Published a mere 37 days after the tragedy, Filson Young's Titanic laid to rest public speculation and rumour with its firsthand account of the sinking of the great ship. For the first time since the Titanic left Southampton on April 10, 1912, the public had a full and detailed view of life on the ship, the events leading up to its collision with an iceberg late on April 14, its tragic sinking in the early hours of April 15, and the rescue of its survivors. Based on the accounts of survivors Young knew and interviewed personally, Titanic remains one of the most complete records of the sinking of the Titanic.
The sinking of the Titanic in the frigid waters of the north Atlantic in the early hours of April 15, 1912 is arguably the most famous peacetime maritime disaster of modern history, and one that continues to capture popular imagination a century later.