Titanic expert Hugh Brewster, who figures he’s written more books about the famously doomed ship “than anyone on the planet,” says that interest in his favourite subject has ebbed and flowed over the decades.
The last peak of interest, of course, came with James Cameron’s epic movie starring Leonardo diCaprio and Kate Winslett, released in 1997.
Next year, with the 100th anniversary of the ship’s sinking on April 15, 2012, interest is set to peak again. James Cameron intends to re-release his movie in 3D, a slew of TV mini-series are planned, and tickets are being sold now for memorial cruises over the site where the ship’s remains lay in rest.
Brewster, who has a weekend home in Mulmur has written two new books for the occasion: Deadly Voyage, a young person’s novel aimed at boys that tells the tale of a fictional boy on the fateful cruise, and RMS Titanic: Gilded Lives on a Fatal Voyage, an adult book that tells the life stories of some of the glamorous people on board.
On Monday, November 14, Brewster will be at Nottawasaga Creemore Public School to talk about the Titanic and read from Deadly Voyage. The presentation will take place from 11:30 am to 1 pm and is open to the public.
Brewster, who has done several presentations in the past in the area on his other favourite subject, Canadian military history, and you can bet his Titanic show will be interesting and informative. He’s a master of the slideshow, and he has a long history with the Titanic. Besides his own selection of books on the subject, he used to be the editor and publisher of Madison Press Books, which published Robert Ballard’s The Discovery of the Titanic, a 1.5 million seller that was translated for 14 different countries.
“I remember getting a phone call from Robert, the day after he made his discovery,” remembers Hugh. “Now that was a big phone call.”