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Abandoned Ship: An intimate account of the…
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Abandoned Ship: An intimate account of the Costa Concordia shipwreck (edition 2013)

by Benji Smith

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442569,666 (3.35)7
On January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia - a thousand foot long luxury cruise ship, twice the size of the Titanic - ventured into shallow water and smashed into the rocks of a tiny island off the coast of Italy, throwing the four thousand passengers and crew members into a state of chaos. The captain and officers all abandoned ship, leaving the few remaining castaways to fend for themselves as the boat toppled onto its side and water flooded into the passenger decks. In the wee hours of the night, newlyweds Benji Smith and Emily Lau feared for their lives, desparate and terrified after a malfunctioning lifeboat left them stranded on the sinking ship. By this point, the other lifeboats had all gone. They had been left behind. This thoughtful memoir - hailed by The Daily Telegraph as "a compelling, minute-by-minute account of the chaotic evacuation" - tells the remarkable story of the couple's harrowing escape, as they clung to a rope and rapelled down the hull of the doomed vessel. But the astonishing story continues, as they find themselves stranded in Rome and ignored by the United States Embassy. With only the clothes on their backs, they relied upon the kindness of strangers to help them find food and shelter, clothing and medical attention. And finally a ticket home. But even then, in the safety of their own home, they would find their sleep haunted by nightmares and their days crippled by anxiety and insecurity. And even as they struggled to overcome PTSD, they would simultaneously find themselves in a battle with the news media to even have their story told. Praised by Newsweek/The Daily Beast for its "honest reflection and frightening detail", this gripping, triumphant story is ultimately a spiritual tale, the story of a pair of survivors who find hope and meaning in the aftermath of a tragedy.… (more)
Member:sunnydrk
Title:Abandoned Ship: An intimate account of the Costa Concordia shipwreck
Authors:Benji Smith
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Abandoned Ship: An intimate account of the Costa Concordia shipwreck by Benji Smith

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Well... This book was AMAZING!!!! There is so much in it that I didn't know because the media just wanted sensationalist stories and not the harsh truth, which Benji and Emily (yup, we're on a first name basis now) tried, multiple times, to get out there. Into the world and stuff.

Beyond that, this is a well written book, and really, everyone (in the US and China at least) should read it to learn about how our government(s) failed the survivors of that shipwreck. And the Carnival Cruise liner, and the embassy, and Congress. People have really forgotten about this disaster. They get it confused with the more recent one ALL the time. This book really brings disaster back into the spotlight, and it makes you a little bit horrified at the response. Not just the actual shipwreck, but the response to it was simply incompetent and selfish.

Benji Smith is HILARIOUS, by the way. The ending of the book was (while not relevant), so funny. I loved it.

I got this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )
  astronomist | Oct 3, 2021 |
The story of the Costa Concordia is a tragedy. One that should never have happened in this day and age of technology. But, one that did happen because of human error. While the story of what happened to Mr. Smith is horrible and his insight helps us understand what occurred, the book is strongly in need of a good editor. It does not flow and the writing is more like a long winded rant than a book described as "an intimate account". ( )
  sunnydrk | Apr 13, 2014 |
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On January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia - a thousand foot long luxury cruise ship, twice the size of the Titanic - ventured into shallow water and smashed into the rocks of a tiny island off the coast of Italy, throwing the four thousand passengers and crew members into a state of chaos. The captain and officers all abandoned ship, leaving the few remaining castaways to fend for themselves as the boat toppled onto its side and water flooded into the passenger decks. In the wee hours of the night, newlyweds Benji Smith and Emily Lau feared for their lives, desparate and terrified after a malfunctioning lifeboat left them stranded on the sinking ship. By this point, the other lifeboats had all gone. They had been left behind. This thoughtful memoir - hailed by The Daily Telegraph as "a compelling, minute-by-minute account of the chaotic evacuation" - tells the remarkable story of the couple's harrowing escape, as they clung to a rope and rapelled down the hull of the doomed vessel. But the astonishing story continues, as they find themselves stranded in Rome and ignored by the United States Embassy. With only the clothes on their backs, they relied upon the kindness of strangers to help them find food and shelter, clothing and medical attention. And finally a ticket home. But even then, in the safety of their own home, they would find their sleep haunted by nightmares and their days crippled by anxiety and insecurity. And even as they struggled to overcome PTSD, they would simultaneously find themselves in a battle with the news media to even have their story told. Praised by Newsweek/The Daily Beast for its "honest reflection and frightening detail", this gripping, triumphant story is ultimately a spiritual tale, the story of a pair of survivors who find hope and meaning in the aftermath of a tragedy.

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