The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic Review

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The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic ReviewI requested to review this book because it looked interesting when I first saw it. The Titanic story is an object of fascination for me and this book revealed to me a totally new aspect of it. Most people have heard of the band that sunk with the Titanic (probably through the 1997 movie). This work goes in-depth with the story of the band. Turner begins his book with a background on the Titanic disaster. From there, he provides short biographies (about a chapter long each) on the band members and their employers. The climax of the book is the musicians honorable, icy death amidst the iceberg-strewn waters of the Atlantic. One chapter speculates on the reasons for the sinking of the Titanic. Was it for moral reasons or simply human mistakes? The book begins to close with details about what happened after their deaths. The Band That Played On becomes a little dry here with lots of information about deaths and estates. It begins to sound like a research project, which is why I will only give this book 4.5 stars. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read. It showed me a new aspect of history and I learned lots of new things from it (such as Wallace Hartley's violin that is supposed to go up for auction next year for the 100th anniversary). Anyways, if you're interested in Titanic history, read this book!
I received a free copy of this book from BookSneeze in exchange for a review. I was in no way obligated to write a positive review.
The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic Overview
The never-before told, inspiring stories of the 8 brave musicians who played as the Titanic sank.

When Titanic collided with an iceberg at 23:40 on April 14th, the eight members of the band had already retired for the evening. Still, they put on overcoats and mufflers came out to play in the lounge. When most of the First Class passengers had taken to their lifeboats, the musicians simply moved to the deck and continued to play, calming the passengers as the ship sank. One second class passenger said: "Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame." Survivors' accounts differ about whether their final tune was "L'Automme" or "Nearer My God To Thee." What has never been disputed is the courage of these musicians who deliberately sacrificed the possibility of escape in order to produce a mood of tranquillity at a time of extreme anxiety. But who were they? What journeys brought them to this deck on this icy ocean? Had any of them previously displayed signs of great courage? Who did they leave behind? Historian and biographer Steve Turner delves into the lives of these brave men, revealing eight unique portraits of bravery.

BOOK REVIEWS

The Band that Played On by Steve Turner is, surprisingly, the first book since the great ship went down to examine the lives of the eight musicians who were employed by the Titanic. What these men did - standing calmly on deck playing throughout the disaster - achieved global recognition. But their individual stories, until now, have been largely unknown. What Turner has uncovered is a narrow but unique slice of history - one more chapter of compelling Titanic lore.

Turner, a music journalist, pursued living relatives of the band members and squeezed all that he could out of "inherited photographs, documents, and anecdotes" enabling him to sketch brief but poignant portraits of eight young (or at least youngish) men, all born in an optimistic era and all members of the rising middle class. To their parents, their girlfriends, and surely to themselves as well, the future must have seemed bright right up until the early morning hours of April 15, 1912'

There is much that we do not know about the final hours of these men. Why did they make the decision to play on the deck that night? What was in their hearts and minds? '

Even the Titanic survivors who witnessed their final performance quibbled over some details. Did the band march or did they kneel? Was their last number "Autumn" or was it "Nearer, My God, to Thee"? Did they stop playing during the final moments and pack their instruments away or were they still playing as the ship went down? All agreed, however, that all eight band members behaved with remarkable calm and courage. Within hours of the ship's sinking, their story was circulating and they had already become heroes'

For Turner, however, the undisputed hero of the book is Wallace Hartley, a fine musician with religious conviction and a powerful sense of duty who seems most likely to have been the force behind those final hours of heroism. In the last pages of the book, Turner reveals a surprising Hartley discovery - a turn of events which makes a fine ending for his worthy book, even as it leaves us hopeful that the Titanic may yet have a few mysteries she is willing to give up.

-Marjorie Kehe, Book Editor, Christian Science Monitor



. . . For those the least bit interested in the Titanic tale, this is another intriguing chapter in the legend.

-Craig Wilson, USA Today



This detailed and sympathetic portrait of the bandsmen willbe appreciated by Titanic enthusiasts and casual readers alike. Steve Turner'snew book admirably fills a gap in Titanic literature. There are few good bookson the subject of Titanic and, until now, none on the band itself. Steve'simpressive depth of research has allowed him to vividly flesh out the storiesof each of the band members and he has set these narratives in a fascinatingsocial, political, cultural and religious context. I only wish Steve's book hadbeen around when I was researching Wallace Hartley for my role in JamesCameron's movie!

-Jonathan Evans-Jones, who played band leader Wallace Hartleyin the film Titanic.

Filling at last a historical gap, this isthedefinitive account of those neglected and abused heroic bandsmen. Steve Turnerhas done a fine and exhaustive job of research on those splendid souls who didexactly what musicians, as service providers, do best: soothe and give succor.I wish I'd had this book at hand when I put together my recording of the WhiteStar Orchestra's music: I could have made the thing a lot more accurate! A worthy,thrilling and moving book.
-Ian Whitcomb, music advisor for the film Titanic, and producer of the GrammyAward winning CD, "Titanic--Music As Played On The Fateful Voyage"(Rhino Records, 1998.)







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