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Post by Bill Yowell on Apr 9, 2012 8:27:06 GMT -5
Second only to my interest in the "Alamo", I find the story of the Titanic to be mind grabbing. To me the stories share parallels in regard to heroism, sacrifice, and even a little touch of cowardice. Perhaps cowardice is a little too harsh considering every mans' strong leanings toward self preservation. I find that bravery is often forced on mankind by circumstance rather than by personal choice. I don't mean to imply that true bravery does not exist. The men and women in our armed forces who defend our freedom on foreign and domestic soil do so with preparation and conscious choice. What are your thoughts on this? Also, other than "A Night to Remember", by the great writer Walter Lord, what other books do you suggest for good reading and study of the "Titanic"?
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Post by Allen Wiener on Apr 9, 2012 9:40:56 GMT -5
I share your passion for the Titanic and am overdosing on articles and TV documentaries running this month. In addition to Lord's "A Night to Remember" see his follow-up "The Night Lives On." There are so many Titanic books that it's hard to pick out a small handful, but I also liked Ballard's book on how he found the Titanic I haven't read it in ages, but I recall the Haas book being good. I still think the best Titanic movie is "A Night to Remember," based on Lord's book, and think it is much better than the celebrated Cameron movie. It has a near-documentary quality to it. There is a new DVD edition out that includes a one-hour special on how the film was made. Also, TCM is showing "A Night to Remember" next Saturday night on the 100th anniversary, which is about as good a way of marking the day as any.
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Post by Chuck T on Apr 9, 2012 10:53:10 GMT -5
Along with Titanic, there are equally interesting sea stories of Titanic's sister Britainic lost to a mine? or U Boat or perhaps both, as she operated as a hospital ship, and of course to loss of Lusitania.
I also agree that "A Night to Remember" both book and film, are about as good as they come.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Apr 9, 2012 11:51:48 GMT -5
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Post by Kevin Young on Apr 9, 2012 12:20:14 GMT -5
We had A Night To Remember and a 1912 pulp book called Sinking of the Titanic and Sea Disasters in our parents book case. My brother reminded me that as kids, we were watching A Night To Remember on TV and Dad said, "What a minute" and wentout and brought the books in. Spent many hours with them.
Still think A Night To Remember is the best of the Titanic movies...
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Post by Bill Manuel on Apr 9, 2012 15:50:33 GMT -5
I also share your passion for the Titanic. She was a grand ship. I just can not get enough of hearing, reading or watching movies about it. Ofcourse I will be watching part 2 tonight and the one after that. I record them all.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Apr 9, 2012 15:55:11 GMT -5
Bill, which series are you recording? I thought that the new Fellowes mini-series doesn't start till next weekend on ABC-TV. National Geographic channel is running several documentaries, repeated several times each, featuring Robert Ballard and one with Cameron.
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Post by Paul Sylvain on Apr 9, 2012 18:41:33 GMT -5
For me, the Big Three are (in order) the Alamo, the Little Big Horn, and Titanic. There are things known and forever unknown about all three and perhaps that is where the enduring fascination lies.
Paul
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Post by Jim Boylston on Apr 9, 2012 21:45:01 GMT -5
Bill, which series are you recording? I thought that the new Fellowes mini-series doesn't start till next weekend on ABC-TV. National Geographic channel is running several documentaries, repeated several times each, featuring Robert Ballard and one with Cameron. Allen, the Fellowes series has aired on the BBC. There are some digital copies floating around the web.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Apr 9, 2012 22:08:16 GMT -5
I thought I did see something about the U.K. showing; I'm looking forward to seeing it.
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Post by Bill Manuel on Apr 11, 2012 8:40:25 GMT -5
Allen, It was the Titanic with James Cameron, I thought it was in 2 parts, I was wrong. Yes there are a few floating around. Sorry. All are interesting though :-)
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Post by Chuck T on Apr 11, 2012 9:31:38 GMT -5
I was just wondering if any of you are familiar with the sinking of the Empress of Ireland in the Saint Lawrence River in 1914. This disaster claimed more lives than the Titanic, and there are a good many sea stories surrounding her loss, including the refusal of the ships cat to board her for the final voyage after never missing any before.
Many of you know that I am a model shipbuilder and with that hobby goes a love of ship's histories, naval engagements and the like. I asked the above question because in all the years of this activity before, I had never heard of the Empress until reading a Clive Cussler novel twenty or more years ago. So for the first forty plus years of my life a disaster, not on the ocean but figuratively speaking in our own back yard, had never come to my attention.
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Post by Jim Boylston on Apr 11, 2012 9:35:54 GMT -5
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Post by Allen Wiener on Apr 11, 2012 10:26:46 GMT -5
Bill - I am having a hard time keeping up with all of the Titanic TV documentaries this month; I have 5 or 6 already on my DVR. I'm also looking forward to the Fellowes TV miniseries starting Saturday night. Chuck - Here's an interesting piece on the Empress of Ireland tragedy. It says "of the 1,477 on board, 1,012 lost their lives, including 840 passengers, eight more than had died when the Titanic sank." I'm not sure how they got those numbers as more than 1,500 died on Titanic, about 750 were saved. Is it possible that some 670 Titanic deaths were crew? That seems awfully high. Still, both are huge tragedies. I sometimes forget how large the St. Lawrence is. www.pbs.org/lostliners/empress.html#topJIm - good piece; thanks for posting. ONe thing's sure; fascination with the Titanic, as with the Alamo, Custer, etc., will never wane.
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Post by Chuck T on Apr 11, 2012 10:56:09 GMT -5
Allen: I have never really done anything in depth on either ship. You will probably remember that my interest is primarily in tones of haze gray rather than black and white. The more lives thing was from Night Probe by Cussler , remembering my - I never knew that moment - so I can't speak to accuracy.
What I do know about Titanic is that one of the kids at church is building one of the number of models of her that have appeared-re-appearded in this past year, and for a twelve year old he is not doing a bad job. He brought it to church a few weeks ago seeking my advice on a couple of tricky areas in the build.
I will look to see what is available on the Empress and if it differs from your numbers greatly I will post it here
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