Ghost Liners: Exploring the World's Greatest Lost Ships

Presenting the stories of five great ships lost at sea--including "Titanic"--Ballard and Archbold shows readers what it's like to dive down to a gigantic wreck. Marschall's thrilling color illustrations enhance the fateful tales of these majestic vessels.

Grade 5-9-The discoverer of this century's most sought after ship wreckage recounts his exploration of the Titanic. Photographs taken during those dangerous dives plus eerily realistic artwork support the awe and reverence Ballard reveals in his text. In additional chapters he examines other, equally sensational ship disasters of the 20th century. He tells of the Lusitania, the Britannic, the Andrea Doria's collision with the Stockholm, and the Empress of Ireland's sinking in the St. Lawrence River. Each story is accompanied by black-and-white and full-color archival and contemporary photographs, diagrams, and magnificent full-color illustrations. Photographs of the sunken ships and artifacts on the ocean floor and riverbeds add notes of sobering reality to seemingly mythic tales. A few well-chosen quotes from passengers and crew about their experiences add a measure of poignancy. Careful observation of the destroyed ships and historical records reveal the often preventable causes of these accidents. Ballard's Exploring the Titanic (Scholastic, 1988) details his development as an undersea explorer, the drama of the sinking, and the thrill of viewing the ship 70 years after her disappearance. Given the strength of Titanic fever that has gripped public imagination, the stories in Ghost Liners will be devoured by students, history buffs, and all who are fascinated by human tragedy.
Ann G. Brouse, Big Flats Branch Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4^-7. Best known for the undersea discovery of the Titanic, Ballard introduces readers to that shipwreck and four others of the twentieth century: the Empress of Ireland, the Lusitania, the Britannic, and the Andrea Doria, which collided with the Stockholm. Each chapter describes the exploration of one of the wrecks and offers information about the ship's origins, amenities, importance, and why it sank. In each chapter, one passenger is profiled in a sidebar, giving readers a personal story and a photograph to bring the experience more sharply into focus. Exceptionally detailed dramatic paintings by Ken Marschall, show the ships as they appeared on the water, while sinking, and beneath the sea. Many period photos, posters, and sketches set the scene; photographs of undersea exploration show the ships and their artifacts as they appear today. The large, attractive format and informative text combine to make this an appealing book on a subject that continues to fascinate young people. Add this to the Titanic bibliography in the March 15 issue of Booklist. Carolyn Phelan