Titanic Tragedy

The sinking of the Titanic is the world's most famous sea tragedy, with over 1,500 lives lost on that cold April night in 1912. The ship has since held a special mystery and fascination for young and old. This new account for children looks at why the ship was built and the dreams of those who built her. The story follows Titanic on her voyage from Europe towards the USA, and describes the collision with the iceberg and her dramatic sinking. It focuses on the people involved - the passengers and crew, survivors and doomed - and shows how some were brave and honourable but others were cowards. The rescue efforts are vividly narrated, as well as the aftermath of the tragedy and the finding of the wreck in the 1980s. The book also paints a picture of society at the time. It shows that the sinking of the Titanic was a watershed for society as a whole, and the end of an era when man believed he could conquer nature.

Vincent McDonnell is from County Mayo and now lives near Newmarket, County Cork. In 1989 he won the GPA First Fiction Award, after being recommended by Graham Greene, and has published seven novels for children. Many of his short stories have been published and he has won numerous prizes. He has been writer in residence at a variety of locations and has given workshops and readings all over Ireland.