Honoring Titanic and her legacy through documented history.
Titanic Book Club Team
Photo by Michael Standardt
George Behe- Founder
Historical Advisor
Grand Rapids, Michigan
When I was a small boy I found a copy of the old 1912 Titanic book by Logan Marshall on my grandmother’s bookshelf, and I used to thumb through that book looking at the illustrations and text in an attempt to learn what happened to the ship. One illustration in particular horrified me – the one showing a lifeboat full of passengers that was rowing right past a dying swimmer who was holding his arm out in a hopeless appeal for help.
My grandmother had already told me there weren’t enough lifeboats on the ship to accommodate all the men, and I couldn’t help but wonder how I would have felt if my mother, brother and I were in that lifeboat and the dying man in the water was my father. The Titanic really caught my imagination, and – because I had no other sources of information about the ship – I read and re-read my grandmother’s book in an attempt to satisfy my curiosity on the subject. However, while reading the book I soon realized that the information contained in one chapter sometimes contradicted information contained in another part of the book, and I felt a keen desire to learn which version of the Titanic story was correct. My desire to learn the truth stayed with me through the years until I was finally old enough to start doing my own original research by interviewing Titanic survivors, acquiring books about the sinking, searching for survivor interviews in old 1912 newspapers, and uncovering new sources of information about the sinking. (I even learned that I’m distantly related to victim Arthur Ryerson and crew survivor William Edwy Ryerson.) At any rate, the desire to uncover the true story of the Titanic has never left me, and I plan to continue conducting my research until I’m physically no longer able to do so.
-George Behe
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Samantha Tripp
Newsletter Editor
Western Massachusetts
I'm originally from Western Massachusetts, but I am currently splitting my time between home and Long Island where I just finished the first year of my Ph.D. in Critical Music Studies at Stony Brook University. My research interests primarily focus on film music, with my Master's thesis on the British imperialist influence on John Williams's "Imperial March" from Star Wars (although I have so many research interests it is impossible to list them all here).
When I am not busy reading and writing for my degree, I volunteer with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. I'm currently their Production Assistant, I research, write, record, and edit their program note videos, I run their social media on concert nights, and have done a number of other things for the organization including some historical research, page-turning for an internationally renowned pianist, and served as their substitute librarian.
I was in the Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestra for a few years in high school and have been a member of the chorus since I was 13 (although I haven't sung with them for a while since I am so busy with backstage and social media work during the concerts). I am also a flutist and hope to play professionally someday (either in an orchestra or subbing for orchestras).
To be honest, I don't really remember when or how my interest in the Titanic began. My first memory was doing an extra-credit project on the ship in fourth grade with a friend, so it must have started at some point before that. Not long after that, I began to watch the James Cameron film whenever I had a day off of school and then began exploring other films and books about the ship. Titanic was really how I became interested in history and research in the first place, so I would likely not be pursuing my Ph.D. if I hadn't become interested in the Titanic!
I have always been drawn to the musicians and the crew of the Titanic, particularly the ship's officers. More recently, I have become more and more interested in the role of music in telling the story of the Titanic, and it is looking more and more likely that my dissertation may revolve around that topic (the other option is looking at the role of timbre in James Newton Howard's film scores).
-Samantha Tripp
Jill Carlier- Founder
Newsletter Editor in Chief
Leadville, Colorado
I wouldn't go see James Cameron's Titanic until I read about Titanic's history. I'm an avid reader and will almost always read the book or history before seeing a film (if it was based on a book, or a historical event). Titanic pulled me in with the stories of the passengers, particularly the survivors. I imagined having just sold everything I owned to board Titanic with my family, to sail to a new life in a new land, I imaged arriving without what little possessions I had left, without any money, my husband, and maybe even my children. I imagined what it would have been like if I couldn't speak English. How on earth did these people get through this? (if they did).
Who were the helpers in the story? This I wanted to know! I have been through my own struggles, and I know I would never have made it without the help of others. The stories of people like Margaret Brown, Harold Lowe, Thomas Andrews and other heroes just fascinated me.
George Behe and I talked about the misinformation that can be out there and we wanted to help remedy that by helping people decide which books to choose, if they were looking for facts. Although, separating fact from fiction is not always an easy task. We can try our best. This is why we need to keep reading, and to keep researching. There's so much left to learn!
We can always use help with the club, so email us if you're interested!
Email us at info@TitanicBookClub.com
-Jill Carlier
Charlotte Z.
Assistant to Newsletter Editor in Chief and Titanic Book
Club President
Cincinnati, Ohio
My name is Charlotte Zureick. I was born and have lived my entire life in Cincinnati, Ohio. From a very young age I can always remember having an interest in reading, especially anything history related. My interest in the Titanic began around the time when the 1997 film produced by James Cameron was released. I was eleven years old at the time and I remember instantly being captivated by the story, the scenery and the people of the Titanic.
My father noticed my Titanic enthusiasm early on and began to introduce me to Titanic related books and games in the years that followed my initial introduction to the story. I have collected quite a few over the years but one thing I enjoy about our Titanic group is discovering new authors and books that keep adding to the many angles of the ship and the story that affected so many people in different walks of life. There was a third class passenger named Anthony Abbing from my city who is actually memorialized in the cemetery that my grandparents are buried in. I enjoy delving into his story and have visited his cenotaph.
-Charlotte Zureick
Lauren B.
Facebook Administrator
U.K.
Hi everyone, I am Lauren and I live in the North of England. I've been a member of the Titanic Book Club for around four years now but recently Jill very kindly invited to me join the team and I'm very pleased to do so.
My love for Titanic began as a child when the James Cameron movie came out on VHS. I was aware of the film before that because my Mum actually went to see it (without me!!!) and told me all about it when she got home. For months I listened to James Horner's amazing soundtrack on cassette and admired the pictures of the ship in stills from the movie, I just couldn't get enough. When I finally watched the film, I was hooked and I like to say it has "never let go." (Pun intended).
The story of the Titanic has been very close to me throughout my life and the first book I got on the subject was A Night to Remember by Walter Lord, which I think was the starting point for many of us. It wasn't until joining the book club that I was really aware of the amount of Titanic books that were out there and continue to be published. When it comes down to it I'm really just interested in the facts and the book club does a great job of bringing to the forefront books from authors who really care about the subject and have spent years, decades in many cases, conducting meticulous research and weaving it together in a way that is highly readable and enjoyable for the public. I couldn't possibly list all of the books that have been meaningful to me in some way here as it would be too long, but the work of J. Kent Layton, Bill Wormstedt and Tad Fitch has been really impactful, especially their book On A Sea Of Glass, which in my opinion is the definitive Titanic book so far. I'm also a great admirer of George Behe's work and look forward to every new book he releases.
Outside of Titanic I enjoy spending time with family, movies, true crime books and I'm also a big animal lover but no longer have a pet of my own, instead I look after a friend's dog which is a great enjoyment. I love to travel when I can and have visited various countries, including the USA, Australia (where my brother lives), France, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Turkey and Ireland (my profile picture is outside the Titanic Experience in Cobh) and hopefully more to come.
-Lauren B.
