a favourite of royalty and film stars as well as the general travelling public. She had a style and opulence, even in her twilight years, which few ocean liners could match. But why has she been woefully neglected by maritime historians?
Mark Chirnside has written the first detailed history of Olympic and here he tells the story of the ship and her time in service at war and in peace. With much previously unpublished information and illustrations he explains why she was so important in terms of the development of the passenger ship. RMS Olympic simply was the most important ocean liner of her generation."
This title is still set for a release later this year. If you would like to pre-order it, here is the link to RMS Olympic, Titanic’s Sister on Amazon.com's UK site. The price of the book is £25.
August 9, 2004.
The Sinking of the Titanic, the Mystery Solved, by Captain L. Marmaduke Collins.
Captain Collins first burst upon the Titanic scene with his book The Sinking of the Titanic, An Ice Pilot’s Perspective. This new edition by Souvenir Press will be a revised and expanded version of that original book. It is a nicely bound hardcover book too, whereas the original was a perfect bound softcover binding.
The book is due out late in 2004. The list price is £12.99. If you would like to pre-order this title, here is the link to The Mystery Solved on Amazon.com's UK site.
July 19, 2004.
RMS Titanic, A Modeler’s Guide by Peter Davies-Garner.
It seems that no news is good news for those of us awaiting the release of new titles. Just received word that this book, originally due out last month, has been delayed. The new publication date is now October. Only time will tell how accurate that date turns out to be.
June 23, 2004.
The Olympic Class Ships: Olympic, Titanic, Britannic by Mark Chirnside.
Mark's eagerly awaited, much delayed, history of the White Star Line trio has been postponed yet again. The publisher is now suggesting an October, 2004 release. The actual release could be a bit sooner, or a bit later; it is just not possible to say. My condolences to the author who must be pulling his hair out by now out of sheer frustration at the continual delays.
June 13, 2004.
Return to Titanic by Dr. Robert Ballard & Michael Sweeney.
In June, 2004, Ballard returned to the Titanic wreck as part of an expedition in collaboration with National Geographic & NOAA to attempt to determine exactly what factors are hastening the deterioration of the ship. Ballard believes a combination of natural forces, and human intrusions are prematurely causing extensive damage that will result in the total collapse of the wreck. The group will attempt to determine from a scientific standpoint how fast the ship is actually deteriorating, and what, if anything, can be done about it.
Return to Titanic, the book, will be the story of this expedition. We can only hope the book will be a more balanced and informative look at this issue than the television special which aired this past summer. That event, billed as “live on the Titanic” was mostly a disappointing diatribe by Dr. Ballard describing his own preconceived opinions about the causes of the state of the wreck. The tv special was a huge disappointment, giving few details or discoveries, and offering little to no science.
We can only hope the book will contain a lot more substance and a lot less grandstanding.
The tentative release date is November, 2004. The list price for the book, which will be in hardcover, is $30. If you would like to preorder it, here is a link to Return to Titanic on Amazon.com.
April 21, 2004.
Titanic Calling by Diana Bristow.
This book was originally written in 1985. It was first published privately by the author in 1997 in a limited edition with the title Captain’s Karma. It was released publicly in 2001 under the same title. Both those editions were edited for content on the advice of the author’s New York City agent at the time.
Now for the first time, the book is being published as the author originally intended it to be read. Bristow states that this version is more vivid, realistic and sexier than the older one. This edition sports a striking new front cover illustration as well. The tentative release date is May 1st, 2004.
For more information about the book, including the Publisher's Press Release and the book cover image, check out Bristow's Author Page.
The book is now available for pre-order. The first printing run is very limited and will be taken on a first come, first served basis. To pre-order a copy, send an e-mail to the publisher at: [email protected]. You can also check out the Publisher's website, although at the time of this posting, only the splash page is operationsl.
Author: D.E. Bristow.
Title: Titanic Calling.
isbn: forthcoming.
Cover price: $15.95 U.S. / $18.95 Can.
Format: 6 x 9 trade paperback. 223 pages. 10pt full color laminated front cover.
Release Date: May 1st, 2004.
March 12, 2004.
RMS Olympic, Titanic’s Sister by Mark Chirnside.
Just received word from the author that his biography of the Olympic is ahead of schedule, and is currently set for release this Fall. It will be a softcover book with 336 pages. Like his first book, this one is being published by Tempus Publishing.
If you would like to pre-order a copy, here is the link to RMS Olympic, Titanic’s Sister on Amazon.com's UK site. The price of the book is £25.
March 11, 2004.
Titanic and Olympic, The Truth Behind the Conspiracy by Steve Hall & Bruce Beveridge.
This book will take on Robin Gardiner’s conspiracy theory that Olympic and Titanic were switched, and Olympic sunk on purpose in Titanic’s place. The reason, to collect the insurance money after Olympic had been damaged by her collision with the warship Hawk.
I don't have too many details yet, though the book is softcover, with about 200 pages. It is apparently going to be available soon, but there has been no definitive date released yet. With thanks to Patty Miller for mentioning this one to me.
February 28, 2004.
A new book by conspiracy theory author Robin Gardiner, title not yet announced.
Robin Gardiner is working on yet another book promoting his theory that the Titanic and Olympic were switched and it was really the Olympic that was sunk, on purpose, in April, 1912. This is the author's third book to explore this bizarre concept.
According to the publisher: "The Titanic is the stuff of legend and the world is going to be astonished when Robin backs up his theories with hard evidence and facts which will quite simply rewrite the history of this epic disaster."
Well, time will tell, but if Gardiner actually follows through and backs up his theories with facts, that will be a significant improvement over most of his prior work, which has been mostly lacking in the kind of hard evidence that might support his extraordinary accusations about a massive conspiracy.
Very few actual details are available thus far, not even a title. With thanks to Mike Bull for posting the news about this upcoming book.
February 8, 2004.
Titanic, A Night Remembered by Stephanie Barczewski.
This new book is billed as the first substantial account of the local impact of the event and an investigation of the struggle between the US and Britain for ownership of this story. Titanic has a near universal appeal. But it is also a story with powerful local impact, particularly in the three towns most closely involved with the ship: Belfast, where the ship was built; Southampton – where most of the crew came from and Queenstown, in Eire, the ship’s last port of call. Titanic: A Night Remembered is the first book to explore the shattering impact of the tragedy on the people of these towns.
This is going to be a hardcover book with 416 pages, and 22 illustrations. It is due to be released in April, 2004 on the anniversary of the sinking. If you would like to pre-order the book, here is the contact details for both the British and American publishers:
UK Sales:
HAMBLEDON & LONDON Ltd., 102 Gloucester Avenue, London NW1 8HX.
020 7586 0817 (T)
020 7586 9970 (F)
US Sales:
Palgrave Macmillan , 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
tel 800 672 3054
For more information, including the publisher's press release, see Barczewski's Author Page.
December 22, 2003.
RMS Titanic, A Modeler’s Guide by Peter Davies-Garner.
RMS Titanic has had more written about her than any other ship but, surprisingly, there is a little information directed at the modelmaker. This new book contains all the information needed to build a highly accurate model down to the tiniest details of the hull’s rivets. It is going to be a hardcover book with 160 pages and 400 illustrations in color and black & white. It is scheduled to be released in the Summer of 2004. For more details, and the publisher's press release, see Davies-Garner's Author Page.
If you would like to preorder the book, here is the link to A Modeler's Guide on Amazon.com.
November 2, 2003.
Mount Temple and Titanic: Murmurs and Misadventure by Senan Molony.
The Mount Temple was one of the ships on the Atlantic the night the Titanic sank. It's part in the events have always been shadowed in quiet controversy. It certainly was not the infamous mystery ship as it was on the wrong side of the ice field. But there are serious questions about whether Mount Temple's Captain Moore could have played a larger role in the rescue. Unfortunately, neither inquiry into the disaster questioned Moore very closely, despite statements by some passengers on Mount Temple that they thought they saw Titanic's distress rockets. All that remains are tantalizing clues and conflicting testimony. Molony once again puts his professional talents as a journalistic reporter to the case by taking a closer look at what may or may not have really happened on Mount Temple that night. This book should be available around the beginning of 2004.
September 3, 2003.
Lucile, Her Life by Design: The Story of Lady Duff Gordon by Randy Bryan Bigham.
The author now has a working title for his biography of Lucile. He is still shopping the book around to publishers, with several major publishing houses expressing potential interest. According to the author, the work is massive in its current form, at 125,000 words or approximately 660 pages, along with a total of 450 photographs. Bigham expects that will be whittled down, perhaps by quite a lot, before the book finally sees publication. I will post future updates as more information becomes available.
July 31, 2003.
Journey to Titanic by Roger Bansemer.
Bansemer is an accomplished artist and author who has already published several books, many of them with nautical themes. He became the 112th person to dive to the Titanic, and the first artist to have painted Titanic on site. This book chronicles his journey in a mixture paintings, photos, and digitally-painted images. It is scheduled to be released in November of this year by Pineapple Press, in both hardcover and softcover formats. The hardcover will sell for $24.95, the softcover for $18.95.
To read the complete press release from the publisher, check out Roger Bansemer's Author Page, which includes an image of the book's cover, and also a link to his website.
July 27, 2003.
The Olympic Class Ships: Olympic, Titanic, Britannic by Mark Chirnside.
This eagerly awaited first book by Chirnside now has a name appropriate to his history of the three Olympic class sister ships. The book has traveled a long grinding road towards publication, but the end is in site. Current plans are for it to be out in April of 2004, and this target date now seems pretty firm. That date is the for British edition. At the moment, the American edition is not going to be released until around October of 2004. The British edition is already available for pre-order. If you want to pre-order a copy for yourself, here is the link to The Olympic Class Ships on Amazon.com's UK site.
June 20, 2003.
Looking down the road a-ways, there are not one, but two biographies in the works that both sound potentially very exciting. Neither of these will be out anytime soon, but rest assured, as soon as I hear any solid news on publication dates, I will add a new notice on this page.
A Biography of Lucile by Randy Bryan Bigham.
A modern biography of Lucy Christiana Sutherland Duff-Gordon by one of the leading experts in the world today on this powerful and influental woman. Bigham has tapped previously unmined sources including Lucile’s family, other private individuals, as well as information contained in various public archives. He has been working on the book for more than a decade. The manuscript is finished and is currently being shown to publishers. The title has yet to be chosen.
A Biography of Harold Godfrey Lowe, Titanic’s Fifth Officer by Inger Sheil & Jemma Hyder.
This biography has been in the works for quite some time now, both of the authors having uncovered a great deal of unpublished information about Lowe from public records as well as a great deal of documentation from Lowe’s descendents. The book is in the final stages of being knocked into manuscript form, and the authors expect to start putting it through the peer review process in the near future for opinions and suggestions. The current plan is to have a finished manuscript ready in about six months, then comes the long grinding process of finding a publisher.
I am particularly excited about this one, as these two authors have consistently shown amazing skill in research combined with a fair and balanced portrayal of history. The title has not been chosen yet.
May 14, 2003.
All good things come to those who wait? Mark Chirnside's new book about the three Olympic class ships has been delayed yet again. Apparently the publisher is a victim of their own success, experiencing a printing backlog of new titles. The new schedule is to have the book available in early 2004, but no later than the 92nd anniversary of the disaster in April. The good news is that this new release date does seem to be set in stone. Or not.
With his Olympic class book not even published yet, Chirnside is already well into writing his next book. a biography of the Olympic herself. He has uncovered some unpublished archives about the Old Reliable, which should make this book very interesting. He hopes to have the book finished by the end of this year, and hopefully with a publication date anywhere from late 2004 to early 2005.
May 1, 2003.
On a Cold April Night: A Tale of the Titanic Disaster by John Protasio.
The book that was not meant to be? This book was supposed to be out shortly, but a message from the publisher makes this look most unlikely. They have advised me the publisher has closed and is out of business. The book was never published. Thus far I have been unable to track the author down to find out if he will be able to find a new publisher for his latest work.
April 13, 2003.
George Behe has been hard at work researching material for not one, but two possible new books. Both books will be comprised of the texts of letters, postcards, diary entries and memoirs written by Titanic - or Carpathia - passengers and crewmen. The Titanic book will also contain a brief biography of each Titanic letter-writer. The Carpathia memoir book will be the shorter of the two. He is just finishing the compilation phase of the work on these projects, so don't expect to see either of these titles on bookstore shelves in the near future. Still, just knowing that there is the possibility of a new book (or two) from George in the future is exciting news.
February 5, 2003.
Mark Chirnside's new book about the three Olympic class ships continues to grind through the publishing process. He recently sent in an update that the final draft has gone to the publishers along with his selection of photographs. Next comes the proofreading phase. The latest estimate is that the book will be at the presses by this summer, hopefully with a publication window following shortly thereafter.
January 12, 2003.
White Star, A Dog on the Titanic by Marty Crisp.
The author specializes in writing dog books for children. Her latest book will tell the story of a fictional Irish Setter who joins the dozen or so dogs that really were on Titanic. It will be a hardcover, and is written for the 8 to 12 age group. The book is not due out until the Spring of 2004. My thanks to Fiona Nitschke for letting me know about this upcoming title. For more information about the author and her books, check out the Links page under Author's websites.
December 27, 2002.
Titanic: Ghosts of the Abyss by Mireille Majoor.
The first sketchy details are out about a companion volume to Don Lynch's book of the James Cameron expedition to film the Titanic wreck, Ghosts of the Abyss. A Journey Into the Heart of the Titanic. The book by Majoor tells the story of the expedition, but is aimed at the young reader's market, ages 9-12. It will be a hardcover book with 48 pages. Not too many other details are available yet but there are rumors it could be a pop-up or 3-D book. Expect it to be released a month or two after Lynch's book.
October 27, 2002.
Confessions of an Iceberg by Anon (Baloney).
The real story of the most infamous iceberg in history. Expect to see this one available within the next few weeks.
October 12, 2002.
The Last Liners of the White Star Line by Richard de Kerbrech.
I picked up some very sketchy details about this new title on Amazon.com UK. The book is apparently due to be released any time now. Its isbn number is 1900867052.
October 10, 2002.
Titanic, the Story in Pictures by John P. Eaton & Charles A. Haas.
The story of the book that never was! Several people have asked me about this title over the last year or two, and I was never able to help them as I just couldn't find a copy anywhere. It turns out there was a good reason for that, the book never existed under that title. Titanic, the Story in Pictures was Eaton & Haas' working title for the book that eventually became Titanic, Triumph and Tragedy. Thus is resolved one of the Great Titanic Book Mysteries, and my thanks to Charles Haas for setting the record straight!
September 29, 2002.
William McMaster Murdoch, A Career at Sea by Susanne Störmer.
Good news and bad news this month about this eagerly awaited title. The bad news first: her publisher is having technical difficulties which is going to delay the book's publication. No word yet on how long a delay we are talking about.
The good news is that Störmer has published a new page on her website which contains a lot of very interesting information that didn't make it into the book itself. Included is a chronological timeline of Murdoch's life, information about both his parents and his wife, details about some of his shipmates, and more. Check out the William McMaster Murdoch page on Störmbreaker's website for all the details.
September 28, 2002.
Titanic Tangent: Something Like Ourselves, by Senan Molony.
Molony fearlessly takes on the Californian controversy yet again. According to the author, this one is a novella, about the night of April 14, 1912 as it happened on the Californian. It is already written and in the final process of being printed. There should be news about pricing and availability very shortly. In the meantime, if you are interested, there is a picture of the book's cover on Molony's Author Page.
September 22, 2002.
A Susanne Störmer Interview: Susanne Störmer has an interesting new interview posted on her website, Stormbreakers. In the interview she discusses at some length her upcoming book, William McMaster Murdoch, A Career at Sea. Check out the Störmer Interview for more details.
September 16, 2002.
A Night to Remember; the Definitive Titanic Film, by Jeffrey Richards.
This one looks like it will be fun for you movie buffs out there. Of the five major films made about the Titnaic disaster, many still consider the movie A Night to Remember to be the definitive Titanic film. Richards will analyze the film's history, production and reception, and compare it to the other films on the subject, most notably James Cameron's immortal version. This book is due out in October, 2002.
August 28, 2002.
A Facsimile Reprint of the Original 1911 Shipbuilder Publication, The White Star Triple-Screw Atlantic Liners Olympic and Titanic.
This facsimile reprint was originally slated for publication during the 90th anniversary of the disaster. According to THS, however, the project has been shelved and there are no plans for the immediate future. Maybe we can hope for a rebirth of the project for the 100th anniversary in 2012?????
August 21, 2002.
Ghosts of the Abyss. A Journey Into the Heart of the Titanic, by Don Lynch & Ken Marschall.
It's official. Tthere will be a tie-in book to James Cameron's awesome new 45 minute IMAX style movie Ghosts of the Abyss. The book will be written by Titanic historian Don Lynch and include new artwork by Ken Marschall. The tentative release date is the Spring of 2003. No information yet as to pricing.