Deep Sleep : They Went Down with the Titanic but They Lived to Take the Blame

AWARD NOMINATED AUTHOR FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS UK MARITIME LITERARY AWARDTHE TITANIC RESURFACES!The lives of those on the Titanic hinged on the tying of a shoelace and the taking of a nap -- two tiny details that made all the difference and dictated the actions of those steamships'' respective captains -- Arthur Rostron and Stanley Lord. One rushed to save those drowning, while the other, to his life-long dishonour, appeared to turn his back on the whole disaster. But nothing is ever what it seems and some said the shame rested with those who accused Captain Lord unfairly in deliberate defiance of the facts. It is an astounding story that gets right to the bottom of the Titanic and beyond. Astridge has pieced together the careers of these two captains to uncover who was to blame, who was to benefit, and to what depths some were prepared to sink when it came to cover-ups, cowardice and courage.A novel, so up-close-and-personal that the reader feels as if they''re talking one-on-one with Titanic''s Captain Smith and with the much maligned Chairman of the White Star Line, Bruce Ismay, who was perhaps unfairly branded a coward for escaping at the expense of women and children.The author says:"Ever since seeing the movie ''A Night to Remember'' as a child, I''ve felt compelled to follow through on the story. I never got over the sight of the ship''s lights going out and of its mammoth black hull standing perpendicular to the sea before it sank. I always wondered what happened to those who survived and to the brave men who saved them. Now, at last, I''ve had the chance to pay tribute to the truth, laying to rest the lies, along with the sacred bones of those at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Please do take this nostalgic voyage with me and let me know what you think."