The Man Who Sank Titanic cover art

The Man Who Sank Titanic

The Troubled Life Of Quartermaster Robert Hichens

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The Man Who Sank Titanic

By: Sally Nilsson
Narrated by: Sally Nilsson
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About this listen

Robert Hichens was the Quartermaster at the wheel when Titanic hit the iceberg.

He received the famous order “Hard-a-Starboard” from First Officer William Murdoch. For 100 years Robert had a reputation as a coward and a bully for his behavior in Lifeboat Six where he had a stand-up row with the famous Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Her interview with the New York Times after the disaster cost him his career prospects. As a result of the sinking and because of the way he was treated by the White Star Line Robert’s life spiraled out of control and eventually led to an attempted murder charge.

Did Robert deserve his tarnished reputation?

His great-granddaughter Sally Nilsson who has written his dramatic biography and narrates this audiobook thinks not. She attempts to set the record straight and tells a different account of the last man at the wheel of Titanic.

©2011 The History Press (P)2020 Sally Nilsson
Historical Sports World Transportation

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Really recommend if you want some insight into the terrible tragedy.

4.5 stars
It is the first (but not the last) piece of in-depth reading I have done on the Titanic and I wish I had have come to this book later in my reading.

This book was written by one of the dependents of Robert Hichens, and I think the bias can be felt in the book. I think that Hichens had a very difficult time after the sinking, however, I am not sure that I buy into Nilsson's proclamation that he was 100% a victim and that what was said about his behaviour in the lightboats was made up. I think that he was a scared man who had the responsibility of several lives to take care of and I cannot blame him for not wanting to go back to the ship. That said, it doesn't mean his behaviour is the way Nilsson described it.

I enjoyed reading about what happened to Hichens after the sinking. It is not really something I have ever thought about. This people survived something unfathomable and then had to resume their lives without any real psychological or financial support.

I appreciate the time and effort that went into research and writing this book and I very much enjoyed reading it. I also appreciated how much the author stressed that she was a distant relative of Hichens which explained some of the bias in the story.

Really recommend if you want some insight into the terrible tragedy.

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