Archibald Gracie was probably among the last to leave the sinking Titanic on that cold April night in 1912, one of the most traumatic events in maritime history. In this unique account, he describes his personal experiences and remarkable escape from death in the icy waters of the Atlantic, painting a vivid picture of what it was like on board the Titanic in its final hours.
Tracking down other survivors for their stories and attending court hearings to obtain the official record, Colonel Gracie filled in the details of his account, struggling to complete it in spite of illness. Largely due to the effects of his ordeal and exposure in the frigid Atlantic, he finally succumbed on December 4, 1912. His book was published in 1913 to universal acclaim and remains one of the most vivid and first-hand accounts of the disaster.
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"A compelling book written by a survivor in 1912, the year of the sinking, as a first person story as well as the accounts of other survivors. Gracie was on the Titanic as it slipped under the surface. He was able to surface and swim to an overturned lifeboat that was not launched before the sinking. After hours standing on the capsized boat in the extreme cold with others, he boarded the Carpathia at dawn surrounded by icebergs that forced the survivors to row to the rescue boat that couldn't pick them up because of the danger of striking the ice. He finished writing the book before his death December 4, 1912. It was published in 1913 although he never was able to polish it. The language usage of the time period makes it an even better read for those facinated by the Titanic."
— Beth (4 out of 5 stars)
“Sometimes amazingly priggish, at others unwittingly funny, the colonel was also possessed of a fierce tenacity, a sturdy kind of dignity, and a feeling of controlled outrage at what he thought was gross negligence.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer“This very elegantly written narrative by a man who actually did sink with the ship (he was later hauled into a lifeboat) is often riveting…Titanic buffs will love this on-the-spot reporting; others will also find much to enjoy and ponder. Recommended.”
— Library Journal" Interesting firsthand account of what happened as the Titanic sank. Col. Gracie was swept over board by a wave as the Titanic sank. He managed to surface and found an overturned lifeboat...that is all the farther I have read. "
— Julie, 2/12/2014" I really didn't learn anything new, and it was pretty repetitive. "
— Tiffany, 2/6/2014" I liked it. I agree that it was repetitive in places - mainly due to the Colonel's thoroughness. He often retold the same event several times from different witnesses standpoints and testimonies. Its worth reading the first half just for the story of how he personally was saved. Lucky just isn't the word!?! "
— Paul, 1/26/2014" I made the mistake of listening to the book rather than reading it. The narrator sound somewhat pretentious and laked emotions. "
— Haines, 1/26/2014" 3.5. This non-fiction account was written by an American, who was returning to NY on the Titanic from a European vacation. Gracie was a Civil War buff, and he had just finished writing a book about a battle his father had fought in. Gracie helped load the lifeboats as the Titanic sank. He essentially sank with the ship, and survived by clinging to an overturned lifeboat until the Carpathia picked up the survivors the next day. Gracie spent the next months of his life gathering information and corresponding with survivors. His book includes excerpts from inquiries launched by both the US and British governments. There are some references to people in terms of their racial profile, but Gracie wrote this book at a different time in history so I did not find that so offensive. I did think the book was oddly restrained in emotion, given that it was written by one who experienced the full horror of the event. After I finished the book, I read a little about Gracie, and was sad to learn he never really recovered from the hypothermia and other effects of that night. He died within a year of the sinking, and was in fact the first survivor of the sinking of the Titanic to die. "
— Lynne, 1/23/2014" Although it was interesting to read a tale of the famous disaster from the pen of a survivor, the reality of what he saw and reported combined with the actual circumstances of how the ship went down are so divergent that I had issues with the book. I also had some problems with his obvious class structure hangups and other things that are really more a product of the times, but I still was bothered by them. Read on my NookColor. "
— Erulisse, 1/20/2014" An interesting insight into the rigid social structure of the time. The unapologetic sexism and racism kept me more riveted than the account of the event itself. "
— Arika, 1/11/2014" The first part detailing his own escape and eye-witness account has a real freshness and immediacy. The second part where he goes through stories of each lifeboat is also fascinating. "
— Jude, 11/20/2013" Being a Titanic freak this book is required reading. It was just what anyone who wants to read this book should expect. Well done, great read. Not my favorite Titanic book, but still interesting. "
— Andy, 11/4/2013" A fascinating text with a unique insider's perspective. The only thing I would say is that it can make for a tough read in places- it's one I had to take in short bursts. "
— Mel, 11/1/2013" A little boring but very interesting "
— Dave, 8/11/2013" This is a very important book. The two accounts herein comprise what was the full historical record of the Titanic disaster until Bob Ballard found the wreck in 1985. Not to be missed for the history buffs out there! "
— Stacy, 6/9/2013" A very good read. The writing has held up in my opinion. Mr. Gracie was not quite a man when the ship went down but in the end he became a real one. His depiction of the last moments of Titanic still stay in my mind. "
— Laura, 4/23/2013" Mind numbing. "
— Simone, 2/28/2013" A fascinating account of events from a survivor; I read the Kindle edition which I advise you to avoid. It was full of typos and some entire pages that were unreadable. Otherwise, well worth the read. I read this book primarily for research purposes, and it fit the bill. "
— Linore, 12/17/2011" Well-written, great background information on the passengers. "
— Michele, 8/13/2010" If you are interested in the Titanic you will find his point of view interesting. "
— David, 9/11/2009" snoozer! "
— Jackie, 7/23/2009" loved it, it was told what really happen "
— Nichole, 2/10/2009" Bought this in London soon after the movie came out. It's an incredible story and provides great context for the movie. "
— Sylvie, 11/8/2008" This was an interesting review of the Titanic's fated night. Extremely thorough, though with an obvious bias to the upper-class that he comes from, it mostly reinforced what I already knew, although there were a few surprises. What a terrible tragedy that was. "
— AmyLyn, 1/1/2008Colonel Archibald Gracie (1859–1912) was an American writer, amateur historian, real estate investor, and survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic.
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.