Presenting the true stories of three core individuals in Titanic’s history - Captain Edward J. Smith, shipbuilder Thomas Andrews, and White Star Line chairman Joseph Bruce Ismay

Titanic literature is full of misconceptions about the actions and motives of key individuals involved. When George Behe set out to write a book thoroughly documenting the activities of the Titanic’s Captain Edward J. Smith during his vessel’s maiden voyage, he soon realized that Smith’s activities were intimately intertwined with those of two other “top officials” in the Titanic story – shipbuilder Thomas Andrews and White Star Line chairman Joseph Bruce Ismay. With that being the case, he expanded his coverage to include all three men – men whose post-disaster reputations differ from each other as greatly as night differs from day.

This gripping study examines exactly what each of these three pivotal figures in Titanic’s story said and did across Titanic’s doomed maiden voyage, culminating in their vastly differing fates, cross referencing all the various survivor accounts and correcting many false impressions and muddled ideas along the way.

GEORGE BEHE is a past vice president of the Titanic Historical Society. He has been interviewed and acted as a consultant for many documentaries and Titanic books, and has written numerous articles for the Titanic Historical Society’s journal The Commutator. He has also been fortunate to have been able to count more than a dozen Titanic survivors among his personal friends. He has written On Board RSM Titanic and Voices from the Carpathia for The History Press.