The Myth of the Titanic

Description

Contents

Introduction

1. A Brief History of the Titanic
2. Myth and the Titanic
3. ‘Women and Children First!’
4. ‘We Shall Die Like Gentlemen’
5. ‘Be British!’
6. ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee’
7. “The Unsinkable Ship’

Conclusion

Reviews

‘Howells’ book is a model of cultural history, thoroughly researched, carefully argued and consistently illuminating.’ — Professor Jeffrey Richards, Times Higher Education Supplement

‘Richard Howells makes a gripping story out of the fashioning of a myth. He delights equally in the fixing of the facts which unsettle the fairy stories, as he does in the richly human stories themselves. Taking on the movie and showing up its mythic deceptions without a tremor, he turns to face Edwardian England just as coolly, and quietly identifies its necessary illusions. Then he rolls up all the tales into a single mighty myth, all the while doing justice to truth, to horror, to sentimentality, and to a rattling good read.’ — Fred Inglis, Professor of Cultural Studies, University of Sheffield, UK

‘Finally, a book that probes not only the cultural frameworks enclosing the Titanic disaster between 1912 and 1914, but how those frameworks endure today.’ — John R. Stilgoe, Harvard University

‘This book is very well referenced… and will prove a reference work in its own right.’ — Atlantic Daily Bulletin (Journal of the British Titanic Society)

‘[Howells] crafts an easily accessible, well-organized, and logical book…’ — Kristi A. Bell, Journal of American Folklore

About the Author

RICHARD HOWELLS Reader in Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King’s College, London, UK. His particular interests are in visual and popular culture, and he has previously been Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Center for the Arts in Society at Carnegie Mellon University, USA.