Book Review: A Night to Remember by Walter Lord

By georgelthomas on 30 Jun 2023 • ( 0 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re well. Today is Friday, and time for another review. Today I am reviewing A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.

A Night to Remember was first published in 1955 by R & W Holt, and (my copy) is 209 pages long.

Plot

A Night to Remember is a historical non-fiction book that recounts the events leading up to and following the sinking of the luxury passenger liner RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912.

Characters

Below is a list of some of the survivors Walter Lord interviewed for the book.

Sylvia Mae Caldwell (Second Class passenger)

Victorine Chaudanson (Servant to Emily Maria Ryerson)

Alice Catherine Cleaver (Nurse to the Allison family)

Gurshon Cohen (Third Class passenger)

Washington Dodge Jr (First Class passenger)

Hedwig Margaritha Frölicher (First Class passenger)

Lily May Futrelle (First Class passenger)

Kate Gilnagh (Third Class passenger)

Walter Hurst (Crew member)

James Leo Hyland (Crew member)

George Kemish (Crew member)

Elizabeth Nye (Second Class passenger)

Herbert John Pitman (3rd Officer)

Alfred Pugh (Crew member)

Frederick Dent Ray (Crew member)

Countess of Rothes (First Class passenger)

George Thomas Rowe (Crew member)

John Borie Ryerson (First Class passenger)

Spencer Victor Silverthorne (First Class passenger)

Anna Sofia Sjöblom (Third Class passenger)

Maude Louise Slocombe (Crew member)

James William Cheetham Witter (Crew member)

Selini Yazbeck (Third Class passenger)

There are too many characters to talk about in any real depth, but suffice it to say that Lord brilliantly humanises the entire tragedy. He does not treat the Titanic as a mere historical artefact, but as a vessel filled with real people, with real lives and emotions. By focusing on the individual stories of passengers and crew members, he helps to bring the human cost of the disaster into focus. This approach makes the book particularly poignant as we read about the hopes, dreams and sorrows of those onboard.

Writing Style

Lord’s writing style is engaging and accessible, and he does an excellent job of contextualising the disaster within its larger historical and cultural context. He explores the ship’s engineering, the social hierarchy among the passengers, and the political and economic factors that played into the Titanic’s fate. You come away from the book having a deep appreciation for the scale of the disaster and the traumatic cost that it exacted.

The book is structured like a novel, and divided into short chronological chapters that follow the events leading up to the ship’s sinking and its aftermath, adding to the suspense and urgency that permeates the story. It makes the book feel more like a thriller, and as a reader, you are breathless, waiting to see what happens next. It feels incredibly immersive.

What makes A Night to Remember so remarkable is the level of detail and meticulous research Lord put into it. He compiled survivors’ memories into this compelling narrative, making you feel like you are on the ship, experiencing every moment of the tragedy right along with them.

Another aspect of the book that sets it apart from others in the genre is the author’s objectivity. Lord doesn’t try to romanticise or sensationalise the disaster; he presents the facts surrounding it clearly and straightforwardly, which convincingly paints the picture of how the tragedy occurred, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Final Thoughts

Overall, A Night to Remember stands as a superb piece of historical writing. Lord’s attention to detail and ability to weave together personal stories with the larger historical narrative make this book essential reading for anyone interested in the Titanic. The book’s continued popularity is a testament to its power to captivate readers and keep the memory of the disaster alive.

I am giving A Night to Remember an 8/10.

If you haven’t had the chance to read this tragically human story yet, I highly encourage you to add it to your reading list.

Have you read A Night to Remember or watched the 1958 movie adaptation? Let me know your thoughts.

As always, thanks for spending some of your time here with me today. It means a lot.

Until next time,

George