<p> The <em>Titanic</em> already captured the public imagination while under construction and its maiden voyage was much anticipated. The mammoth liner was an engineering marvel with all modern conveniences, even in steerage. First-class passengers traveled in a floating palace. A monument to the hubris of a confident age, the liner had even been pronounced unsinkable. Little wonder the world reacted in shock when the <em>Titanic</em> struck an iceberg on a moonless night in April 1912, and disappeared into the cold Atlantic, dragging 1,500 passengers and crew to the bottom of the sea. </p> <p>The History Channel's “Titanic: The Complete Story” (out on DVD) is an unusually compelling cable documentary, relaying less on flashy computer graphics than on archival material (albeit some of it photo-shopped) and a meaningful narrative comprised in part from survivors' accounts. There are interviews with some of the aged survivors, children at the time (and surely taped more than a decade ago?). A picture emerges of a captain and crew who fervently believed their ship was on the cutting edge of progress. It simply couldn't sink, some of them thought, even as the water began pouring into the lower levels. </p> <p>One reason for the endurance of the story, which James Cameron seized upon for his blockbuster movie, was that the <em>Titanic</em> was an ocean-going microcosm representing all classes (and many nationalities) from the humblest immigrants in steerage to John Jacob Astor in his glittering suite. Death showed no respect for wealth or position and the full range of human response came into play once the ship began to sink. Cowardice confronted courage and devotion with disregard. It remains one of the last century's greatest stories. </p>
