About the Book
SJ23 The Totality of the Circumstances is a historical investigation into the burning of the British schooner-steamer Royal Tar in Penobscot Bay in October 1836. The book reexamines the disaster through contemporary newspaper accounts, vessel history, passenger and crew research, maritime geography, and the physical realities of a vessel in crisis.
A Disaster Reexamined
The loss of the Royal Tar has often been repeated in simplified form. This book looks more closely at the circumstances surrounding the disaster, including where the vessel burned, how the event was reported, who was aboard, and how the story changed as it moved through newspapers, histories, and later accounts.
Built from Original Research
The investigation draws on period newspapers, shipping notices, passenger and crew research, maritime context, maps, and reconstruction work. Rather than relying only on later summaries, the book compares the surviving record against the geography, timing, and practical conditions of the disaster.
Beyond the Traditional Account
This is not simply a retelling of a maritime disaster. It is an effort to separate evidence from repetition and to place the Royal Tar back into its proper historical, geographic, and human context.
The People Aboard
The book also follows the people connected to the disaster, including passengers, crew members, families, survivors, and victims. Where the record allows, it restores individual lives, occupations, relationships, and circumstances that are often flattened into casualty lists or repeated summaries.
Maps, Images, and Reconstruction Work
The book includes maps, visual references, and reconstruction work developed to help readers understand the vessel, the route, the fire, and the setting of the disaster.
Signed First-Run Hardcover Edition
The first-run hardcover edition is available directly from DiveQuest Exploration as a signed copy, with an optional personalized inscription request at checkout.