Monday, May 9, 2011

And the band played on

The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic 

I requested this book to review because I've always found the Titanic and its tragic story to be intriguing. Everyone who's seen the movie or studied the story knows that the band played on while the ship sank. They provided entertainment and solace for those who knew that the end was coming.

The author, Steve Turner, researched this phenomenal group and wrote this book about a them. They are a group that could have been pushed to the side as "just part of the help", but with this story and the factual accounts that ensue; one learns the harsh reality that was theirs.

There are moments of extreme tediousness when the facts seem to interfere with the structure of the story. They tend to make the book a tad boring in places. I generally just skipped over those parts and read the chapters I was most interested in. Each band member is given a section along with their employers. Turner also speculates on the cause of the sinking of the Titanic. I believe that if  you enjoy this story and like factual accounts, you will enjoy this book.

No comments:

Post a Comment