One Hundred and Sixty Minutes: The Race to Save the RMS Titanic by William Hazelgrove

One Hundred and Sixty Minutes: The Race to Save the RMS Titanic Reviews

• 
  Cover Lover Book Review

  I can say, without a doubt, One Hundred and Sixty Minutes: The Race to Save the RMS Titanic is the most interesting and thorough book I’ve read covering the tragedies and triumphs of the Titanic. This book is so full of historical facts I’ve never read anywhere else.
  
  When I initially started reading about the ‘astounding incompetence’ I was stunned. This is quite a bold claim. But as I continued, I sadly agreed. So many more people could have been saved. I’m appalled at learning the numerous opportunities where people could’ve made a difference. (Captain Lord’s story made me cringe.)
  
  This is possibly the only non-fiction book I’ve read on the sinking of the Titanic that doesn’t cover the event in a romanticized way. Focusing primarily on how human error resulted in this tragedy, and on the heroism of Jack Phillips and Harold Bride is what makes this book special. My interest never wavered, and it felt as if I read a novel instead of the usual heavy and exhaustive history book.
  
  One of the most prolific things this book carries is its coverage of the heroism of Jack Phillips and Harold Bride. These two Marconi operators were wireless officers on board the Titanic and I was fascinated with their roles and of how very young they were. Phillips was 25 years old, and Bride was only 22. They were still kids, in my mind, yet they showed extreme efforts, bravery, and endurance. I was also captivated to learn that if it weren’t for Bride repairing the broken wireless only hours before hitting the iceberg, he and Phillips wouldn’t have been able to send for help!
  
  Ultimately, I was moved to tears as I read Harold Bride’s statement to a New York Times reporter only a few minutes before the Carpathia brought him ashore in Chapter 43. This final chapter is perhaps the most powerful of them all. It is here that Bride candidly conveys the events of the night. He tells of Phillips’ valiant and tireless efforts, how the band continued playing as the ship sank, his own harrowing last moments aboard the Titanic, of being pulled onto a capsized collapsible boat, and how he recited the Lord’s Prayer with other strangers holding on for their lives.
  
  You can't read this book without being forever changed.
  
  

  On the Night of August 14 1912 The RMS Titanic Struck an iceberg with
  only 160 minutes before she sank beneath the waves. We have been told
  from Titanic mythology her fate was sealed and no one could have saved
  the 1521 people. The real story is that every one who froze in the
  North Atlantic could have been saved if it were not for human failing

  
  
  Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. My review was not influenced.
• 
  Joanne

  This a fresh approach to the story we all know, with the focus being on the Marconi wireless operators aboard the Titanic and their fellow operators that received the tragic SOS.
  
  Hazelgrove, starting with chapter 3 (subtitled 160 minutes), gives a minute by minute account of what was happening aboard the Titanic and the many ships that heard their call for help. The author debunks what he calls the "Titanic Mythology" of Edwardian chivalry and shows us an ugly picture of human nature and self preservation.
  
  The story is focused, as I said, on the wireless operators. The Marconi wireless was relatively new and the distress signals from the Titanic were the first true test of it's power.
  
  I wanted to give this book 4 stars, but I just can't do it. I enjoyed the book, however, I was irritated by the many typos. Although not entirely the fault of the author, editing matters in my ratings and I have to downgrade to 3 stars because of the poor job here
• 
  Justin (Bubbas_Books)

  You would think for a book that is a countdown to one of the worst maritime disasters in history it would’ve had better pacing but alas this one was not it for me. I chose this for my book club thinking it would be fun to read about something we all enjoy learning about but it dragged on and on about the wireless transmitters mostly. Yes they were important and were basically the only heroes in this tragedy but do we need 50 pages of it?! I think not. There were also about 10 typos that were blatantly obvious. This book left me wanting to throw it in 23 degree water and watch it sink.
• 
  Beth Toner

  I almost never leave reviews, and when I do I almost never leave a bad one because I know firsthand how hard writing is. But this book, argh. First of all the writing was mediocre at best and in dire need of a good edit. And the author used so many terrrrrrrrible similes. Repetitive and stilted. And, as someone who became a Titanic buff in third grade (1975) and has voraciously consumed almost everything written about the ship, I can say that other than the information about Marconi and the role wireless played, there was no new information in this book. And the tone the author adopts in condemning the captains of the Californian and the Mount Temple is insufferably self-righteous. The evidence there is far from conclusive but the author makes it out to be so. I finished this book because I paid for it; otherwise I wouldn’t have wasted my time.
• 
  Rick Pucci

  Loved this book.
  At first, I was a bit dismayed finding so many typos in the first several chapters, but like the Titanic, they completely vanished.
  I had already gone done the rabbit hole reading about the Titanic so was hesitant to read this book. What new info can there be 110 years later? But Mr. Hazelgrove gives us a totally fresh approach, exploring the other boats racing to Titanic's rescue. Plus identifying the unsung heroes such as Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, the Marconi operators without whom there would not have been a single survivor. Or Captain Rostron, of The Carpathia, risking life and limb to rescue the 705 survivors from the icy Atlantic Ocean.
  
  705, out of 2,235 passengers. Such a tragedy. Thus one cannot have heroes without villains, and we certainly have that exposed in this book for the first time in Captain Stanley Lord of The Californian. I'll say no more on that lest I create a spoiler.
  
  The vexing, Catch 22, ultimate dilemma question remains. If you were in one of those lifeboats watching 1500+ people drowning. Would you row over to them, knowing your boat would get swamped by the truly desperate? Or would you remain behind along with your basic human instinct to survive?
• 
  The Biased Bibliophile

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  Normally, I wait a few days after finishing a book before I review it, but I literally just finished reading One Hundred and Sixty Minutes: The Race to Save the RMS Titanic by William Hazelgrove. I absolutely loved this book! If you think you know the history of the Titanic, think again and read this book. Hazelgrove morphs a seemingly well known story into a riveting tale in this stunning book!
  
  Clearly, the book is about the Titanic, but it’s so much more than your run-of-the-mill Titanic story. The author adds a new depth to the story by dispelling the idea that it was tragically unpreventable, and that people accepted their fates with honor and grace. He paints a vivid picture of the true heroes of the story: the two wireless officers on board, Jack Phillips & Harold Bride, along with the Captain of the Carpathia, Arthur Rostrun.
  
  Frequently, I have mixed feelings about many nonfiction books because the actual story is interesting, but the stories are not always conveyed in a captivating way. However, I was enthralled with this book throughout its entirety. Honestly, there are not many nonfiction books that I would consider “page-turners” or that I literally couldn’t put down, but I finished this book in under 48 hours.
  
  Truthfully, when I requested this book on NetGalley, I was interested because the lore around the Titanic is fascinating to me, but I had never read a book about it before. I kind of thought, “If you’ve read one book about the Titanic, you’ve read them all,” but it is abundantly clear that Hazelgrove’s book is original and unique.
  
  He refrains from depicting the story through rose colored lenses. He points to multiple mistakes that could have been avoided, which could have saved all the lives that were lost, or circumnavigated the disaster entirely. While he admits that this event shows a failure of human compassion, the fact that he highlights the unsung heroes of the tragedy, left me with a sense of hope and inspiration.
  
  Whether you’re particularly interested in the Titanic or not, this is a book everyone should read! It’s quite possibly one of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read!
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Sarah Pesnell

  This was a really good account of what happened on the night Titanic sank. Job very well done by the author. Would definitely recommend this book.
• 
  Stephanie

  Titanic will never stop being of interest to me so when I saw this was a newer book I had to purchase it. The book is focused on the Marconi operators aboard Titanic and their tireless efforts to obtain help for the ship. This is a fantastic angle that I’ve never seen explored before. Phillips and Bride are certainly the unsung heroes of this rescue effort. I must point out that I have never seen Titanic as a rescue effort until I read this book.
  
  There were two major issues that stopped me from giving this book four stars…
  
  Repetitive writing - the author uses the same wording over and over again to describe the same situation. It’s get exhausting pretty quickly. I’m not sure if it’s an attempt at drama or to draw out the book longer than it needs to go. Either way, it’s annoyingly redundant.
  
  Editing - absolutely horrific editing job. There are so many errors with wording and spelling that I lost count. At one point the author refers to the date of the sinking as August 14, 1912. Perfect.
  
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• 
  Therese Thompson

  What a riveting examination of the final 160 minutes prior to the Titanic’s frigid plunge into the deep Atlantic Ocean! What a complete change of course in my understanding of how this tragedy unfolded under dark skies.
  
  Two very young men, in their tower atop the supposedly unsinkable vessel, heroically worked their Marconi machine, calling for help repeatedly across the water until the ocean crept up their legs and the Captain gave them leave to save themselves. Still Jack Phillips and Harold Bride sent out the electronic cry for help, CQD SOS, until the power failed.
  
  
  Here is the story you probably do not know and it’s full of courage and cowardice and how these men saved the lives of 710 people. It’s hard to set this book aside, even if you know the end. It will be hard to forget. Highly recommend!
  
  ..
• 
  Jesek Rogers

  I'm sure a lot of people who read this book are in the same situation of having read multiple books about the Titanic. So I'm always wary of new publishings. Will they actually have a new angle and new information to learn? I was impressed with the freshness of this approach. And also found the tone extremely refreshing in how it acknowledges the white, rich privilege of how the fable like story has grown. I appreciated the occasional sass of the author as they push aside the overly "gentlemanly" fictionalization of order and heroism.
• 
  Carol Eshaghy

  160 minutes, that’s how long it took the Titanic to sink after hitting an iceberg. Two young Marconi wireless operators stayed at their post as the water rose above their ankles trying to get help from other ships. It’s a story of heroism and cowardice. Of a tragedy that could have been averted. Of a rescue that didn’t come that could have saved everyone on board. I don’t read much non fiction but I couldn’t stop reading this book. It’s not romanticized like most of the Titanic stories. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.
• 
  Debbie

  Just finished reading this very compelling and riveting book. It’s the most detailed book that I’ve read about the Titanic. Everyone knows the ending…this great ship sinks. But to have a glimpse into the heroics of the Marconi operators was was both gut wrenching and and awe inspiring. Definitely a five star for me!
• 
  Joy Fricke

  Excellent read!!
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  Danyel

  Fascinating read. I had no idea there was a ship so close that could have helped save survivors.