George Behe

EDWARD J. SMITH was the celebrated captain who went down with his ship. THOMAS ANDREWS was the great and selfless hero who died saving women and children. BRUCE ISMAY was the selfish coward who caused the ship to sink. When disaster struck on the night of 14 April 1912, the lives of everyone aboard the Titanic were changed forever. Lives were lost, heroes were made – and villains were cast. The Triumvirate is a minute-by-minute investigation into the three men at the heart of the tragedy and their actions on that fateful night, using the words of survivors themselves. After over a century of half-truths and tabloid lies, it is time to ask the question: are their reputations deserved?

‘Without a doubt, George Behe is one of the most prolific Titanic authors. More than that, he is also among the most respected, known for his friendly, generous nature and a keen eye for detail, with a collection of material that is the envy of many a researcher.’ – Dan E. Parks, Encyclopedia TitanicaMost people know the general story of the Titanic, but there are so many individual avenues for discovery that serious researchers could easily spend the rest of their lives investigating these subjects. For the past fifty years, George Behe has been researching and writing about the Titanic, searching for new information about specific sub-topics that have caught his interest. The result is The Titanic Files, a collection of stories, angles of enquiry and pieces of trivia that reflect George’s thoughts on a wide variety of Titanic-related subjects, along with the results of his extensive studies. From the fate of the animals that boarded the ship to whether there were genuine messages in bottles sent from those aboard, this detailed volume is a treasure trove of research material sure to delight any discerning Titanic enthusiast.

‘Meet the people connected to Titanic in a very personal way. Through a tremendous display of memorabilia items – some of them very personal – you will feel the Titanic disaster as you never have before. A fresh, unique tour de force in the annals of Titanic literature!’ – J. KENT LAYTON, co-author of Recreating the TitanicThe basic facts of the Titanic’s story are well known: in April 1912 the largest ship in the world, described as ‘practically unsinkable’, set off on her maiden trip to New York. She would never make it there. Instead she would strike an iceberg just days into her journey and sink to the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean, taking nearly 1,500 people with her. She would remain there undisturbed for seventy-three years. Titanic Collections: Fragments of History is a two-part series showcasing rare and important artefacts relating to the history of RMS Titanic. Many collectors prefer to hide their treasures away, but the items presented in these beautiful books have been gathered by six well-known and respected researchers, authors, historians and collectors who want to share their acquisitions with the world. The People is a tribute to those connected with the ship, whether passengers or crew, through the items they left behind. It goes beyond the five-day voyage that they are forever entwined with to look at their whole lives, using letters, photographs and personal effects to tell their stories and highlight the real human cost of one of the world’s most famous tragedies. Each beautifully photographed item brings the story of the Titanic to life, and all come together as a museum for your bookshelf.

EDWARD J. SMITH was the celebrated captain who went down with his ship. THOMAS ANDREWS was the great and selfless hero who died saving women and children. BRUCE ISMAY was the selfish coward who caused the ship to sink. When disaster struck on the night of 14 April 1912, the lives of everyone aboard the Titanic were changed forever. Lives were lost, heroes were made – and villains were cast. The Triumvirate is a minute-by-minute investigation into the three men at the heart of the tragedy and their actions on that fateful night, using the words of survivors themselves. After over a century of half-truths and tabloid lies, it is time to ask the question: are their reputations deserved?

‘A wonderful gallery of period items related to the Titanic and Olympic, presented and shared by some of the top researchers and collectors in the field. Many of these items are quite rare or unique, and are not often seen by the general public.’ – Bill Wormstedt, co-author of Recreating the TitanicThe basic facts of the Titanic’s story are well known: in April 1912 the largest ship in the world, described as ‘practically unsinkable’, set off on her maiden trip to New York. She would never make it there. Instead she would strike an iceberg just days into her journey and sink to the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean, taking nearly 1,500 people with her. She would remain there undisturbed for seventy-three years. Titanic Collections: Fragments of History is a two-part series showcasing rare and important artefacts relating to the history of RMS Titanic. Many collectors prefer to hide their treasures away, but the items presented in these beautiful books have been gathered by six well-known and respected researchers, authors, historians and collectors who want to share their acquisitions with the world. The Ship focuses on artefacts relating to the Titanic herself, ranging from carpet squares and floor tiles to crockery and bath tickets. Each beautifully photographed item brings the story of the Titanic to life, and all come together as a museum for your bookshelf.

During the early twentieth century, professional gamblers were such a scourge in the smoking rooms of trans-Atlantic passenger liners that White Star Line warned its passengers about them. In spring 1912 three professional gamblers travelled from the USA to England for the sole purpose of returning to America on the maiden voyage of Titanic. "Kid" Homer, "Harry" Rolmane and "Boy" Bradley (Harry Homer, Charles Romaine and George Brereton) were grifters with a long history of living on the wrong side of the law, who planned to utilize their skills at the card table to relieve fellow passengers of cash. One swiftly fell under suspicion of being a professional "card mechanic", and was excluded from some poker games, but other games continued apace. This new book, the result of years of research by George Behe, reveals the true identities of these gamblers, their individual backgrounds, the ruses they used, and their ultimate fates after tragedy struck, as well as providing an intriguing insight into a bygone age.

‘It would make the stones cry to hear those on board shrieking’- Daniel Buckley, third-class passengerFor the first time, in this moving new book, Titanic’s passengers and crewmen are permitted to tell the story of that lamentable disaster entirely in their own words. Included are letters, postcards, diary entries and memoirs that were written before, during and immediately after the maiden voyage itself. Many of the pre-sailing documents were composed by people who later lost their lives in the sinking and represent the last communications that these people ever had with their friends and loved ones at home. The subsequent letters and postcards give an unparalleled description of the events that occurred during the five days that Titanic was at sea, and the correspondence by survivors after the tragedy describes the horror of the disaster itself and the heartbreak they experienced at the loss of those they loved. This poignant compilation, by Titanic expert George Behe, also contains brief biographies of the passengers and crewmen, victims, as well as survivors, who wrote the documents in question.

Report into the Loss of the SS Titanic is a complete re-evaluation of the loss of Titanic based on evidence that has come to light since the discovery of the wreck in 1985. This collective undertaking is compiled by eleven of the world’s foremost Titanic researchers – experts who have spent many years examining the wealth of information that has arisen since 1912. Following the basic layout of the 1912 Wreck Commission Report, this modern report provides fascinating insights into the ship itself, the American and British inquiries, the passengers and crew, the fateful journey and ice warnings received, the damage and sinking, rescue of survivors, the circumstances in connection with the SS Californian and SS Mount Temple, and the aftermath and ramifications that followed the disaster. The book seeks to answer controversial questions, such as whether steerage passengers were detained behind gates, and also reveals the names and aliases of all passengers and crew who sailed on Titanic’s maiden voyage. Containing the most extensively referenced chronology of the voyage ever assembled and featuring a wealth of explanatory charts and diagrams, as well as archive photographs, this comprehensive volume is the definitive ‘go-to’ reference book for this ill-fated ship.

When Titanic began sending out distress calls, one of the first to reply was the Cunard liner Carpathia. As it turned out, Carpathia was the only vessel to reach the scene in time to save the lives of any of Titanic’s passengers, and, after she arrived in New York, reporters crowded the pier and vied with each other to obtain interviews with the survivors of the disaster. In their zeal to interview survivors, though, the reporters brushed past other people who could have provided their own eyewitness accounts – namely, Carpathia’s own passengers, largely left to their own devices as to how and when they discussed their participation in events. A few wrote letters to relatives, others wrote accounts intended for publication. The author’s collection of these rare written accounts and interviews sheds new light on the tragic way the lives of so many were impacted by the loss of the largest passenger liner in the world.

Samuel Halpern has written many books and articles on Titanic and often used the 1912 wreck report as a source of reference. It occurred to him one day how fascinating it would be if a team of dedicated, passionate and expert authors were to issue a modern-day report, with the knowledge we have today - what would such a report look like? In this book we have the answer. Sam has gathered a team of experts of write the ultimate Titanic reference book, with all the benefits of hindsight. Following the basic layout of the report, this team provides fascinating insights into the ship herself, the American and British inquiries, the passengers and crew, the fateful journey and ice warnings received, the damage and sinking, protocol and process of rescue, the circumstances in connection with the SS Californian and SS Mount Temple, and the aftermath and ramifications around the world. These experts offer the last words on the subject, 100 years on.