The Titanic myth isn’t really built on lies, so much as a series of amplified “half-truths”. Stories about the Captain imploring his crew to “Be British” and the band playing even as water sloshed around their waists, all helped make the disaster feel meaningful. These stories helped turn a tragedy into a triumph. Contradictory accounts were often ignored, or faded into obscurity, when they didn’t fit with the myth. It should come as no surprise that the Titanic has also been the subject of an elaborate conspiracy theory. Which stories should we believe? Tune-in and find out how out of control pianos, famous last words, and the phrase “practically unsinkable” all play a role in the story.

Works Cited

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Howells, Richard. The Myth of the Titanic. Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

Louden-Brown, Paul. The White Star Line: An Illustrated History, 1869-1934. Titanic Historical Society, 2001.

“Olympic & Titanic : Passenger Accommodation.” Encyclopedia Titanica, 8 Feb. 2022, www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/passenger-accommodation.html.

Russell, Gareth. Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era. Atria Books, 2020.

Thomson, David. “Titanic Achievement at the Box Office.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 10 Dec. 2007, www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2007/dec/10/titanicachievementatthebox.

Turran, Kenneth. “’Titanic’ Sinks Again (Spectacularly).” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 1997, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-dec-19-ca-39-story.html.