Book Review: The Last Night on the Titanic

The Last Night on the Titanic, Veronica Hinke, Regnery History, ISBN: 978-1-62157-729-4, ebook  ISBN; 978-1-62157-729-0

Editor’s Note: The RMS Titanic was to have been the ultimate party boat.  This luxurious ship was built in Belfast, Ireland and was the second of the three Olympic-class ocean liners.  Would it live up to its name? After all it was named after Titan of Greek mythology.  The Titanic was a part of the White Star Line which competed with the Cunard and the German Lines of Hamburg America and Norddeutscher Lloyd.

The passenger facilities of the Titanic were designed to meet the utmost standard of luxury and would accommodate First Class, Second Class, and Third-Class passengers. There were over 900 crew members. Inside she was decorated in the style of contemporary high-class hotels with the Ritz being the main template. The Titanic was to be a floating hotel with salt water swimming pool, squash court, Turkish bath, a gymnasium among other features.  

There is so much history written about the Titanic, its conception, death, survivors, etc. The ship has even been explored as it lays on the ocean floor.  This is a book that treats the world of the Titanic a bit differently than other history books. The author, Veronica Hinke, is a food writer and will give you a window into the world of the Titanic if it has not tragically sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean. Hike will transport you into the world aboard the Titanic, just hours before it strikes an iceberg and meets its demise. 

A first-class passenger saved a menu, from first class, from the last night on the Titanic. Other menus survived the sinking of the ship. We are able to see what items were being served to at least the first-class passengers. You will be given recipes (lots of recipes) from dishes which you can make and serve in your own homes.  You will be given eyewitness testimony of Captain Edward Smith’s final moments aboard his ship.  You will also read stories about selected passengers of all walks of life.  You will be able to experience this fabled voyage through the experiences and recollections of those who survived the sinking.

Some chapter titles are: One of the World’s Richest Men, the Invention of the Martini, and the Flow of Bubbly, Captain Smith’s Retirement Dinner, Women and Children First, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Harrowing Sights and Sounds, Did the Band Really Play On?, For Those in Peril on the Sea, Fire and Ice, and In Steerage. This book will give you a front row seat into good times before the tragedy all the while giving you the impression that you are there on that ship, even during the sinking and yet you will be safe.  You will be able to view from afar, so to speak. At the very least, this is a very interesting cook book interlaced with nonfictional stories of and about those on the Titanic on its last night…..Carol

About the author: Veronica Hinke has been a life-long researcher of the Titanic. She has interviewed hundreds of experts on lifestyles, food, and drinks and has a close working relationship with mixologists and chefs from around the world. Her report, “Titanic Cocktails” appeared in the Wine Enthusiast magazine which honored the hundredth anniversary of the Titanic.

Carol Duff, MSN, BA, RN

Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator.

She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues.

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