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 Simon and Schuster: "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

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.com/unsinkable-the-first-t-shirt/

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

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

*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.

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.com/unsinkable-the-first-t-shirt/

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

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

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.

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.com/unsinkable-the-first-t-shirt/

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

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/