It is Titanic’s close association with her older sister Olympic that brought about the title of this book. Maritime historians will immediately recognize “The Ship Magnificent” as the advertising phrase used for Olympic in White Star Line brochures later in her career. Such catch phrases were created for some of the other great liners as well. Because Titanic’s career was cut short on the morning of April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic on her maiden voyage, she never had the opportunity to carry such a phrase of distinction. Given the fact that these two ships were near-identical twins, Olympic’s catch phrase has been used as the title for this book.

   Titanic - The Ship Magnificent is a comprehensive book about all aspects of the ship. It does not delve into accounts of her passengers, nor does it detail the ship’s sinking. Many books have done that well, and in great detail. Since the day Titanic passed into history, people have been writing books about the circumstances surrounding the loss of this great ship. And yet, little has been written about the great ship herself - the design, the structural details and engineering of what is arguably the most famous ship ever built.

   While it is true that certain technical journals at the time - most notably The Shipbuilder, The Engineer and Engineering - featured articles on Olympic and Titanic, they only covered the major technical aspects of the ship in detail. Even the dedicated historian is hard-pressed to find anything containing more than a cursory description of the details of Titanic’s design, appearance and fittings, or how she was constructed. For those interested in Titanic’s interiors, little information is detailed in period sources beyond descriptions of the grandest of her public rooms and deluxe staterooms.

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Machinery). Additionally, the majority of the images carry detailed explanations and additional information. The author’s own General Arrangement plans (deck plans) are used to illustrate the deck chapters throughout.

  While much of the information presented in the book is, by necessity, technical in nature, the authors and editor have gone to great lengths to provide clear explanations to the layperson without reducing the information in scope or detail. A glossary of nearly 1,000 items is also included to assist the reader with an unfamiliar term that may be encountered. Whether you have a general interest in Titanic or are researching a specific area in detail, Titanic- The Ship Magnificent will reveal Titanic to you as you’ve never seen before. This book will have equal appeal to Titanic fans, maritime historians, collectors, shipbuilders, engineers, and researchers. Much of the information presented will also be of value to those interested in other ocean liners of the period. For libraries, the book is an outstanding addition to the Reference section.