How to Survive the Titanic: Or, the Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay

"Wilson gives an absorbing account of the disaster and its cultural associations...her approach yields a rich meditation on the mere moment's hesitation that separates cowardice from courage." - Publishers Weekly
"It is a pleasure to read a book that offers something new on this topic. Titanic completists will certainly want this, and also readers of biography and Edwardian-era history." - Library Journal
"The author demonstrates an impressive knowledge of that night to remember." - Kirkus Reviews
"[Ismay's] dramatic story comes to life...Wilson writes eloquently of this classic Icarus tale..." - NPR
."..a gripping study - part reportage, part biography, part literary criticism...a stimulating, very readable book...will fascinate literary and Titanic enthusiasts alike." - The Telegraph
"Just when it seemed impossible to make the story of the Titanic fresh, along comes this sensitive book, full of strange currents, coincidences and pairings...This book finds submerged truths, unravels riddles, listens to echoes...a deep reading of the catastrophe through one hapless, inert man." - London Evening Standard

"Wilson gives an absorbing account of the disaster and its cultural associations...her approach yields a rich meditation on the mere moment's hesitation that separates cowardice from courage." - Publishers Weekly
"It is a pleasure to read a book that offers something new on this topic. Titanic completists will certainly want this, and also readers of biography and Edwardian-era history." - Library Journal
"The author demonstrates an impressive knowledge of that night to remember." - Kirkus Reviews
"[Ismay's] dramatic story comes to life...Wilson writes eloquently of this classic Icarus tale..." - NPR
..".a gripping study - part reportage, part biography, part literary criticism...a stimulating, very readable book...will fascinate literary and Titanic enthusiasts alike." - The Telegraph
"Just when it seemed impossible to make the story of the Titanic fresh, along comes this sensitive book, full of strange currents, coincidences and pairings...This book finds submerged truths, unravels riddles, listens to echoes...a deep reading of the catastrophe through one hapless, inert man." - London Evening Standard

On the terrifying, chaotic night of April 14, 1912, while the Titanic was sinking, Bruce J. Ismay, the ship's owner, made a decision that would save his life - and end it. Ismay boarded a lifeboat meant for women and children, and within days became The Most Talked-of Man in the World. Branded a coward, he became a flesh-and-blood embodiment of Joseph Conrad's legendary eponymous character, Lord Jim. How to Survive the Titanic interweaves numerous historical accounts and sources with insights drawn from Conrad's novels. Unlike other survivors, this pivotal figure never again spoke about the Titanic. This intriguing history offers a sympathetic yet clear eyed explanation why - important lessons all of us need to survive the tragedies and choices of our own lives.