The Watch That Ends the Night

Voices from the Titanic

By: Allan Wolf

Narrated by: Michael Page, Phil Gigante, Christopher Lane, Laural Merlington, Angela Dawe

Audie Award, Distinguished Achievement in Production, 2012

Arrogance and innocence, hubris and hope - 24 haunting voices of the Titanic tragedy, as well as the iceberg itself, are evoked in a stunning tour de force.

More than 2,000 men, women, and children are on board. Here on the first-class promenade is millionaire John Jacob Astor, who hopes his return from Egypt with his pregnant teen bride will invite a minimum of media attention. And here, in the third-class common room, a beautiful Lebanese refugee, on her way to family in Florida, discovers first love. And there in the distance, shrouded in darkness, an ancient iceberg lies patient, awaiting its encounter.

The voices in this wholly unique re-creation of the Titanic disaster span classes and stations, from Margaret (“the unsinkable Molly”) Brown to Captain E.J. Smith, who went down with his ship; from the lookout and wireless men to a young boy in search of dragons and a gambler in search of fools with money to lose. Slipping in telegraphs, undertaker’s reports, and other historic records, poet Allan Wolf offers a breathtaking, intimate glimpse into the lives of two dozen passengers and crew, told with astounding emotional power.

©2011 Allan Wolf (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“How do you tell a dramatic story when you know that everyone already knows the ending? Allan Wolf has combined meticulous research with open-hearted poetry to craft the story of the Titanic in a fresh and compelling way. A remarkable accomplishment.” (Helen Frost, author of Crossing Stones and Hidden)

"Allan Wolf has imagined his way deep into the cold, dark waters of history and has come back carrying a couple of dozen voices that he discovered there, voices whose authenticity is not only convincing but compelling. With the publication of this fine book, we know at last - and we know as well as sisters and brothers - some of the people who went down with the Titanic.” (Ted Kooser, former US Poet Laureate and winner of the Pulitzer Prize)

Really interesting!

While the overall story is familiar - this telling is very interesting. With its different views and internal monologues from individuals at every level of the disaster, it made for a really interesting way to tell the story of Titanic. I thought the individuals that had their stories portrayed a good cross section of the passengers, crew and even the rat.

Great narration

Loved the narration and flow of the book and recommend it to Titanic enthusiasts and it’s a good story for all

Amazing concept!

I was drawn in for the first. l loved how the book unfolded from the different characters perspectives. BRILLIANT! !!

Characterizations and poetic writing

I had a little trouble with the rat noises and postal workers noises, but I grew to enjoy them. The book was overall a very interesting and unique telling of the story and stands out to me as a very worthwhile listen. I especially enjoyed the postlude and addendums with the author’s explanations of how he handled his characters and the semi-fictional parts of the story. The narrators were all good.

Highly recommended & bittersweet story

Would you listen to The Watch That Ends the Night again? Why?

Yes. It is entertaining, despite the tragic end to come. Even the iceberg had a voice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The voice of the rats. It was so unexpected.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Having so many voices really made this story. I think the book alone would have less impact.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I prefer to savor it a little at a time.

Any additional comments?

Despite the many books about the Titanic, I think this book has a lot to offer. At times, I almost felt myself aboard the ship, and became so thankful that I was on land as I listened.

A favorite no matter how many times I’ve read it or listened to it…

This has been one of my favorite Titanic novels as I absolutely love its presentation on the written page in verse. Incredibly creative! The audio version also did not disappoint. I highly recommend reading along while listening to appreciate fully the written art that’s on each and every page.

It could have happened that way

What did you like best about The Watch That Ends the Night? What did you like least?

I enjoyed the varied experiences from a wide cross section of the passengers and crew of Titanic. The rat and iceberg were a little irritating but not too offputting. Their contributions were brief enough and gave the author a chance to add a little change of pace to the story.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Actually this was a unique telling of the story. The compartmentalization of the story feed everything piece by piece but it still had a timeline flow that worked.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They brought distinctive voices to each of the characters. Each character was given a depth of personality that helped bring the story to life

Do you think The Watch That Ends the Night needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, the voyage is over

Any additional comments?

This was a bit unusual but not bad at all really. The author weaves facts with fiction to make a compelling story. It was worth listening to. I would say a good read

Uncomfortable subject handled gently

It was eerie to hear the voices, from real life and fictional characters as they were on an unknown journey, to their deaths. The monologues were perfect for revealing the characters makeup. I felt I knew them well enough to form a slight emotional bond, which made the historically known ending feel like losing a fellow passenger on a recent cruise.

The Titanic hit “the ice” on my birthday, which as always made a extra connection for me with her sinking in the early hours of the following day.

Getting back to the work, the writing was very good and the monologues gently paced you on the 5 days of Titanic’s first and only voyage. The final chapter gives the real life biographies of the real characters and who the fictional characters were representing. The character “the ice” had some very chilling monologues (I just had to write that😏).

All over a good work, which is why I give it a very strong three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Compelling retelling, evocative performance

I rarely review a book, but wanted to comment on this one, especially in light of the reaction of the other reviewers to the ice and the rat. I found the retelling of the Titanic's tragedy compelling, which is high praise when the material is so familiar, and the performance was stellar.

First, this is not a history book, but poetry. If you come to it expecting a straight history, you will be disappointed. I liked the ice and loved the rat. As I was listening, the commentary of the ice reminded me of the chorus in a Greek drama. As for the rat, have you ever before given a moment's thought to the rats that also went down with the ship? I don't know which of the cast read the rat, but it was perfect, vividly portraying a real rat, scuttling about in the dark. I also thought that the handling of the post office, which another listener found repetitive, had the same effect. The reading of the simple, repeated words brought the mailroom and it's work vividly to life. I also enjoyed the clever promenade sections, sometimes backing up to listen to them again, and was impressed with how they were woven back into the narrative at the end.

The language of the book was evocative in a way that a straightforward narrative could never be, and gave depth and human richness to the characters, both the good and the bad. I must say, however, that as fine as the book itself was, I'm not sure I would have much liked it as a print read. This is writing not for the eye but for the ear, and the narrators in this recording deserve five stars and more for the color and life they brought to it. I had originally downloaded this free from the public library, but partway through purchased it from Audible. I knew even before the end that this was a book I wanted in my permanent library.

Compelling Listen

What made the experience of listening to The Watch That Ends the Night the most enjoyable?

I liked hearing the story from the perspective of various passengers and crew, in their individual voices.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Watch That Ends the Night?

The cacophony of voices from passengers who went down with the ship. Heart-wrenching.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

The Baker - his tale about the rat with the crooked tail and the cook!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.