Spignesi - The Titanic For Dummies

The Titanic For Dummies

by Stephen Spignesi

The Titanic For Dummies

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Copyright 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011945579

ISBN 978-1-118-17766-2 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-20650-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-20651-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-20652-2 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Author

Stephen Spignesi is a bestselling author of more than 50 books about popular culture, television, film, American history, world history, and contemporary fiction. The Titanic For Dummies is his fourth For Dummies book. Spignesi is also a novelist, and his psychological thriller Dialogues (Bantam) is now available in mass market paperback. Spignesi is a Practitioner in Residence at the University of New Haven in Connecticut where he teaches Composition and Literature, Writing, and courses on Stephen King and the Titanic. The Titanic For Dummies is the textbook for his course on the history of the great liner. Spignesi is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the small press publishing company The Stephen John Press. Spignesi lives in New Haven, Connecticut with his grey cat, Chloe.

Dedication

For Mike Lewis

TITANIC DOGGEREL

By John White

Unsinkable? Unthinkable!

The ship designer said.

Nevertheless, it sunk.

But if hed thunk

It might have occurred to him:

Think or thwim.

The lesson cant be ignored:

Put lifeboats aboard.

Authors Acknowledgments

There are always many people to thank when working on a book of this scope, and certain folks are a must to be singled out and thanked profusely and personally. I had help from many wonderful souls while writing this book and my gratitude knows no bounds. So, my heartfelt love and thanks to:

Valerie Barnes, who makes me better...

Mike Lewis, without whom...

John White, also without whom...

also...

my editors extraordinaire Peter Weverka, Joan Friedman, Barbara Shuttle, Alicia South, Jessica Smith, and all the fine folks in the Wiley Dummies division, particularly Melisa Duffy, David Hobson, LeAndra Young, Kathy Nebenhaus, and Kirk Bateman

and...

the inestimable Dr. Donald M. Smith, Diane Spinato of the University of New Haven Library, and all my students at the University of New Haven

and...

my mother, Lee Mandato, my dear friends Rachel Montgomery, Kathy Marotto, Jim Cole, George Beahm, and Kevin Quigley

and last, but certainly not least...

Getty Images, Everett Collection, the terrific people of the Titanic Artifact Exhibition, the fine folks at the Library of Congress, Mayor Ernie Eldridge and Mrs. Eldridge, Douglas Woolley, Joseph Ricker, and Andrew Clarkson.

Publishers Acknowledgments

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Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Vertical Websites

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Cover Photos: Mary Evans Picture Library/Alamy

Cartoons: Rich Tennant ( www.the5thwave.com )

Composition Services

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Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

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