The Reading Room

The Band That Played On
By Steve Turner
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Retail Price: $24.99

Book Description:

When Titanic collided with an iceberg at 23:40 on April 14^th, the eight members of the band had already retired for the evening. Still, they put on overcoats and mufflers came out to play in the lounge. When most of the First Class passengers had taken to their lifeboats, the musicians simply moved to the deck and continued to play, calming the passengers as the ship sank. One second class passenger said: "Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame." Survivors' accounts differ about whether their final tune was "L'Automme" or "Nearer My God To Thee." What has never been disputed is the courage of these musicians who deliberately sacrificed the possibility of escape in order to produce a mood of tranquillity at a time of extreme anxiety. But who were they? What journeys brought them to this deck on this icy ocean? Had any of them previously displayed signs of great courage? Who did they leave behind? Historian and biographer Steve Turner delves into the lives of these brave men, revealing eight unique portraits of bravery.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

READING ROOM REVIEW

I've always been fascinated with the story of the Titanic. I've watched all the movies and read most of the books. It intrigues me. So I was excited to get a copy of The Band That Played On to read and add to my collection. I wasn't disappointed. This book is about the band that continued to play on as the Titanic sunk. Rather than save their own lives they chose to comfort others during this horrific time. It delves into each band member and what they stood for and why they made that choice to inspire calm and courage in the passengers during the tragedy. The book also takes a look at how their deaths affected their families and their legacy. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

~Reviewed by Chris O.