Rescuing Titanic: A true story of quiet bravery in the North Atlantic

It was 1912, and the golden age of steam travel. Unlike the years before, when travel across the Atlantic was long and arduous, the huge steam ships such as the Titanic and the Carpathia could make the crossing in just eight days, and offered luxury aboard ship for those that could afford it.

With an illustration style reminiscent of William Grill’s Shackleton’s Journey and Bandoola: The Great Elephant Rescue, Rescuing Titanic delves into the human story of the great tragedy and focuses on the actions of people involved, such as 21-year-old Harold Cottam, the morse code operator on board the Carpathia whose quick actions helped enable the Carpathia to rescue 706 of the passengers and crew aboard the Titanic.

There are some fabulous illustrations in this book, including a brilliantly detailed cross-section of the Carpathia where readers can see how the decks were organised, and every page is full of drama. Although it’s a sad subject, Delargy concentrates on the heroes of the event and on painting as clear a picture as possible about the facts, including what life was like in 1912 for the people onboard steam ships. This is a really fascinating and beautifully realised book, perfect for schools and curious kids alike.