Recently I was lucky enough to receive an advance reader copy of History Press’s new book, The Aristocrat and The Able Seaman: The Countess of Rothes, Thomas Jones, and the tragedy of Titanic by Angela Young. Whilst everyone knows about my passion for researching Victorian royals, another of my historical interests is the sinking of the Titanic. Like many, much of my knowledge on the topic comes from James Cameron’s 1997 film adaptation, along with any small facts that I have picked up through quick google searches. However, I have always been eager to learn more about this famous tragedy so could not turn down the opportunity to read this wonderful new release.
What immediately caught my attention was the personal, yet more direct manner, in which the book has been written. To begin, it is important to note that the author, Angela Young, is a direct descendant of the book’s heroin, Noël Leslie, Countess of Rothes, who was her great-grandmother. During the demise of the so-called unsinkable ship, Noël found herself in lifeboat number 8, where she met Able Seaman, Thomas Jones. Despite coming from completely different social classes, the two worked together, rowing tirelessly and comforting other anxious survivors until help arrived.
The book itself is widely based on letters and newspaper articles that had been written and collected by Noël during the aftermath of the sinking, before being put away and forgotten about until it was rediscovered by the family following her death in 1956. Upon opening the box, the family found detailed accounts of the tragedy, which Angela Young says reignited their interest in the disaster and ultimately led to her researching and writing this detailed account of Noël’s personal experience.
While the book is, of course, centred on the events that contributed to Noël’s “lucky” survival and her ongoing friendship with Thomas Jones, Angela also presents the reader with well researched facts and data, showing the extent of the errors that ultimately led to the deaths of 1,496 people and how easily the tragedy could have been prevented. I particularly enjoyed the way in which the information and statistics, many of which have been unveiled for the first time, have been clearly presented so that it can be easily digested.
As the book progresses, the reader finds themselves at the heart of the disaster, joining Noël and Thomas Jones as they prepare to board lifeboat number 8 and following the captains orders to row towards the lights of a nearby ship, which eventually vanishes into the dark horizon. Then, we are left with them as they row helplessly into the night, with Noël on the tiller and Jones in charge, not knowing when/if another ship will come to their rescue. Using Noël’s surviving accounts, Young has truly done an incredible job of depicting the level of trauma experienced by those “lucky” survivors and at times one can’t help but feel torn by who the lucky ones really were; those that were unfortunate enough to perish due to the lack of lifeboats, or those “lucky” enough to live to learn of the errors made by the White Star Line and just how easily the disaster could have been either completely avoided or at least the death toll lessened.
Despite wondering what could have happened had the correct precautions been put in place, or if the nearest ship, the SS Californian, hadn’t ignored the Titanic’s distress signals and sailed away, one fact still stands… the disaster DID happen and, as Young states, 712 people had to live with what they had witnessed and the grief of losing loved ones for the rest of their lives, with many survivors never receiving the compensation that they truly deserved. Whether it’s through her family connections to the tragedy or her general frustrations and sympathies as a human being, Young has done an incredible job of talking directly to the reader in a way that cannot help but encaptivate and encourage readers to imagine the true events surrounding that disastrous April night.
No matter your prior knowledge on the Titanic and the fate of those on board, The Aristocrat and The Able Seaman: The Countess of Rothes, Thomas Jones, and the tragedy of Titanic will pull everyone back in time to 1912 and reignite new facts about the tragedy that was the Titanic. A 10/10 read!
© Queen.Victoria.Roses 2026
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