Rating: 
Summary: Forensic Study of Titanic Sinking
Review: "Ghosts of the Titanic" is the second book in what Charles Pellegrino promises will be a trilogy about the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. It is primarily a much-needed thorough forensic analysis of the ship's sinking, based on data from recent expeditions to the site, never before published or analyzed journals, letters and interviews with witnesses, and information from the original investigations of the disaster. What physically happened to the ship at every moment from just before its impact with the iceberg until it hit the ocean floor is spelled out in detail. Some helpful diagrams are included as well. I was amazed and fascinated by how much of the activities on board the Titanic during its final hours could be reconstructed when all eyewitness accounts are considered. Among other things, new information may exonerate Captain Smith of much of the blame for the tragedy, while thrusting Bruce Ismay of the White Star Line and Captain Lord of the Californian into even harsher light than previously imagined. As is typical of Charles Pellegrino's books, "Ghosts of the Titanic" is written in the order in which the information came to light instead of being organized by topic. This creates a sense of anticipation and allows the reader to understand the Titanic in ever-increasing depth, little by little, just as Dr. Pellegrino and his colleagues did. But the lack of conventional organization may frustrate some readers, and it means you don't find out about some crucial details until the end of the book. All in all, a fascinating account of what people did to sink a ship in 1912 and what goes on at the bottom of the ocean today as a result.
Rating:
Summary: Science, lies, and the Titanic
Review: Did the N.Y. Times give a scientist a raw deal? I think so. First off, Pellegrino really does his homework, and that is a fact, not a fantasy. In the Discovery Channel Expeditions he is listed, aboard the Research Vessels at the wreck site, as "Underwater Archaeologist" and "Scientist at large." Simply go to Robert D. Ballard's book, "Discovery of the Titanic," and you will see that Dr. Ballard himself credits Pellegrino with the archaeological analysis that produced the "downblast theory." This analysis (still on-going) was begun during the winter 1985 expedition to the hydrothermal vents on the Galapagos Rift (A famous Ballard expedition in its own right! See Pellegrino's "Her Name, Titanic.") As for the reality of survivor's quotes, just a random flip-through reveals: Page 220, "Excerpt from a letter to Walter Lord... March 29, 1956..." Page 196: "Leading fireman Charles Hendrickson testified...Oiler Fred Scott told... Examiner Hharbinson [at the British Inquiry]..." Throughout the book, the author specifically cites who said what to whom and when - (eg: Captain Smith's and Mr. Strauss' last words to Mrs Henry Harris, as recorded in Mrs. Harris' diary) - hardly worthy of an accusation of "circus barking and fantasy." See also for example, Pellegrino's careful, point-by-point analysis of the evidence supporting James Cameron's theory that the entire five story, solid oak structure of the Titanic's grand stairway developed many tons of positive buoyancy and broke free of its mountings as the bow went underwater (which the NY Times calls a "flimsy idea" - as if the notion that wood floats is a "wild assertion"). Anyone who assumes that the N.Y. Times actually put Mr. Parfit's "book review" through a legal review prior to publication needs to be enlightened: Book reviews are allowed, by the law, almost total freedom to get the facts wrong because strict deadlines are automatically assumed. Moreover, a reading of the N.Y. Times review will reveal from the very first paragraph that the author, Parfit, was writing at an almost hysterical, vengeful pitch. You cannot read this without finding the thrashing itself entertaining, and wondering, "What did Pelligrino do to get the Times so mad at him?" A reading of the recently published decision by the N.Y. State Supreme Court. Appellate Division (June 27, 2000, Index No. 100423/99) might - just might - shed some light on this. A writer for the N.Y. Times had, in 1998, accused Pellegrino, in his book "Unearthing Atlantis" of falsely associating himself with the family of the famous Greek archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos, and even stealing credit for Marinatos's "Thera theory." (Sound familiar?) All the way up through the appellate court, the accusation was ruled unanimously as "patently false and susceptible to defamatory meaning." People who win libel cases can often be heard to complain about the original lie, the original accusation, being literally shouted by the media while the vindication, coming years later, gets a barely whispered "only kidding" somewhere behind page 74 of the classifieds in the times. Pellegrino's deal seems a little more raw than that. In his case, only days or weeks after the matter was settled, the Times came out with a "book review" reiterating similar charges (we read that Pellegrino falsely associated himself with the famed oceanographer Robert Ballard, and now even tries to steal some credit for Ballard's discovery of the Titanic). Book reviews, as I have indicated above and as any lawyer can tell you, are virtually sue-proof. Translation? Legally, anyone who wants to couch character assassination in a book review can get away with it. Coincidence? Maybe. But does it not have the disturbing stench of pay-back?
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but it could be much better.
Review: I have been fascinated by the Titanic disaster for many years, and although this book is very interesting and informative, he seems to have completely neglected to do a bit of historical research on the subject. My first example is how much stock he puts into Morgan Robertson's "Futility", which is supposed to have predicted the Titanic disaster a full fourteen years before it happened. The way he tells it, Morgan Robertson was right in every single respect about the death of Titanic. However, if he had read the first edition of the book, published in 1898, he would see that the ship described in "Futility" actually bears very little resemblance to the Titanic. First of all, the Titan was on her third voyage going BACK to England from New York. Second, only 13 people survived the sinking of the Titan. Third, the Titan did not hit the iceberg a glancing blow, but instead plowed into it and actually rolled up over it, sinking in less than a half hour. Also, absolutely no mention of a sister ship is made in either version of Morgan Robertson's "Futility". The true story of this bizarre book is that Robertson and a publisher rewrote it immediately after the disaster with the intention of cashing in on it. Unfortunately, copies of the first edition are incredibly rare, so it is extremely easy to mistake Robertson's work of fiction for a prediction of disaster. In the first edition, a person couldn't tell the Titan from the Mauretania or even the Great Eastern. Mr. Pellegrino also seems to spend a great deal of time praising RMS Titanic, Inc for it's efforts to "keep the spirit of the great ship alive". I'd say that the Titanic Historical Society does a much better job of this than any two-bit treasure hunter's association. All in all, however, I could find few faults with his book. He seems to spend very little time on research in relation to the Titanic's sister ships, but his theories are interesting and thought-provoking.
Rating:
Summary: Totally New to Me
Review: I've been interested in the story of the people on the ship for 40 years and have watched all the shows and read the books, but this is what I'd been looking for and not finding. I knew there were more third-class children who died than first-class men, but here are direct quotes and examples that show how the class system worked and how little value was placed on the lives of the great mass of people in the early 1900's, the non-wealthy. I'd never heard of the thefts, opinion on the head injuries of the people trying to get into collapsible A, what happened to the the a la carte workers, the rusticles (how great is this?) or the exact way/speed the bow and stern went down that I could plow through. I vaguely heard that the band members' families were billed, but didn't realize how callous the White Star Line really was. The book also confirmed my feeling that Captain Smith didn't make any effort at coordination and seemed to be in shock - no sending the stewards to shut the portholes, maintaining contact with Anderson or his own staff, etc. Maybe there are disagreements over the scientific facts, but I found them credible and explained pretty clearly to a layman. Theories have been frequently overturned in my lifetime and minor errors in facts of names or dates occur in every book. I liked this book much more than I thought I would and if you're interested in the human story, you can skip the technical one altogether.
Rating:
Summary: Magificent book
Review: I've read many books on the Titanic but never one quite like "Ghosts of the Titanic". Dr Charles Pellegrini's magnificent book had me spellbound from the very first chapter as the author presents the events of the night of April 14th/15th 1912 in a totally fresh and compelling manner.Be warned: This book grips the reader like a steel trap! In "Ghosts of the Titanic" you will learn of: The very first victims of the Titanic's collision with the iceberg. The steward who set a new world record for the high dive. How Major Peuchen's wallet came to be lying where it was in Titanic's debris field and the importance of finding the wallet. Why Thomas Andrews, Titanic's designer, stayed on board the stricken liner and made no attempt to leave the ship. What damage the iceberg inflicted on the Titanic and then what Titanic did to the iceberg. The words whispered by Captain Smith when he saw the flooded mail room. How close the iceberg was to Titanic when it was first sighted. Where the California really was in relation to the Titanic. The meaning of the very last message transmitted from Titanic's radio room. This list is only a portion of the startling revelations to be found in this book. There have been many fine books written on the Titanic distaster. In this writers humble opinion "Ghosts of the Titanic" is the best, the winner in a photo-finish from the excellent works of Walter Lord. A "must read" for any lover of history and science and an "absolute must read" for those fascinated by the Titanic disaster.
Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking and original
Review: Let's be frank. I am the publisher of another excellent Titanic book, "1912 Facts About Titanic," by Lee Merideth, and have read about everything that is readily available on the subject. So I know a little something about it. Pellegrino has penned what is in my opinion the most compelling, fresh, and thought-provoking account of the great liner I have ever read. His careful analysis and reasoned speculation opens new doors for serious study; his gleaning of the various inquiry records and other firsthand accounts that have surfaced recently, when utilized with archaeological and scientific discoveries, damn near definitively solves many of the mysteries that have lingered since 1912. Pellegrino's treatment of the role played by the Californian and Captain Lord is the best I have ever seen in print. His use of witness accounts of the ship's lights, the curvature of the earth, and other factors resolves conclusively that Lord's command was within a seven-mile radius when Titanic sank. There is also evidence that a handful of survivors may have been sighted on an ice flow by officers of the Californian--and left there by Lord. The author also has raised enough significant doubt to revitalize (perhaps "rehabilitate" is not too strong of a description) Captain Smith's reputation. Like the fiasco of a movie "Gettysburg," which depicted Martin Sheen as a General Lee on valium, previous authors and movie directors have portrayed the Titanic's Captain Smith as a confused and benumbed fool once the ship's designer, Andrews, told him Titanic was doomed. In fact, every one of Smith's critical decisions--including sending out half empty lifeboats--were the correct ones. (My hat is off to you Captain, and I apologize for the unkind words I have spread about you. tps) Other compelling issues include learned speculation that the Grand Staircase broke loose and shot to the surface (the evidence for this is very strong); Officer Murdoch did indeed shoot himself (there were several witnesses who did not know each other who wrote the same thing); and Bruce Ismay and his company worked overtime to slander many survivors who did tow the company line (the Duff Gordons were among this select group). Even more interesting is the fact that the "rusticles" adorning the deteriorating ship are actually ALIVE. Yes, they are bacterial colonies in a life form previously unknown. And they are being utilized for medical research that might, ultimately, save more people than Titanic took to the bottom. The only section of the book that caused me to roll my eyes and audibly groan was the very end of the main narrative, where Pellegrino makes a silly over-the-top reference to the political baloney we know today as "Global Warming," accented with a metaphor that the earth is the Titanic and we are steaming toward our own ice field. Sorry, Charlie, but hundreds of qualified scientists think the evidence for Global Warming (and a human connection) is tenuous or nonexistent at best. Politicians anxious to weaken the U.S. at the expense of Third World countries, however, in the name of global Socialism, see it as a terrific opportunity to achieve their goals. These are the same yahoos who argued 25 years ago that TODAY we would be all covered with ice, so our lifestyles had to change radically--or else. (How many of your are now skiing in July? Hmmm?) I borrowed this book, read it, and then bought it. Everyone who enjoys reading about Titanic must own this book. Ignore the silly review that appeared in Kirkus and the hatchet job that was penned in the New York Times. Buy Ghosts of the Titanic, enjoy it, and then share it with another buff.
Rating:
Summary: excellent, fascinating accounts
Review: Pellegrino has put together a wonderful, haunting collection of intimate stories of those who experienced that terrible Night to Remember aboard the TITANIC...all juxtaposed with up to date scientific information on the wreck. Beautifully, sensitively recounted proving that often the smallest details are the most poignant.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting mixture of science and amateur history.
Review: The author of this book is actually a scientist who has personally visited the Titianic wreck. As such the book is a very interesting work that attempts to cover the last few hours of the ship, and his own theories on how it sunk. The science part of the book is very good. He argues well that it was a series of small punctures that sunk the ship, and uses a set of illustraions of the ship at various sinking times to prove this. There are some figures in this book, such as the terminal velocity of the ship as it sank, and the PSI (pressure) exherted on the wreck. These are presented simply- I am not a scientist, but I found his explainations easy to understand. Alongside the scientific narrative he also tells the story of the last hours before the ship sank, from the points of view of various passengers. This is a rather exciting read and does indeed feel more like a movie or action novel. It is well mixed with the scientific explainations, but perhaps a little too mixed- he jumps from science to history very randomly. One moment he will be discussing sea bed bacteria, the next he will be discussing a first class passenger's last words to his wife! My only real criticism is that as a historian he is far to judgemenal- he is attmepting to create heros and villains much in the same way as in the movie "Titanic." Furthermore he seems rather critical of the English, whom he sees as stupid and arrogant and ineffiecient- again something clearly influenced by the movie. This leads to a bias that makes the historical part seem rather too fictional. Occasionally he is wrong on certain details- Lino wasn't a new invention in 1912, for example. He is far too keen to place modern American values (such as attitudes towards class) on an event that took place nearly 100 years ago. Novice readers be aware that he does talk in naval jargon, such as Port/Starbord to Steerage (third class) and smokestack (funnel). Overall this is a good book, well written and easy to read- and it also tells a powerful and compelling story. His scientific arguements are excellent and well put, but his history is amateur and shouldn't be taken as fact.
Rating:
Summary: The closest you will get to acctually being there
Review: The book Ghosts of the titanic goes back to orignal survivor reports and uses them to piece together parts of the final hours of the great liner. The book also talks about the rate of deteriotaion, and covers the untold secrets of what was really found deep inside the ship. I would recommend this book to anyone that would want to know what it was really like that night the liner sank. I liked the book cause it made more sense than some of the other books that wasnt written by Charles Pellegrino. He tells the story and gives out the information in a way to make you understand unlike some books that tells you the same thing but word it where its hard to understand.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST FOR A SERIOUS STUDENT
Review: This book is fabulous. It is very technical in places so would only reccommend for the serious student. Dr Pellegrino puts you right there with the survivors and the unfortunates who did not survive. allot of first hand accounts. i completely enjoyed this book.
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