How to Survive the Titanic: The Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay

Summary (from the publisher):  Award-winning historian Frances Wilson delivers a gripping new account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, looking at the collision and its aftermath through the prism of the demolished life and lost honor of the ship’s owner, J. Bruce Ismay. In a unique work of history evocative of Joseph Conrad’s classic novel Lord Jim, Wilson raises provocative moral questions about cowardice and heroism, memory and identity, survival and guilt—questions that revolve around Ismay’s loss of honor and identity as his monolithic venture—a ship called “The Last Word in Luxury” and “The Unsinkable”—was swallowed by the sea and subsumed in infamy forever.

Review: I won this book as a giveaway on Goodreads. I was somewhat disappointed with this book. Like a lot of people, I have a fascination with the Titanic, but instead of an intriguing new look at the Titanic story, I found a dry novel that reminded me of a long-winded scholarly article.  I did like Wilson's approach as she looked at the Titanic through the lens of the ship's owner, Bruce Ismay. However, less than a story about the Titanic, this was a cultural/social analysis of the time period that condemned Ismay for surviving. Ismay had to undergo extensive investigations following the sinking of the ship and seemed to be on trial just because he lived when others didn't and society wanted someone to blame for the many deaths. It seems society could not forgive him for not having the chilvary to drown like a man should. However, the only thing Ismay seems to be at fault for are stunted emotional reactions after a childhood of suppression that was misintrepreted as cavalier indifference to the great loss of life. 

Aside from being a bit dull, my dissatisfaction with this novel largely arises from Wilson's decision to spend significant time comparing Ismay's story to Joseph Conrad's novel Lord Jim. While the stories are certainly similar, I did not like the choice to compare fiction with Ismay's very real ordeal. I'm not sure what the purpose of including Conrad's novel really served, other than some psychological analysis through the literary prism. 

All in all, a decently entertaining look at an individual who survived only to be punished for that fact for the rest of his life. I found myself feeling pity for Ismay and his rather unfortunate life. He seems like a strange, much misunderstood fellow.  

Stars: 3