#8 A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. Inspired by KevM to mix some non-fiction into my reading list this year, and after having read a couple of recent so-so efforts about the Titanic, I decided to return to the 1955 "classic" telling of the Titanic story. There is a reason that this book is a classic.
Lord presents the events of the sinking of the Titanic in a cohesive and exciting narrative. The book starts with a bang, literally, at the moment that the Titanic hits the iceberg. As part of his research, Lord interviewed 60+ survivors, and includes their personal observations in a smooth and engaging narrative. He tells the Titanic story the way the survivors remembered it, and refrains from analysis, debate and technical minutiae. (His sequel The Night Lives On focuses on some of the enduring questions and legends surrounding the Titanic, for those interested in those aspects of the story. I have yet to read that one.)
Extremely well written, highly engaging and a very quick, exciting read, A Night to Remember remains the best book written on the Titanic.