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

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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?

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

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