Return to Titanic: A New Look at the World's Most Famous Lost Ship

This compelling, illustrated book is a journey back in time to the tragic sinking of the Titanic in 1912; a hard look at the present salvaging and natural deterioration of the wreck; and a blueprint for future conservation of this icon. Says Ballard, "every possible book has been written on the Titanic, and Titanic addicts have them all. They will not have this." RETURN TO TITANIC brings new dimension, visually and factually. First, the incomparable hi-tech cameras Ballard created to document wrecks on the Mediterranean seafloor in summer 2003 will be used to reveal the changes in Titanic since the first images were made by National Geographic in 1985. Second, he will analyze the salvaging of the wreck by private groups, as well as the natural deterioration since 1985; finally he will establish the global conservation ethos that this and other wrecks be revered as "pyramids of the deep," rather than ransacked. TITANIC has 5 chapters in 192 pages, with 125 images, diagrams, and maps. Images will include period pictures and drawings from the early 1900s, pictures of the 1985 discovery of the wreck, and modern images, culminating in the hi-tech images of the June 2004 expedition.TITANIC is ghost-authored by award-winning historian and journalist Mike Sweeney, whose books for National Geographic include From the Front and America on the Move. Sweeney is a first-rate storyteller whose "can't-put-it-down" narrative is peppered with eye-opening anecdotes. For Titanic the anecdotes are endless. Sweeney's deft hand combines with Ballard's own intriguing story of discovery, his masterminding of robots and hi-definition cameras to document the wreck, and his commitment to conservation in the 21st century. The human element plays a big part in RETURN TO TITANIC, as Ballard and Sweeney clarify that technology and conservation are but means to preserving the spirits of the humans lost in the tragedy. Sidebars throughout, identify the artifacts of survivors, such as letters, watches, clothing, and tell their stories.

Expeditions to find Titanic began in 1953, but all of them failed until 1985, when Ballard (in collaboration with French explorer Jean-Louis Michel) pinpointed the ship's location and photographed it in detail. Since then, Ballard has retained a deep emotional connection to Titanic. "The ship wouldn't change much in my lifetime," he says, "if left unmolested by treasure hunters." But "salvagers, pirates, filmmakers, [and] thrill-seekers" have, in his view, raped a cherished monument, a view that has faced fierce opposition by many. With co-writer Sweeney, Ballard thoroughly reviews Titanic's history and the catastrophic events that led to her demise. He describes his dream of turning the ship into a museum on the ocean floor, easily explored from above by computer. As he discusses his 2004 return voyage to the wreck, Ballard will hold Titanic-philes riveted by the human and scientific elements of the tragedy. He gives specific detail, writing, "[the] mast from which the lookouts issued warnings had collapsed into the well deck." Although the text recycles much familiar material, it's Ballard's passion and expertise that make this book tick. The book's most unique contributions are the numerous photos of those who have died while analyzing and photographing the wreckage, and the pictures of the intricate equipment used to accomplish the monumental task of undersea exploration. Photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the night of April 14, 1912, Titanic sank in the icy North Atlantic, and 1,523 people aboard the ship drowned. About 6,000 artifacts have been removed from the vessel and the water around it since Ballard discovered the ship 13,000 feet below the surface in 1985. In May 2003 Ballard returned to document the damage done to the ship since then. "Ensuring Titanic's preservation was at the heart of the expedition," he writes. Ballard wants to give the vessel the same kind of protection "that has shielded other national and international treasures." He tells how his team discovered the ship and how they returned a year later to explore the wreckage in a three-man submersible. He chronicles their return in May, documenting the damage and decay that has occurred. Additionally, Ballard recounts the ship's history, describing in moving detail the night it went down. The book, with 125 photographs, is a remarkable account of this disaster and its aftermath. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved