For the first four days, everything went as planned on the Titanic. First-class passengers enjoyed their large, beautifully furnished rooms and 10-course meals in the ship's fanciest dining room. They also enjoyed using the reading rooms, the huge swimming pool, and the gymnasium. Second- and third-class passengers sailed in their not quite so fancy facilities. Then, on the evening of April 14, just one day short of arriving in New York, the Titanic struck an iceberg. 2 hours and 40 minutes later, the "unsinkable" ship disappeared beneath the waves. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 people on board perished. It was the biggest maritime tragedy to date. Four Days on the Titanic offers a firsthand look at life, and tragedy, on this mighty vessel.