Unsinkable: The Titanic Podcast

A very special announcement! I'll be joining J. Kent Layton, Tad Fitch and a whole crew of wonderful Titanic experts the night of April 14th for a Titanic sinking livestream/conversation. Join us on this channel: https://www.youtube.com/parttimeexplorer Also check out all of Tad and Kent's April (and anytime!) Titanic content via these links: The Steam & Splendor Network on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@SteamAndSplendorThe Steam & Splendor Network Podcast: https://thest...

Today I'm joined by James Penca from the Witness Titanic podcast for a fascinating and heartfelt look at the stories of a few of Titanic's third class passengers, ones too often left out of more sensational narratives. Together, we shine a light on journeys across the Atlantic that reveal so much more than tragedy. Through their own words and research into both their socioeconomic and cultural lives, we uncover a wealth of insight into the American immigration experience. From the hopes and h...

Today's episode dives even deeper into the fascinating but complex familial history of Archibald Gracie IV, one of the most well-documented survivors of the Titanic disaster. We'll explore the layers of his lineage and how he viewed it, from his questionable passion for a Confederate military heritage to the personal tragedies that shaped the man who found himself aboard that ship in April 1912. In his memoir about the sinking, Archie the Fourth claimed that all lines of class had been ...

The Gracie family, starting with its original Scottish immigrant Archibald, built a shipping empire in 18th and 19th century America--New York to Alabama--that profoundly shaped economic development. But their wealth was deeply entangled with the slave trade, its plantation economy, and later the Civil War itself. Their legacy, memorialized in landmarks like Gracie Mansion (now the NYC mayor's residence), reflects the uncomfortable truth of how American prosperity was built on exploitation. W...

Happy 2026! Join me in a new season as I take a look at Titanic's historiography, changing legacy, and questions of its over-commodification. Feel free to reach out with feedback! All of the books I recommend can be found here, where you can purchase and support the podcast + local independent bookstores: https://bookshop.org/shop/unsinkablepod Support the show Support Unsinkable on Patreon for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod Or buy me a coffee!: https://www...

Join author Richard Stone and myself as we discuss his work Project Mayflower: Building and Sailing a 17th Century Replica--a detailed and important dive into the legacy of the Mayflower and how its replica (a joint venture between the US and the UK) has also resonated for several generations. You can find the book here: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9781493084364 The Titanic and the Mayflower stand as perhaps the two most iconic vessels in modern cultural memory, legacies enduring not t...

Come along as we unpack a veritable grab-bag of "what if" questions, some submitted by listeners! These are questions that perhaps can't warrant their own episode but are important to address nonetheless. Thanks to Pablo as always and to you, the listeners, for being here! Support the show Support Unsinkable on Patreon for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod Or buy me a coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/labeadles Buy Unsinkable shirts here!: https://www.bonfire....

Titaniac alert! This is a fun and moving one. Tim Baker is an actor, screenwriter, and firm believer that iced coffee should be its own food group. A Midwest-born, East Coast-raised transplant, he now calls Los Angeles home. Fueled by a healthy dose of sarcasm and a lifelong love for history, he writes about dynamic, flawed, and multifaceted characters—probably because he finds perfect people incredibly boring. His daily routine consists of a three-mile run, followed by several hours of...

Noah Angell is an artist who has exhibited and performed internationally. He's also an author - last year he published his first book, Ghosts of the British Museum, a meticulously-researched, genre-defying narrative non-fiction work about the storied museum's many ghosts. He's currently at work on his first feature-length documentary film, and is speaking to us today from Durham, North Carolina. Join me for a truly meaningful conversation about artifacts, the energies they hold, the importanc...

Join me for a fantastic interview with renowned lawyer and journalist Adam Cohen, whose new non-fiction work--Captain's Dinner: A Shipwreck, an Act of Cannibalism, and a Murder Trial that Changed Legal History--takes a look at one of the most controversial maritime cases of all time, on the cusp of the age of steam. From Author's Equity: "On May 19, 1884, the yacht Mignonette set sail from England on what should have been an uneventful voyage. When their vessel sank in the Atlantic, Captain T...