Two things. First of all, I actually liked reading Gardiner's book. It was different, radical, and totally fiction...but it caught my attention, even if I was rolling my eyes the entire time. This is the only props I give to Gardiner.
Secondly, I have decided to write my own book.
My theory is that the Titanic's Powers that Be (Ismay, E.J. Smith, and Andrews) were all secretly working for the British Admiralty. Churchill was concerned that the Olympic-class ships were all taking money away from the Cunard Lines. So Churchill ordered Ismay to secretly destroy one of the WSL's new liners in hope to swing opinion to Cunard's favor.
Most officers, save Murdoch and Wilde, weren't in on it, but J.J. Astor and J.P. Morgan, who was losing great sums of money on IMM were. So Ismay, Astor, Smith, Churchill, and Morgan all hatched a plan to ram the Titanic into an iceberg, knowing that the ship will sink slowly and act as its own lifeboat until a Cunarder, ala the
Carpathia, or a IMM ship, ala the Californian, could save all on board.
However, in wrecking the liner against an iceberg, Murdoch didn't count on the underside of the berg, which ripped a section of the bottom away from the ship (hence why they found the section on the ocean floor). The ship was doomed.
The Californian, waiting on a message from the Admiralty, sat dead in the water...wanting to make a triumphant entrance. They did not know the danger ahead for the Titanic.
Boats were only loaded half full for this reason. Also, Murdoch and Wilde were both shot before Titanic foundered as so they would not talk later. This accounts for the shooting of the officers.
Ismay survived as planned so that he could meet up with Churchill and the Admiralty later. Ismay was paid off generously as his name was ripped through the mud.
My deceptive, evil minded theory...and the only innocent in the whole story...
....hmmm...how about Boxhall? He isn't mentioned too much.
This post was meant half in joking, half serious. This is how ridiculous Gardiner's claims are. I, like he, have taken an incredible idea and put some fact behind it.
And I bet I would sell a million copies too.
Cheers....and happy reading!
