NEARLY 2O YEARS AFTER MAKING THE world's most famous underwater discovery, Robert D. Ballard returns to Titanic to record the most dramatic images of the wreck yet seen—and to expose evidence of new dangers that imperil the legendary ship.
As Ballard prepares for the expedition, he takes us back to the clear; starry night of April 14, 1912, when tons of icy water inundated the huge vessel and dragged it and 1,523 souls to a deep-sea grave. He explores the natural events and human misjudgements that led to catastrophe, the drama that contributes to the mythology, and the people who make Titanic's story live on, from confident Captain E.J. Smith, who perished with the ship he ardently proclaimed safe, to a retired London justice of the peace who recalled playing with her teddy bear on Titanic's sunny decks — then pulling away in a lifeboat, leaving her father on the dying vessel.
Ballard chronicles early attempts to find Titanic, including a 1953 mission using echolocation, a precursor to the sonar imaging of today. Then, as he and his team return to the site in May 2004, Ballard briefs us on the "million-dollar video game" of piloting Hercules, the remotely operated vehicle that captures astonishing digital images of Titanic's prow... of artifacts that conjure scenes of human pathos... of changes caused by natural deterioration and by humans salvagers:
Countless artifacts have been taken, submersible tracks crisscross the site, and new damage reveals where manned mini subs have parked on Titanic to give passengers a better view.
With diagrams, maps, archival images, and digital photography, Ballard documents what remains and what is lost — and argues that Titanic and other great wrecks must be preserved as historic sites. "The deep sea is earth's biggest museum," he asserts, "yet there's no lock on the door."
A story of adventure, tragedy, science, and controversy, Return to Titanic brings new dimension to history's most infamous maritime disaster.
