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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
David Dyer has an “all things Titanic” obsession that he readily admits. He wrote his first piece on the tragedy at age 6. We may think we know the story of the “unsinkable ship” and the 1500 passengers who perished when Titanic sank on her maiden voyage, but do we?
Dyer’s historical novel The Midnight Watch blows accepted perceptions out of the water. Based on true events, Dyer has written a fictional story which is his “best guess” of what actually happened on the night, reconstructing the hours, the days, and the weeks that followed from research he did for a doctorate in creative arts. Dyer has read every scrap of paper that’s been written about the fateful voyage, including the Morse code messages of the Marconi operators on board all the ships in the busy shipping lane in which Titanic sank. Speaking through his characters, Dyer reveals that the operators of nearby ships saw the distress flares and heard the messages: they listened to “all the messages. There (was) only one frequency.” Headlines the next day that lamented “1500 Lost” could have rejoiced “1500 Saved”.
Dyer’s writing is superb. His story has carefully entwined the heroism of many against the cowardice of some. His novel shows what a delicate balance it is to be human.
If you want to learn the real story without wading through the tomes of material on the Titanic pick up David Dyer’s first novel: The Midnight Watch. @SuzanneKing (This book review was published by the Noosa Today magazine 29 September 2016)
Dyer’s historical novel The Midnight Watch blows accepted perceptions out of the water. Based on true events, Dyer has written a fictional story which is his “best guess” of what actually happened on the night, reconstructing the hours, the days, and the weeks that followed from research he did for a doctorate in creative arts. Dyer has read every scrap of paper that’s been written about the fateful voyage, including the Morse code messages of the Marconi operators on board all the ships in the busy shipping lane in which Titanic sank. Speaking through his characters, Dyer reveals that the operators of nearby ships saw the distress flares and heard the messages: they listened to “all the messages. There (was) only one frequency.” Headlines the next day that lamented “1500 Lost” could have rejoiced “1500 Saved”.
Dyer’s writing is superb. His story has carefully entwined the heroism of many against the cowardice of some. His novel shows what a delicate balance it is to be human.
If you want to learn the real story without wading through the tomes of material on the Titanic pick up David Dyer’s first novel: The Midnight Watch. @SuzanneKing (This book review was published by the Noosa Today magazine 29 September 2016)
I've always been drawn to learn about the Titanic, and this novel, which focuses on the Californian, the ship closest to the disaster that failed to react to the distress signals, sounded so interesting to me. However, the story of the Californian really just comes down to a captain and a second mate who both wanted the other to take responsibility for decisions during the midnight watch, and through stubbornness on one part and lack of incentive and confidence on the other, completely screwed up. It's a story that could have been told well in 50 pages, yet Dyer tries to make it into high drama full of suspense and stretches it to 300. So... though I liked what I read and learned, only 3 stars.
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed the beginning of this novel. Then it started to drag in the middle. It was an easy read, and I liked the "history" aspect of the book, but it just seemed to go on and on. Could have been shortened. But I liked it.
For all you that are interested in the Titanic tragedy, and the ship that was seen on the horizon..
If you're in the mood for a light read (but not for the inevitable romance and fluff that a light read usually entails), then this is a good option.
Based on true events, newspaper articles and transcripts from the inquiries (both American and British), the novel attempts to unravel the mystery of the Californian incident (Apparently, a ship (the Californian) was within easy distance of the distressed Titanic but ignored its rockets and failed to tell its Marconi guy to wake up and find out what they were. It has been said (although this is disputed), that the Californian could have saved countless lives that tragic night.)
Based on true events, newspaper articles and transcripts from the inquiries (both American and British), the novel attempts to unravel the mystery of the Californian incident (Apparently, a ship (the Californian) was within easy distance of the distressed Titanic but ignored its rockets and failed to tell its Marconi guy to wake up and find out what they were. It has been said (although this is disputed), that the Californian could have saved countless lives that tragic night.)
This novel takes an interesting look at the sinking of the Titanic from the perspective of those on the ship nearest to the tragedy. I've never heard the story of the Californian, and while this is fiction, many of the events and people are real. If you like Titanic lore you'll enjoy this.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the review copy!
The Midnight Watch, David Dyer’s account of the sinking of the Titanic and its aftermath, is one of the best pieces of historical fiction I’ve read in years. Dyer’s ability to bring history to life with his beautiful writing and poignant attention to detail, coupled with his talent for heightening dramatic irony, make this book a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in the Titanic disaster.
One of the most tragic and compelling things about the Titanic, aside from the staggeringly high death toll, is that the catastrophe could and should have easily been avoided. There were so many opportunities to avert disaster: If only the ship hadn’t been traveling so fast in the dark ice field…. If only there had been enough lifeboats for all passengers…. If only another ship could have arrived on the scene sooner, and saved more lives….
This last “if only” is the focus of The Midnight Watch. History tells us that the Californian, another steamer, was only six miles away from the Titanic when she struck the iceberg. The crew saw the distress rockets and were close enough to save hundreds of lives - yet they did nothing.
The Midnight Watch delves into the mystery behind what happened that fateful April night, and man, is it fascinating. The point of view jumps from the crew of the Californian, trying to cover up their failure, to a young girl on board the doomed ship, to an intrepid reporter who won’t rest until he gets to the bottom of the Californian’s dirty little secret:
Dyer does a brilliant job of setting all of the pieces in place and building the reader’s anticipation and sense of dramatic irony. I had goosebumps for the duration of this book and was in a constant state of helpless dread. Modern-day readers know how the story of the Titanic plays out, but the characters in the book do not, and that’s what makes The Midnight Watch so heart-wrenching. All you can do is sit and watch as the events unfold.
You’ll shiver when, on the night of April 14, the captain of the Californian casually tells the officer on duty that “it should be a quiet watch tonight.” You’ll cringe when you listen to the White Star Line’s spokesman naively ensure the media, shortly before the ship sinks beneath the waves, that “his understanding was that [the damage] was slight and the ship was making her way to Halifax under her own steam.” You’ll silently, futilely plead with the characters to pay closer attention to the warning signs, and chills will go down your spine when the unwitting crew of the Californian watches the “mysterious ship’s” lights finally blink out in the wee hours of the morning on April 15.
Dyer has a gift for choosing descriptions and details that bring this story to life in excruciating vividness. He immerses you in the sounds of foghorns calling in the night and Morse code tapping in the wires room, and paints a picture of sailors “lying in their bunks with less than half an inch of steel between their sleeping heads and the black Atlantic hissing past outside.” He writes a scene from the perspective of a passenger on board the sinking Titanic who spots the Californian's lights and waits patiently, but in vain, for rescuers to arrive. His reporter reveals the horrifying statistic that “fifty-eight first-class men had found their way into the lifeboats but fifty-three third-class children had not.” Every sentence Dyer writes cuts straight to your heart.
One of the things that I found fascinating about The Midnight Watch is that it focuses not just on the night of the Titanic disaster, but also on the fall-out that takes place afterwards. Dyer shows the reactions of the world as they learn the ship’s fate and describes the U.S. president’s grief at the loss of his friends who were on board. He depicts the moment when the ship Carpathia semaphores the number of dead to the Californian – 1,500 lost – and goes into detail about the U.S. Senate's investigation into the the causes of the tragedy.
My only complaint about The Midnight Watch is a minor one: it’s tough to keep all of the characters straight. There are lots of people to remember, and trying to keep track of all of their names and jobs and why they're significant to the story is challenging at times.
All things considered, I couldn’t be more impressed with Dyer’s debut novel. It’s so good it hurts, a rich, fascinating book that does what all great historical fiction should: sparks curiosity in its reader and inspires them to discover more about the subject matter. Highly, highly recommended.
This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.
The Midnight Watch, David Dyer’s account of the sinking of the Titanic and its aftermath, is one of the best pieces of historical fiction I’ve read in years. Dyer’s ability to bring history to life with his beautiful writing and poignant attention to detail, coupled with his talent for heightening dramatic irony, make this book a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in the Titanic disaster.
One of the most tragic and compelling things about the Titanic, aside from the staggeringly high death toll, is that the catastrophe could and should have easily been avoided. There were so many opportunities to avert disaster: If only the ship hadn’t been traveling so fast in the dark ice field…. If only there had been enough lifeboats for all passengers…. If only another ship could have arrived on the scene sooner, and saved more lives….
This last “if only” is the focus of The Midnight Watch. History tells us that the Californian, another steamer, was only six miles away from the Titanic when she struck the iceberg. The crew saw the distress rockets and were close enough to save hundreds of lives - yet they did nothing.
The Midnight Watch delves into the mystery behind what happened that fateful April night, and man, is it fascinating. The point of view jumps from the crew of the Californian, trying to cover up their failure, to a young girl on board the doomed ship, to an intrepid reporter who won’t rest until he gets to the bottom of the Californian’s dirty little secret:
“People tell me there’s no such a thing as love at first sight. I don’t know about that. But I do know that there’s such a thing as a story at first sight. And there was something about these men – their stillness, perhaps, or maybe their unimpeachable solidarity – that told me at once that something strange had happened on this ship, something more than ‘a nice little story.’”
Dyer does a brilliant job of setting all of the pieces in place and building the reader’s anticipation and sense of dramatic irony. I had goosebumps for the duration of this book and was in a constant state of helpless dread. Modern-day readers know how the story of the Titanic plays out, but the characters in the book do not, and that’s what makes The Midnight Watch so heart-wrenching. All you can do is sit and watch as the events unfold.
You’ll shiver when, on the night of April 14, the captain of the Californian casually tells the officer on duty that “it should be a quiet watch tonight.” You’ll cringe when you listen to the White Star Line’s spokesman naively ensure the media, shortly before the ship sinks beneath the waves, that “his understanding was that [the damage] was slight and the ship was making her way to Halifax under her own steam.” You’ll silently, futilely plead with the characters to pay closer attention to the warning signs, and chills will go down your spine when the unwitting crew of the Californian watches the “mysterious ship’s” lights finally blink out in the wee hours of the morning on April 15.
Dyer has a gift for choosing descriptions and details that bring this story to life in excruciating vividness. He immerses you in the sounds of foghorns calling in the night and Morse code tapping in the wires room, and paints a picture of sailors “lying in their bunks with less than half an inch of steel between their sleeping heads and the black Atlantic hissing past outside.” He writes a scene from the perspective of a passenger on board the sinking Titanic who spots the Californian's lights and waits patiently, but in vain, for rescuers to arrive. His reporter reveals the horrifying statistic that “fifty-eight first-class men had found their way into the lifeboats but fifty-three third-class children had not.” Every sentence Dyer writes cuts straight to your heart.
One of the things that I found fascinating about The Midnight Watch is that it focuses not just on the night of the Titanic disaster, but also on the fall-out that takes place afterwards. Dyer shows the reactions of the world as they learn the ship’s fate and describes the U.S. president’s grief at the loss of his friends who were on board. He depicts the moment when the ship Carpathia semaphores the number of dead to the Californian – 1,500 lost – and goes into detail about the U.S. Senate's investigation into the the causes of the tragedy.
My only complaint about The Midnight Watch is a minor one: it’s tough to keep all of the characters straight. There are lots of people to remember, and trying to keep track of all of their names and jobs and why they're significant to the story is challenging at times.
All things considered, I couldn’t be more impressed with Dyer’s debut novel. It’s so good it hurts, a rich, fascinating book that does what all great historical fiction should: sparks curiosity in its reader and inspires them to discover more about the subject matter. Highly, highly recommended.
This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.
The Titanic. Her name, and the tragedy that eclipsed her, are unmistakable. Hundreds of people - mostly third class passengers - died when she sank after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage. But what if many of those passengers could have been saved? "The Midnight Watch" discusses the lesser-known fact that there WAS ship in the vicinity, and it is thought that she could not only see the Titanic on the horizon, but could have possibly changed the outcome of the tragedy. That ship was the Californian.
David Dyer takes us through the fictionalized account of the two ships through two main people - Officer Stone, the second officer on the Californian, and John Steadman, an alcoholic reporter for the Boston American. With alternating chapters, Dyer shows the reader not only the facts behind the story, but attempts to show the whys and hows.
The story itself was quite well written. Knowing the ending of the Titanic did nothing to take away from the looming tragedy. Learning about the Californian helped me to see the tragedy with new eyes. It would have been nice to have a brief afterward to explain what was fact, what was fiction (I can't seem to figure out if that particular reporter actually existed, though I'm guessing not.), and some of the sources Dyer used in his research. For inquiring minds, it would have been interesting as follow up. Overall, however, the story was interesting to read and well worth the time invested. It's a new look at an old, though never forgotten, unnecessary tragedy.
David Dyer takes us through the fictionalized account of the two ships through two main people - Officer Stone, the second officer on the Californian, and John Steadman, an alcoholic reporter for the Boston American. With alternating chapters, Dyer shows the reader not only the facts behind the story, but attempts to show the whys and hows.
The story itself was quite well written. Knowing the ending of the Titanic did nothing to take away from the looming tragedy. Learning about the Californian helped me to see the tragedy with new eyes. It would have been nice to have a brief afterward to explain what was fact, what was fiction (I can't seem to figure out if that particular reporter actually existed, though I'm guessing not.), and some of the sources Dyer used in his research. For inquiring minds, it would have been interesting as follow up. Overall, however, the story was interesting to read and well worth the time invested. It's a new look at an old, though never forgotten, unnecessary tragedy.