Selected Books about Titanic's Passengers and Crew

Wednesday will mark the 103rd anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The first and last voyage of the famous liner has captivated the minds of the public since the moment the news of its sinking reached the shore. For the past century, everything from films, history books, novels, plays, and even merchandise have found their way into the hearts and homes of those with a fascination for the doomed ship--whether they are interested in its its structure and mechanics, its role in maritime history, the miniature display of Edwardian society that filled its decks, or the lives and deaths of the passengers and crew.

The men and women who survived or died during the tragedy have left varied legacies. But regardless of where life took them after the tragedy--back to the sea, in the case of most crew members, or onward through the 20th century--there is no denying that history wants to remember them.

There are countless numbers of books about the Titanic--from broad histories to 21st century retrospectives and everything in between. Some of these books have even been written by the survivors of the disaster, including the works by Lawrence Beesley and Archibald Gracie, which are arguably the most often quoted books written by survivors.

But the passengers and crew haven't been ignored by historians, either. In addition to firsthand accounts, biographies and histories focusing on the people who survived, and the people who were lost that night, have been published since shortly after the ship sank.

The following are some selected books about the Titanic's passengers and crew. It is by no means comprehensive!

Memoirs/Firsthand Accounts

Titanic Survivor by Violet Jessop
Shadow of the Titanic: A Survivor's Story, a Biography of Miss Eva Hart by Eva Hart
The Truth About the Titanic by Archibald Gracie
The Loss of the SS Titanic by Lawrence Beesley 
Titanic: A Survivor's Story by Jack Thayer


Biographies

Thomas Andrews, Voyage into History : Titanic Secrets Revealed Through the Eyes of Her Builder by William C. Barnes
How to Survive the Titanic: or, The Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay by Frances Wilson
The Man Who Sank Titanic: The Troubled Life of Quartermaster Robert Hichens by Sally Nilsson
Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth by Kristen Iversen
The Band That Played on: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic by Steve Turner
And the Band Played On: The Titanic Violinist & the Glovemaker: A True Story of Love, Loss & Betrayal by Christopher Ward

Other

Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic's First-Class Passengers and their World by Hugh Brewster
Titanic: Women and Children First by Judith B. Geller
The Story of the Titanic As Told by Its Survivors by Jack Winocour
Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived by Andre Wilson 
Titanic Voices by Hannah Holman