Understanding J. Bruce Ismay: The True Story of the Man They Called 'The Coward of Titanic'

An insight into the man at the heart of the world’s most infamous maritime disaster

Following the Titanic disaster, Bruce Ismay was savaged by both the British and American press for deserting the ship while women and children were still on board. Some papers called him the 'Coward of the Titanic' or 'J. Brute Ismay', and suggested the White Star flag be changed to a 'yellow liver'. History has portrayed Bruce Ismay as a cold, heartless character who showed little compassion for others.

Clifford Ismay’s new book explores the life and motives of this misunderstood man, delving into family letters and diaries, and revisiting the public enquiries, to reveal a shy, compassionate man, who walked Titanic’s boat deck for over two hours, assisting with preparing and loading the lifeboats before finding a spare seat in the last lifeboat to be successfully lowered from the starboard side, and who possibly suffered with post-traumatic stress for the rest of his life.

Tad Fitch has researched the Titanic and maritime history for over two decades. He has written numerous articles related to Titanic that have been published in the Titanic Historical Society’s journal The Titanic Commutator, and online at Bill Wormstedt’s Titanic and Encyclopedia Titanica. He, along with George Behe and Bill Wormstedt, coauthored the landmark article “Titanic: The Lifeboat Launching Sequence Re-Examined”. He was a co-author of Report Into the Loss of SS Titanic: A Centennial Reappraisal. Tad was born in northeast Ohio, and works in the field of psychology. When not writing, he enjoys scuba diving and training in taekwondo.