KBigelowNF

Kim's Home

Kimberly Bigelow Mrs. Laurencot Nonfiction Book Essay

Everybody knows that the story of the Titanic is devastating and thrilling all at once. The nonfiction book, __Titanic__, by Tom

Stacey, is about the joys and tragedies of both the voyage and sinking of the great ship, Titanic. This book relates to society and

history, offers a lot to the reader, and teaches the reader much about the world around him or her.

The epic tale of the Titanic relates to both history and today’s society. After all, the sinking of the Titanic itself is history. When

the “unsinkable” ship went down, more than fifteen hundred people were killed. Though this was a big shock to the people of that

time, as the book explains, “she is a symbol of overconfidence, ignored warnings, and tragic failure,” (pg. 57). Because of this, people

have come far to improve the safety of our technology today. As well stated in the epilogue of the book, __Titanic__, “even when we are

most confident of success, failure can happen,” (pg. 57).

__Titanic__, by Tom Stacey, has much to offer any person who reads it. The pages are filled with facts about the entire shipwreck.

There are many statistics included in the book. For example, the book says, “Many of the 2,227 passengers and crew on board

actually believed the Titanic could not be sunk…1,522 died…only 705 were rescued,” (pg. 6). In addition, there are excellent

explanations of what the ship looked like, how the passengers lived on the ship and what the panic felt like when the ship was going

under. __Titanic__ gives a terrific insight to what it was like to be on the Titanic, during the journey and the sinking. The drawings

throughout the book provide the reader with a better understanding of what the information explains. Also, quotes from rescued

passengers from the ship are included as well. For instance, Jack Thayer,

K. Bigelow / pg. 2

who was a passenger on the Titanic, wrote, “The event…not only made the world rub its eyes and awake, but woke it with a start,"

(pg. 57).

This book, __Titanic__, teaches the reader about the world around him or her. Much of technology today has excessive safety

features. For instance, air bags and seatbelts in cars are provided for drivers. This is because we, as people, have come a long way

by influence of devastating events such as the Titanic or, as the book mentions, the space shuttle, The Challenger, which exploded

on January 28, 1986, to make our world the safest it can be. Similarly, the book tells the tale of the great ship to show that though

freak accidents can happen at any time, it is better to take safety precautions just in case. For example, __Titanic__ explains that a

reason contributing to the sinking of the Titanic is that the crew was not trained in evacuating the ship and also, there were a

minimum amount of lifeboats. In saying all of this, the book __Titanic__ is teaching the reader a life lesson; expect the unexpected.

The book __Titanic__, by Tom Stacey, is a great book about the joys and tragedies of both the voyage and sinking of the great

ship, the Titanic. __Titanic__ relates to both history and today’s society, offers a lot to the reader, and teaches about the world around us.

It is a great read for any curious reader who is looking for a terrific disaster.