Titanic : the unfolding story

It is a story that's familiar to everyone. At the time of its launch, the RMS Titanic was the largest ship ever built and when she set sail on her maiden voyage in 1912 there were 2,227 people on board.

Four days into the crossing the Titanic hit an iceberg; less than three hours later the ship sank and 1,517 people lost their lives.

These are the barebones of what was a dramatic event - and what many of us believe to be the truth of the Titanic's first and last voyage is what we have learned from Hollywood movies, all of which have told the story in their own way.

Built for the White Star Line in Belfast, the Titanic was designed to compete with the Lusitania that was owned by rival shipping company, Cunard.

It was a time when the only way to travel across the Atlantic was by mighty ocean liner.

Competitors vied to provide the speediest, most technologically advanced ships and - for those who could pay for it - the most luxurious crossing.

No expense was spared in building the liners and during the build-up to the Titanic's launch and that of her sibling, the Olympic, there was a feverish sense of anticipation and excitement among transatlantic travellers.

Sadly, the Olympic was involved in a maritime accident too, when she collided with a Royal Navy vessel in 1911; it was an incident that caught the nation's attention at the time and later, after the Titanic sank, much speculation.

Titanic- The Unfolding Story as told by The Daily Mirror offers a unique insight into this terrible, yet endlessly fascinating, disaster.

It tells the whole story: from the commissioning of the Titanic and her sister ship the Olympic following their construction, launches and maiden voyages, through to the Titanic's demise, the immediate aftermath, and the very public enquiries on both sides of the Atlantic.

Based on the words of contemporary newspaper reports the story comes alive as it never has before.

The depth of detail is fascinating, revealing fresh insights into a tragedy that continues to captivate us today.

Use of contemporary newspaper photography and iconic images all help to make this book one of a kind.