The Midnight Watch

by David Dyer

[Beth C.]

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.