The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic

Arrogance and innocence hubris and hope--twenty-four haunting voices of the Titanic tragedy as well as the iceberg itself are evoked in a stunning tour de force. Millionaire John Jacob Astor hopes to bring home his pregnant teen bride with a minimum of media scandal. A beautiful Lebanese refugee on her way to family in Florida discovers the first stirrings of love. And an ancient iceberg glides south anticipating its fateful encounter. The voices in this remarkable re-creation of the Titanic disaster span classes and stations from Margaret ("the unsinkable Molly") Brown to the captain who went down with his ship; from the lookout and wireless men to a young boy in search of dragons and a gambler in search of marks. Slipping in telegraphs undertakers reports and other records poet Allan Wolf offers a breathtaking intimate glimpse at the lives behind the tragedy told with clear-eyed compassion and astounding emotional power. Extensive back matter includes: Authors note Morse code with messages to decipher Titanic miscellany Bibliography articles periodicals government documents discography