A history of maritime disasters in the twentieth century : the Titanic revisited /by Siobhan Moira Ryan

Dissertation exploring the role played by the entire crew in maritime disasters involving passenger vessels, focusing on the loss of the Titanic as a case study. The author identifies the crew as a 'human megamachine' where the requirement for specialised skills and effective communication of orders is vital and considers that both have diminished on modern vessels as a result of increased automation and internationalisation. General disaster theories and analytical models are reviewed and maritime legislation and historical literature outlined. In terms of the loss of the Titanic, the author concludes that too great an emphasis has been placed in the past on technical issues such as the ship's construction, the inadequacy of lifeboats and wireless protocols, rather than looking at the behaviour of crew and passengers which she considers are evidence of the lack of adequate safety training for the crew.