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

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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 through military conquest or commercial success, but through their profound symbolic resonance in the collective imagination. Both ships represent pivotal moments of transition and aspiration—the Mayflower carrying Pilgrims toward religious freedom and a new world in 1620, though as we discuss in the interview this isn’t 100 percent accurate, the Titanic embodying Edwardian confidence and technological hubris in 1912. Each voyage ended in a way that amplified its mythology: the Mayflower's grueling journey and harsh first winter became foundational to American identity and Thanksgiving tradition, even though that’s also more myth that reality, while the Titanic's catastrophic sinking on its maiden voyage became the ultimate cautionary tale about human overconfidence. What unites them most powerfully is how they've transcended their historical moments to become cultural touchstones—the Mayflower as shorthand for American origins and pioneer spirit, the Titanic as a universal metaphor for tragedy, class division, and the limits of progress. 

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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!

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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 trying to keep up with the stories in his head and petting every dog he sees.

Find his new novel here: https://www.amazon.com/He-Jumped-First-sweeping-forbidden-ebook/dp/B0FTTDDHJS?ref_=ast_author_mpb

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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 importance of oral history, and how we can denaturalize museums to further understand the oft-violent but infinitely important histories of cultures around the world. We discuss the similarities between his work on the British Museum's artifacts and those of Titanic, the hauntings of the museum and Titanic's alleged hauntings, plus many etcs. 

Buy your copy here to support Noah, the pod, and independent booksellers: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9781800961357

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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 Thomas Dudley and his crew found themselves adrift in a tiny lifeboat. As days turned to weeks, they faced an unthinkable choice: starve to death or resort to cannibalism.

Their decision to sacrifice the youngest—17-year-old cabin boy Richard Parker—ignited a firestorm of controversy upon their rescue. Instead of being hailed as heroes and survivors, Dudley and his crew found themselves at the center of Regina v. Dudley and Stephens, a landmark murder trial that would establish the legal precedent that necessity cannot justify murder—a principle that continues to shape Anglo-American law today.

In Captain's Dinner, acclaimed journalist, Pulitzer Prize juror, and New York Times bestselling author Adam Cohen masterfully depicts both the harrowing weeks at sea and the sensational trial that followed."

Purchase it here: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9798893310597

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*Yes, mange is real in humans, I looked it up!

*The film podcast I mention is Unspooled, with Amy Nicholson!

Enjoy this fun dive into the life, love and manic-pixie-dream-boy aura of our favorite fictional Titanic third class passenger. Thanks to Pablo, as always, for joining me on this adventure.

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In this second part of my exploration of the Astor fortune and its relationship with Mackinac Island and native communities, I look at the ways by which the fur trader impacted the island and its ecosystems, both human and non-human. I also break down the evolution of the island into a tourist destination, how the Astors bowed out of it as the fur business died down, but how ultimately they ended up back there in spirit. The Grand Hotel’s history also highlights here the growth of tourism, a leisure class, and a century-long national obsession with Gilded Age romanticism and luxury. Finally, we unpack the life of Titanic passenger John Jacob Astor IV, who walked on board as its wealthiest passenger because of his ancestors’ decisions; he perished in the cold water that night, but the myths of his legacy live on. How is he somehow on Mackinac now? Who are the island’s ghosts? Come along and find out.

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Visit my Bookshop link to buy the book club books and support the pod plus indie booksellers! https://bookshop.org/shop/unsinkablepod

New pod merch can be found here: https://www.bonfire.com/store/unsinkable-the-titanic-podcast/

20% of proceeds will be donated to World Central Kitchen!

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The Astor family name conjures images of Gilded Age opulence and tragedy—perhaps most famously embodied by John Jacob Astor IV, who perished aboard the Titanic in 1912. But the roots of one of America's first great fortunes stretch back much further, to the late 18th century when German immigrant John Jacob Astor built a fur trading empire that spanned from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Northwest. His American Fur Company turned remote outposts like Mackinac Island into crucial commercial hubs, fundamentally shaping the economic development of the American frontier. Over multiple generations, the Astors transformed their wilderness wealth into New York real estate, political influence, and cultural prestige, creating a dynasty that helped define what it meant to be American aristocracy but all built on the backs of the enslaved, the poor, the immigrants. Their story is one of ambition, innovation, and the complex legacy of fortunes built on both opportunity and exploitation during a pivotal era in American history. Part One explores the roots of all this. Part Two will explore the spiritual, physical, and cultural ghosts and legacies of Mackinac Island itself.

The Root article I mentioned about slavery and NYC: https://www.theroot.com/how-slave-labor-made-new-york-1790895122

To support the pod and purchase the books I recommended:

*Peter Stark’s Astoria: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9780062964663

*Anderson Cooper’s Astor: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9781482992199

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What is Captain Smith hadn't gone down with the ship but instead lived to attend the inquiries and be inevitably torn apart by the press? How does he live with himself? How does Titanic's legacy change? Is there a chance it did happen and someone saw Smith in Baltimore years later? Wild to imagine right...?

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I'm back and energized for a whole new relevant and real era of Unsinkable. Take a listen! xLA

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Join me and Pablo for another riveting "what if" in Titanic land! What if Titanic had enough lifeboats for all its passengers and crew? Would they have been loaded in enough time? Would all lives have been saved? More? What would change about the ship's legacy?

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Ever wonder what became of Rose after she walked off of the Carpathia? Get in, let's go find out...

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This is a fun one! Pablo and I unpack the utter DESOLATION of a world without the success of 1997's Titanic. Imagine if somehow the Hollywood nutjobs who harassed James Cameron during the production were...right? That audiences wouldn't respond? How would it have affected what museums and memorial sites we have now, or how Titanic's legacy survives? What is pop culture without Jack and Rose? What is film history without this particular monocultural moment?

I shudder to think!

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Join me and Pablo as we reflect on the wonder that swept the world when the shipwreck of Titanic was finally found in 1985 by Robert Ballard, and how it changed not just history books, but our own lives. We dive into a fascinating “what if”—imagining a world where Ballard never found the wreck. We discuss how the cultural history of the Titanic would be completely different: museums in Belfast, Southampton, Cobh, the United States might never have opened, millions of people may never have become enamored, and the ship’s story might have faded into obscurity. This series is a study of the world’s enduring connection to the Titanic.

Support my work on Patreon, or consider leaving a review on Apple or Spotify! Cheers, and thank you as always for listening!

Support the show

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Join me and fellow Titanic expert Pablo O'Hana for an intriguing and oft-narrative-bending journey into the "what ifs" of Titanic's sinking. For decades historians and fanatics alike have tossed around theories of who was to blame, or what might have happened if a few details were different that fateful night. In this conversations series we'll unpack some of the most controversial questions in an attempt to present Titanic's cultural and social history in a brand new light. Cheers!

Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast on your player of choice.

Episodes will air on Patreon two days before the main feed.

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Join me and fellow Titanic expert Pablo O'Hana for an intriguing and oft-narrative-bending journey into the "what ifs" of Titanic's sinking. For decades historians and fanatics alike have tossed around theories of who was to blame, or what might have happened if a few details were different that fateful night. In this conversations series we'll unpack some of the most controversial questions in an attempt to present Titanic's cultural and social history in a brand new light. Cheers!

Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast on your player of choice.

Episodes will air on Patreon two days before the main feed.

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

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Support the pod via my Bookshop Storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/unsinkablepod

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Happy Black History Month! Today we explore the life of Harriet Tubman, who every American school child learns a LITTLE about. Her life was much more complex and grittier than typical textbooks will lead one to believe; her work on the Underground Railroad is just the tip of our proverbial iceberg. During the Civil War, Tubman risked her life to scout and spy for the Union Army as well as worked tirelessly to provide social services for recently-freed slaves. Join me as we unpack the mythologies, bust them open as usual, and give thanks for those historical figures who have spoken loudly and acted with purpose.

Here's Dorothy Wickendon's book: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9781476760742

Consider buying it via my Bookshop link above to support the pod.

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Join Pablo O'Hana, record-breaking fourth time Unsinkable guest, and me for a lively discussion of the evolution of modern marketing in the US and the UK. We take a look at the strategies used by the White Star Line and her competitors to bolster their reputations of luxury and size ("Have you heard of Dr. Freud, Mr. Ismay?") on the coveted Trans-Atlantic route in the early twentieth-century. A marketing and public relations expert himself, Pablo walks us through what advertising looked like in 1912 and what parts of that era stay with us even now in our everyday lives.

Settle in. Grab a dram or an oolong, take a seat, get cozy. This is the deep past.

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Help Asheville and its continuing recovery from Hurricane Helene here:
https://www.belovedasheville.com/

Find all info related to Titanic: An Immersive Voyage here: https://expo-titanic.com/

Happy holidays!

*Note: As a historian and former museum professional, I should make the disclaimer that Titanic: An Immersive Voyage does have some artifacts on display without standard placards and provenance. 

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Please consider donating to help the victims of this disaster. Our beautiful mountain city is in ruins. Links here: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2024/10/02/asheville-nc-flooding-how-to-help-helene-relief-efforts-in-western-nc/75472474007/

If you'd like to help the pod stay up and running during this time/support our little family during displacement, consider becoming a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

Support the show

Support Unsinkable on Patreon for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

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Please excuse some inferior sound, I am displaced from my studio at the moment because of some very disagreeable pipes at our house that decided to flood our bottom floor. 

Sex is discussed in this episode, just a heads up, but not in any graphic way.

Find our Outlander podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-outlander-rewatch/id1655047578

Books referenced in this episode (purchasing them through my link supports the podcast as well as indie bookstores!):

*Susan Douglas, Where the Girls Are: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9780812925302

*Mary Pipher, Reviving Ophelia: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9780525537045

*Tania Modleski, Loving with a Vengeance: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9780415974516

*Wendy McClure, The Wilder Life: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9781594485688

Support the show

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*Disclaimer: this episode includes the opinions of myself and my guest and is not intended to reflect anyone else's. We are not associated with RMST, Inc. in any way. When facts about the company are presented, we make sure to note them and mark them separately from our opinions.*

Find Pablo here: https://www.instagram.com/pabs94/

For Pablo’s article: https://pabloohana.medium.com/judge-smith-has-got-it-completely-wrong-on-titanic-2373bf23c8bd

For the BBC artifact warehouse article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1vd9k33r00o

For the BBC RMST article, including James Penca’s quote (“This rediscovery of the Diana statue is the perfect argument against leaving Titanic alone," Mr Penca said in response.”: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkm82enkgko

Support the show

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This was a Patreon bonus episode but too fun to not unlock!

I bring you an amazing EXTRA SPECIAL episode with my friend and fellow Titaniac Jamie Didawick. We met on Instagram when she found the podcast a couple of years ago and have since bonded over both Titanic and Disney. She's a travel agent (the best one ever) and she helped me and my family have the time of our lives at Disney World just a few weeks ago. This is a conversational episode about everything from James Cameron's Pandora at Disney to our favorite 1997 moments to modern cruising. It's a joy, and I hope you enjoy.

Warning this will make you want to go on a trip immediately, and if so contact Jamie here: https://www.instagram.com/bestdayeverwithjamie/

A video version will follow tomorrow once I have the time to upload too.

Cheers!

LA

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