Mark Black: The Titanic (A Very Brief History)

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The sinking of the Titanic is probably one of the best documented events in history, both in print and in movies. Despite my exposure to all of this I was able to find quite a number of interesting things about the Titanic in this very brief history to expand my understanding of the disaster.

I did not fully appreciate that the ship was so unprepared for its fateful voyage. Sea trials were only completed a mere 8 days before the maiden voyage. Most of the crew were only employed on a casual contract and had not worked together before, boarding only a few hours before the ship was due to depart. They were not trained in evacuation procedures. The lack of experience and training of the staff compounded the criminal shortage of lifeboats, many of which were launched only partly loaded. Class privilege was maintained to the last and hundreds of steerage passengers were left to perish by being trapped below decks.

As always this "Very Brief History" met my expectations and I recommend the series to anyone who wants to easily expand their knowledge about some of the major historical events of our times.