Turner, a music journalist, pursued living relatives of the band members and squeezed all that he could out of 'inherited photographs, documents, and anecdotes' enabling him to sketch brief but poignant portraits of eight young (or at least youngish) men, all born in an optimistic era and all members of the rising middle class. What Turner has uncovered is a narrow but unique slice of history - one more chapter of compelling Titanic lore. But their individual stories, until now, have been largely unknown. What these men did - standing calmly on deck playing throughout the disaster - achieved global recognition. BOOK REVIEWS The Band that Played On by Steve Turner is, surprisingly, the first book since the great ship went down to examine the lives of the eight musicians who were employed by the Titanic. Read what brought the band members together and how their music servedas the haunting soundtrack for one of modern history''s most tragic maritimedisasters.

But never before has 'that glorious band'-the group of eightmusicians who played on as the Titanicslipped deeper and deeper into the Atlantic Ocean-been explored in such depth.Steve Turner''s extensive research reveals a fascinating story includingdishonest agents, a clairvoyant, social climbers, and a fraudulent violinmaker.

Theyoften tell the same story about the 'unsinkable' Titanic, her wealthy passengers, the families torn apart, and theunthinkable end. The end was very close.' -CHARLOTTE COLLYER,TITANIC SURVIVOR The movies, the documentaries, the museum exhibits. The band was playing ''Nearer, My God, toThee.'' I could hear it distinctly. Only the engulfing oceanhad power to drown them into silence.

The Band That Played On by Steve Turner