Ghost Liners: Exploring the World's Greatest Lost Ships
Grade 5-9-The discoverer of this century's most sought after ship wreckage recounts his exploration of the Titanic. Photographs taken during those dangerous dives plus eerily realistic artwork support the awe and reverence Ballard reveals in his text. In additional chapters he examines other, equally sensational ship disasters of the 20th century. He tells of the Lusitania, the Britannic, the Andrea Doria's collision with the Stockholm, and the Empress of Ireland's sinking in the St. Lawrence River. Each story is accompanied by black-and-white and full-color archival and contemporary photographs, diagrams, and magnificent full-color illustrations. Photographs of the sunken ships and artifacts on the ocean floor and riverbeds add notes of sobering reality to seemingly mythic tales. A few well-chosen quotes from passengers and crew about their experiences add a measure of poignancy. Careful observation of the destroyed ships and historical records reveal the often preventable causes of these accidents. Ballard's Exploring the Titanic (Scholastic, 1988) details his development as an undersea explorer, the drama of the sinking, and the thrill of viewing the ship 70 years after her disappearance. Given the strength of Titanic fever that has gripped public imagination, the stories in Ghost Liners will be devoured by students, history buffs, and all who are fascinated by human tragedy.Ann G. Brouse, Big Flats Branch Library, NYCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.