Titanic at Two A.M.: An Illustrated Narrative with Survivor Accounts

Rating:
Summary: From Library Journal:
Review: Quinn uses structural details gleaned from the accounts of Ballard and many survivors to reconstruct a vivid description of the final 20 minuts of the vessel's life. He has an excellent knowledge of the layout of the ship and has contributed several paintings showing the progress of the sinking. Of course, Quinn had to surmise various scenarios, including his dramatic descriptions of the rising water, the sounds of water flooding the various public rooms, and even which escape routes were likely taken by the third class passengers. A beautiful addition to the literature of the Titanic and a good purchase for public libraries.

Rating:
Summary: Informative, exciting, but the author needs an editor
Review: The author chose a great topic--the last few minutes of the Titanic. His illustrations are wonderful, the quotations from primary sources are well chosen, and he has a thorough grasp of his subject. Unfortunately, he did NOT have an editor, and he certainly could have used one. The dozens and dozens of grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes (it's vs. its, for example), as well as the numerous cases of nouns not agreeing with their antecedents--it all jars on one's nerves after awhile (like fingernails on a blackboard). Still, it's a vastly entertaining book).

Rating:
Summary: Great Illustrations, Good Story
Review: The book discusses and shows by way of drawings and using actual first person accounts how it must have been like to be aboard the great ship as she went down, compartment by compartment. In addition, the book also discusses the issue of the ship off in the horizon, and whether the steel in the Titanic was too brittle. Also, the book discusses Bruce Ismay and Callapsible Boat C. The book was very well written and keeps the reader's interest,following the progress of the water through the halls,staterooms, the grand staircase, and how the rising water may have appeared to those desperate people aboard. This is a book for all those interested in the final moments of the real Titanic. Those who read this book will find that it answers questions left opened in other books on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: A very fine and detailed account of the sinking.
Review: The book discusses and shows by way of drawings and using actual first person accounts how it must have been like to be aboard the great ship as she went down, compartment by compartment. In addition, the book also discusses the issue of the ship off in the horizon, and whether the steel in the Titanic was too brittle. Also, the book discusses Bruce Ismay and Callapsible Boat C. The book was very well written and keeps the reader's interest,following the progress of the water through the halls,staterooms, the grand staircase, and how the rising water may have appeared to those desperate people aboard. This is a book for all those interested in the final moments of the real Titanic. Those who read this book will find that it answers questions left opened in other books on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment; not worth the money
Review: This book is not nearly as detailed as many other books on this subject, and it is really overpriced for what you get. Other books in this price range (especially those of Eaton & Haas) are so much better than this one, partly because many facts in this book are not up to date (for instance, the information about the Californian). There is just much better material on this subject available than this book; don't waste your time or money.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent account of the last 20 minutes.
Review: This book primarily focuses on the last 20 minutes of the Titanic before she went under, and I have to say I am very impressed. The account switches between survivor quotations and the author's own narrative with a pace that left me unable to put the book down. The paintings (which Quinn did in addition to writing the text) are great. And there lots of photos and diagrams of the ship too. I definitely recommend this book!

Rating:
Summary: Great Illustrations, Good Story
Review: This is a really interesting book. There are paintings in it that I never saw before that show all kinds of intersting scenes from that night. It is mainly about the time period between 2:00 and 2:20 a.m. when the ship was going down.

I was really drawn into the paintings of people rushing up the boat deck during the ship's final demise.

This book is definitely a thumbs up!