Titanic Calling

With complete transcripts of the distress messages, "Titanic Calling" vividly brings to life the voices of the individuals in this drama, retelling the legendary story as it was first heard.

The narrative begins with warnings of ice, including several which reported large icebergs unusually far south and alarmingly close to the Titanic's course, just hours before the fatal collision:
In Lat 42.6 and Long 49.43 W met with extensive field ice and sighted seven bergs of considerable sizes on both sides of track – SS Pisa

The story follows Jack Phillips, the senior wireless operator on board RMS Titanic, as he begins sending the "CQD" Marconi distress signal late on the night of April 14th:
CQD Position 41.46 N 50.14 W require assistance struck iceberg – RMS Titanic

We track the progress of these urgent calls as they are received by nearby ships and passed rapidly across the Atlantic in a desperate attempt to save the lives of the passengers and crew:
SS Virginian to SS Californian – Titanic struck berg Wants assistance urgently Ship sinking Passengers in boats His position Lat 41.46 Long 50.14

The Titanic's final, broken message is recorded by the distant SS Virginian:
MGY [Titanic] calls CQ [start of distress signal] Unable to make out his signal Ended very abruptly as if power suddenly switched off His spark rather blurred or ragged Called MGY [Titanic] & suggested he shd try emergency set but heard no response

Details of the rescue of the survivors follow and the story ends with their messages, sent from the RMS Carpathia as they travelled safely to New York:
To Norris Williams, Phila. PA: Father not seen No hope Arrive Carpathia Wednesday New York. Richard

To Saks New York: Leila safe and well cared for Edgar missing

Published to mark the centenary of the sinking, this book tells the story of the Titanic from a new angle: the role of wireless in the disaster.

Drawing on the Marconi Archives in the Bodleian Library, the most extensive record of wireless communications, the book recounts the fateful events of April 1912 using complete transcripts of the messages to re-tell this well-known story from a different perspective.

The narrative begins with warnings of ice, including one sent from the S. S. Californian, the closest ship to the Titanic, just hours before the fatal collision. It follows Jack Phillips, the senior operator on board the R. M. S. Titanic, as he begins sending the "CQD" Marconi distress signals late on the night of April 14th. We see how these urgent calls were received by nearby ships and how news was passed rapidly across the Atlantic, in a desperate attempt to save the lives of the passengers and crew. The story ends with messages from the few lucky survivors safely on their way to New York.

The directness and brevity of the messages gives the narrative a compelling impact and immediacy. "Titanic Calling" brings to life the voices of the individuals in this drama, retelling this legendary story as it was first heard.