Customer Reviews

Lifeboat No. 8: An Untold Tale of Love, Loss, and Surviving the Titanic (Kindle Single)

This is a short, but interesting, read about the sinking of the Titanic and the people who boarded Lifeboat No. 8. By taking one particular lifeboat, the author manages to tell the story of the ship through the eyes of a cross section of people who survived and those who helped board those particular passengers. It begins with the reactions of various people who were awake to feel the ship hit the iceberg - ranging from concern to excitement. What is surprising is how different people reacted. One young woman, Sarah Daniels, was looking after the two year old daughter of a Mr and Mrs Allison. She immediately went to her employers to tell them what had happened and they criticised her and went back to bed. Despite her desperate entreaties, they refused to listen to her and she was put into the lifeboat with the family still on board.

There are countless interesting and sad stories here. The author suggests that Jack Phillips, the wireless operator, left his post to warn another young servant, a maid to the Countess of Rothes, about the sinking. The Countess did take her young maid seriously and was later applauded for her efforts in steering the lifeboat and comforting other passengers. Lifeboat no 8 had some very distinguished passengers, as well as the Countess of Rothes, there was young Madeline Astor, wife of John Jacob Astor. There were also others notable for who they were travelling with - the maid of Mrs Strauss, for example, who famously stayed with her husband until the end, but made sure her maid Ellen was safely on a lifeboat. There are stories of heroism, loss, bravery and regret. This is very well written and really encompasses the story of Titanic in a short read.

This is an excellent little book about the sinking of the Titanic.

It is the story of the passengers of lifeboat no. 8, which was one of the first lifeboats that left the ship and carried mostly first class passengers. The book, written in real time, follows the stories of passengers like the dynamic Countess of Rothes, her romantic maid Roberta Maioni, wireless operator Jack Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Allison and their maid Sarah Daniels, young newlyweds Maria and Victor Peñasco y Castellana, and Mr. and Mrs. Isidor Straus from 11:40 on the night of April 14 1912, the minute the Titanic struck the iceberg, to the fatal sinking and the rescue. The author also provides information about the fate of the survivors and the way that night affected and haunted the rest of their lives. Although this book is an accurate account of that fateful night, based on survivors' letters, diaries, and testimonies, it is beautifully written like a novel, filled with suspense, love, heroism and loss. The Titanic story is told countless times, but this adds something new and is fascinating to read, especially considering that reading it, the reader doesn't know what happens to every person mentioned in this story, as not all survive at the end.

The book is very short, about 60 pages long and is meant to be read in a single sitting.

A good and ınteresting and very sad read...Puts you right in the picture with the passengers. Brings the tragedy to life.

Inspiring, One of the best books I have read. It was difficult to stop reading when it was time for tea.

A great read, didn't want it to end. I will read again as its easy to put down and then pick up.

a new twist on the much-told Titanic story. Worth a read even though it is a short story. If you are a Titantic fan try it.

maybe wonderful is not the word to use , but It is and also very sad
I learnt a few things I did not know about the ship and survivors , well worth a read ..

I have read many stories of this tragic event, some survivor accounts, some fictional. This one was not bad at all, but not the best, however I was a history teacher so perhaps fact is better than fiction for me.

An amazing book, written without schmaltz but totally emotionally gripping. I couldn't put it down even though I knew the ending

well researched really enjoyed reading it Elizabeth Kate has a new and different prospective to this historical disaster both informative and interesting