The Last Log of the Titanic

Rating: 3 Stars

Review:

Interesting read about what MIGHT have happened in the Titanic's final hours, and how the crew MIGHT have behaved. Ismay deserves all the blame he gets, though I've held that opinion long before I read this book. Brown certainly has no love for Lord or his book, and anyone's account who is different from his. At least he is persistent, and states his case. Based on other things I've read I can't say I agree with every assessment he puts forth, but he presents his case soundly.

Brown, however, references photographs several times, but at no point includes copies. Then when discussing Murdoch's maneuvers at the time just before and after striking the iceberg, illustrations and diagrams would've been extremely helpful to understand, especially for those of us who are visual learners. Same goes for when he was discussing the makeup of the ship, the watertight compartments, the double bottom, etc. There are no photographs included at all, and very few illustrations, lumped together in an appendix.

I'd recommend this for those interested in the Titanic, but be prepared for an author who is quite sure of himself being right and everyone else being wrong.