Titanic was not only a ship that embodied technological achievement; she was a microcosm of western civilisation and its misplaced certainties in a gilded age before World War 1. She was the second of an intended trio of huge passenger vessels built by Harland and Wolff for the White Star Line's premier service between Southampton and New York.

Michael McCaughan is the former Head of Transport, National Museums Northern Ireland. As a curator at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum for over forty years, his research has focused mainly on the study and interpretation of Irish maritime history and traditions. He has published widely and is recognised internationally for his expertise and pioneering work on the history and culture of Harland & Wolff, the White Star line and theTitanic.
Michael is the author of the groundbreaking book, The Birth of the Titanic (Blackstaff Press, 1998) and Titanic: Icon of an Age (2012).