While I do agree that it is not neccessarily a page turner, this book is accurate. The author spent a lot of time putting the research in this book. At times it does seem like a lot of facts strung together, but he keeps the timeline of events very well and I think its better to just state the facts at times rather than write a barage of opinions (let people draw their own conclusions). Anyone interested in shipping history would find this book interesting enough to maintain a focus. If you want this book because you are a Titanic fanatic, your money would be better spent on one of the author's other books which explores the POSSIBLITY of a conspiracy or another book dedicated solely to Titanic. Overall I thought the book was great, very informative and I learned a lot I didn't know before, especially about the very early years. Transatlantic and The White Star Line: An Illustrated History are great too.