Last Dinner On the Titanic: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner | 
 enlarge | Authors: Rick Archbold, Dana Mccauley
Creator: Walter Lord
Publisher: Hyperion
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
Buy Used: $2.47
You Save: $23.48 (90%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 184575
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 128
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 7.9 x 0.8
ISBN: 078686303X
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.5753
EAN: 9780786863037
ASIN: 078686303X
Publication Date: April 14, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Ex-Library. May have library markings or stickers. Otherwise, standard used condition.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
It is impossible to read this book, which is as sumptuously appointed as the great ship itself, and not want to plan a Titanic dinner party immediately. Fortunately, the book provides--besides beautiful photos, delectable factoids, and fascinating quotes from the rich and vanished famous--clear, easy-to-follow instructions on how to plan such a party. You can use recipes for first-, second-, or third-class meals. Remember, style is all. Try to equal the class evinced by Titanic survivor Renee Harris, who sued the steamship line for her husband's death in the sinking, put the $50,000 settlement into the first play by Moss Hart (who gives her credit in his popular autobiography, Act One), and lost all her cash in the 1929 crash. When Walter Lord, the dean of Titanic lore who wrote the introduction to this book, interviews the aged, broke Ms. Harris in her welfare hotel, he writes, "She had lost neither her sunny disposition nor her theatrical poise. One day I brought her a little jar of caviar in an attempt to give this gallant lady a taste of the good old days. She sampled it once, then pushed the jar politely aside. 'You call that caviar?' she asked." As Lord observes, "Reproducing the Titanic's marvelous food is surely one of the best ways to experience a bygone age of luxury and leisure." Don't forget to set the mood with music: either Titanic: Music as Heard on the Fateful Voyage or Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture will do, depending on whether you're a classicist or a romantic. --Tim Appelo
Product Description
It is impossible to read this book, which is as sumptuously appointed as the great ship itself, and not want to plan a Titanic dinner party immediately. Fortunately, the book provides--besides beautiful photos, delectable factoids, and fascinating quotes from the rich and vanished famous--clear, easy-to-follow instructions on how to plan such a party. You can use recipes for first-, second-, or third-class meals.Remember, style is all. Try to equal the class evinced by Titanic survivor Renee Harris, who sued the steamship line for her husband's death in the sinking, put the $50,000 settlement into the first play by Moss Hart (who gives her credit in his popular autobiography, Act One), and lost all her cash in the 1929 crash. When Walter Lord, the dean of Titanic lore who wrote the introduction to this book, interviews the aged, broke Ms. Harris in her welfare hotel, he writes, "She had lost neither her sunny disposition nor her theatrical poise. One day I brought her a little jar of caviar in an attempt to give this gallant lady a taste of the good old days. She sampled it once, then pushed the jar politely aside. 'You call that caviar?' she asked." As Lord observes, "Reproducing the Titanic's marvelous food is surely one of the best ways to experience a bygone age of luxury and leisure."Don't forget to set the mood with music: either Titanic: Music as Heard on the Fateful Voyage or Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture will do, depending on whether you're a classicist or a romantic. --Tim Appelo
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
One of the most amazing books ever May 21, 2008
Buy this and you won't be disappointed. This is a chance to relive history through a beautiful book of recipes. I'm very happy I purchased this item!
The Ultimate Dinner Party April 23, 2008
I love this book! I have owned a copy for 10 years, and this year I finally got around to hosting my own black-tie dinner in the "first-class dining saloon." I prepared and served a five-course dinner from the first class menus featured in the book. Everything was absolutely delicious and actually rather easy to prepare. Alas, I could not procure any quail eggs, but I cut (chicken) eggs to use in the aspic and no one knew the difference. Each of my guests came as a passenger on the ship, but rather than assign them the passengers featured in the book, most of whom went down with the ship, I researched passengers on the website [...] and mailed each guest a one-page bio of his/her person. I also made up a one-page "cheat sheet" for the guests to use at the party. Everyone had a blast. It was truly "a night to remember."
Last Dinner on the Titanic January 2, 2008
This is a delightful book and a recommended read for anyone who is a Titanic fan or interested in the history and the food. I love the books presentation. The fact that you can re-create any of the three levels ie 1st glass down to general is a hoot that harks back to a time of fine dining and almost apartheid snobbery. You can host your own dinner party and the book explains in fine detail how to achieve this. I only need to buy the CD of the music now and I am set for my "Titanic Dinner" The Last Dance: Music for a Vanishing Era (The Music Heard on the Fateful Voyage of the Titanic).
A social history snapshot that just happens to be a cookbook February 13, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After almost 100 years, the Titanic disaster continues to fascinate historians and the general public. The snapshot of Edwardian culture is nowhere more apparent than the famous "last meal" that Sunday. Thanks to menus kept by survivors as mementos, and some indepth research, Mr. Archbold has written up the dishes served in all three classes as recipes that, theoretically at least, anyone can serve.
In the early 20th century, the exploits of the super-wealthy (facilitated by the laissez-faire attitude of the gov'ts of the time, and lack of income tax) were followed as closely as celebrities today. One aspect of this conspicuous consumption was the ability to afford truly staggering meals. The meals themselves evolved from the attitude that someone who is well-off will be somewhat portly, as least for males, and the large meals typically served by farm families.
The Titanic, catering to the tastes of the times, as any smart hospitality service would, reflected this in their menus. Meals of up nine courses are not unusual, at least for the first class passengers, consisting of a richness "that today's four-star restaurants would have trouble duplicating" in the author's words. Given today's eating habits, the author recommends that one serve only a selection of the historic menu as these dishes require extensive preparation. Since no extant wine list for that last night exists, the author suggests some modern equivalents for what possibly was served-keeping in mind the tastes of the day, and vintages-primarily French in 1912.
In addition to the meals, the author gives a quick overview of that last evening, with snapshots of the personalities on the ship. He ties these two threads together in an appendix where he gives some ideas of throwing a Titanic dinner party.
It's often ignored, but food is an integral part of any social history. This book gives one the chance to be a "historical-reenactor"-while enjoying some amazing food.
 Gorgeous coffee table book, not great recipe book February 6, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Beautiful photographs and interesting research on the Titanic's food service; definitely worth the purchase price just to read and look at. I would have liked, however, more info on where their recipes came from, what research they did to figure out the recipes (they admit that they just guessed on some of them), and notes on what worked and what didn't when they tried cooking. And, most importantly, the book lacks photos of the finished dishes, so if you don't know what aspic should look like, you're out of luck.
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