The Other Titanic

The Other Titanic by Simon Martin presents a riveting and largely overlooked maritime mystery: the fate of the RMSOceanic, White Star Line's first ocean liner, which wrecked off the Shetland Islands in 1914. Far from the shadow of her sister ship Titanic, the Oceanic's demise unfolded quietly amidst the early days of World WarI, and the story nearly vanished from public memory.

Martin, himself one of the adventurous divers who led the salvage mission in the 1970s, revisits that extraordinary recovery. He recounts how he and Alec Crawford embarked on what began as a casual dive near Foula, only to uncover the massive wreck buried in treacherous reef waters. Over six years, they excavated nearly 250tons of non-ferrous metalcopper, brass, and moreusing ingenuity and sheer perseverance. Their narrative weaves everyday dangers, courtroom battles, and small-island life into a compelling blend of exploration and drama.