Seventy-one years before the loss of the Titanic, another ship sank in almost the same spot after striking an iceberg at maximum speed. Three-quarters of the passengers—poor, mostly Irish emigrants—were lost, including at least fourteen who were thrown from a lifeboat to lighten it. Not a single sailor died.
When the tragedy of the William Brown threatened to expose the dangers of the profitable emigrant passenger trade, a collection of politicians, lawyers, and reporters on both sides of the Atlantic conspired to indict the only seaman who was a hero of the disaster. The trial gave rise to the concept of 'lifeboat ethics': how to decide who gets saved when resources are limited.
'A fascinating read.'—Chesapeake Bay Magazine
'A gripping tale of the sea. . . . You should make a place for this one on your bookshelf, nautical or otherwise.'—Burgee
'More than a horrifying tale . . . also a penetrating examination of the causes.'—Denis Wood, author, The Power of Maps
'Tom Koch's re-creation of a notorious 19th-century case of shipwreck and murder on the high seas makes absorbing reading.'—Michael Phillips, maritime historian, Plymouth (England) Naval Base Museum
'Gripping tale of a 19th-century shipwreck that should have been, but wasn't, a catalyst for major shipping reform.'—Quill & Quire
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - From Catastrophe To Courtoom
The sinking of the "William Brown" could be an interesting story. Unfortunately, we may never really know, because it does not turn out thusly in this volume. You know how the movie "Titanic" had two hours of mediocre buildup to the "good part", at which point you were treated to a full-blown special effects extravaganza and an astonishing rendition of disaster and drama? Here, the good part--the sinking--gets out of the way right at the outset, and then we get to the rest: all the gripping intrigue ... Read More
Rating: - Fascinating and compelling, but too much editorializing
On a cold April night, a ship full of passengers crossing the Atlantic from England to America struck an iceberg and sank. It was almost exactly 71 years before the sinking of the Titanic, and at almost the exact same spot. But, there were great differences in what happened in the sinking of these two ships.
After the sailing ship William Brown began to go down, the crew rushed to the two small boats the ship carried (lifeboats weren't even invented yet), and tried to leave with as few ... Read More
- From Catastrophe To Courtoom
- Fascinating and compelling, but too much editorializing
