September 1911 and the White Star line was in a buoyant mood. Their huge liner Olympic had been in service for three months and had proved to be very popular; and the new vessel, the Titanic would enter the Line's ranks in 7 months. But in that month, the situation changed. Soon after setting out on its fifth voyage to New York, the ship collided with a Naval cruiser, the HMS Hawke. It seemed difficult to believe. How could such an event occur? Wasit deliberate sabotage, poor steering or a previously unsuspected force of nature? This book discusses the arguments and debate surrounding the controversy, and includes the cogitations of an engineer, published in a rare volume soon afterthe accident