Titanic & Lusitania: Survivor Stories

By: Bruce M. Caplan, Ken Rossignol

Narrated by: Scott R. Pollak

Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

The best of the Logan Marshall classics have been researched and edited by authors Bruce M. Caplan and Ken Rossignol and presented in this new audiobook. The Titanic's secret fire is explained in great detail. The early days of World War I and the savage sinking of the Lusitania, which caused over 1,000 civilians to die on an unarmed passenger vessel are brought to life. This is the story of the people who survived along with the war efforts that boosted the efforts of the United States, Britain, and France to rally their countries to stand up to the German aggression.

©2011 Kenneth C. Rossignol (P)2013 Kenneth C. Rossignol

Good comparisons with true stories & facts.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book to friends and anyone who enjoys true historical stories. Especially Titanic buffs and anyone who enjoys World War II history.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Titanic & Lusitania: Survivor Stories?

All of the true stories of the survivors from either boat disaster are very memorable as you are put in the shoes of people that actually went through these disasters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

2 great disasters at sea. Firsthand Survivor accounts!

Any additional comments?

A very good read that is an unusual combination but great comparison of two similar but different oceanic disasters.

History was Brought To Life.

The audiobook of Titanic & Lusitania by Bruce M. Caplan, Logan Marshall and Ken Rossingnol was a very enlightening book. To hear the voices of survivors of those two ship sinking makes it so real.

At first we learn about the sinking of the Titanic. The surviving wives wanting to jump in to the water to end their life as they just witnessed their husbands fate. Having a woman express how it looked like a hotel with the lights disappearing one level at a time as it dropped into the water.
The fear of the ice in the water and the tremendous trauma of being a survivor. Seeing cowards live and knowing that heroic actions meant sure death for other men.

The story of the Lusitania was new information to me. I did not know the causes of World War 1, so hearing this was very interesting. Hearing about how the different countries worked against and for each other. Knowing that it is a world war is one thing, hearing all the countries involved puts it into more prospective.

The witnesses and survivor tales were sad and heroic just as the witnesses told about the Titanic. These men and women faced death while watching people dying in their presence. Children were saved and some were lost. There were people in the water asking for help. It was shocking to men and women to see these people. One woman watched her sons die. Her story is sad and yet she is a strong woman to deal with such a tragedy.

Another survivor tells of a boat full of children and women. Then he tells how the ship lifted one end in the air and people slid off. Such vivid recollections bring this story to heart.
The stories of when the torpedoes actually struck the Lusitania talk of noises and confusion and the incorrect directions given.

The news back home was even more damning for the German submarines. They actively prevented rescue attempts. Those poor people floated for a while, when they could have been saved.
Interesting trial information that raises a valid point. Great research and presentation.

What great research was done for this book. Now as I noted, this is an audioobook so I am listening to a narrator tell this story. Scott R. Pollak was brilliant with the voices. Accents were perfect and made the stories even more alive. I think that this narration was well done. I would love to hear more of these historical audioBooks and more books read by this narrator.

A must have for all History buffs

What made the experience of listening to Titanic & Lusitania: Survivor Stories the most enjoyable?

Highly recommend this one! I loved this historical piece by Bruce M. Caplan and Ken Rossignol. From the Titanic's time of basically global peace into the depths of World War One (WW I) including the historic sinking of the Lusitania, this is a great book on the entire lead up to WWI and into the interwar period that follows. Many American historians, like their counterparts in journalism fall into the political trap and forget to tell it the way it was. The documentation process that they are supposed to serve often gets modified it seems - not so with Caplan and Rossignol's historical editing of the original Logan Marshal work, along with the great original war poster art from both the UK and the US. As a masters student of history, I highly recommend this book, not only is it an entertaining read, the history that is described is accurate, based on fairness and real literary principles. They did not sugar coat the facts, for example they covered the use of unrestricted submarine warfare, it was to have a major impact on World War I and it was one of the main reasons why America joined the war in the 1st place. Maritime blockades were also a fact of WWI, key also were early war sully chain and the always present economic factors, even including widespread abuses in factories including child labor. This book belongs in any history buffs library.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes, and I did while on a long flight...