Why did I listen to Titanic: A Survivor’s Story?
Colonel Archibald Gracie was a passenger aboard Titanic when it hit the iceberg and sank on April 15th, 1912. Titanic: A Survivor’s Story is his first hand account of what happened during those final hours. When I came across this audiobook, I thought it would be interesting to hear about the tragedy from someone who wrote about it shortly after it happened. I though it might give me a new perspective.
What’s the story here?
Titanic: A Survivor’s Story is exactly as the title implies. It is the story of Titanic’s final days from the perspective of one of her passengers. Colonel Archibald Gracie’s day starts out very normal with a trip to the recreation area and visits with other first class passengers. The normalcy of the day quickly changes as night times falls and Titanic strikes an iceberg. This audiobook contains vivid details of that tragic night and all the aftermath that followed.
How did I like Titanic: A Survivors Story?
Titanic: A Survivors Story was really interesting to listen to. Colonel Archibald Gracie started writing his recollections right after the Titanic disaster not wanting to forget any details. It was published in 1913 shortly after the author had died from the exposure during the sinking. In his recollections, he discusses help load and launch the lifeboats, witnessing the other passengers, the sacrifices which they had to make, and his post-sinking experience in the freezing water and then the Carpathia.
Colonel Archibald Gracie also pulls upon research and stories from other survivors and the judicial inquires of the sinking. There is alot of information pack inside of this story – all of which the author believes to be fully accurate. Of course with this being written shortly after the tragedy there are certain view points which are present throughout the book. These include views on gender, race, class, and nationality as they were perceived in 1912. It is also important to keep in mind that this is only one point of view of the tragedy and their were other passengers whose stories have sadly never been told.
How was the narration?
Titanic: A Survivors Story is narrated by hours and 2 minutes in length. I listen to it at 1.5x speed and was able to follow along easily. There are alot of names mentioned but they are mostly of the 1st and 2nd class. If 3rd class is mentioned it is usually by nationality and with some sort of negative connotation. With that being said, I still found Titanic: A Survivors Story to be interesting as it was an actual first person survivor perspective.
Rating: 4 Stars
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