And the Band Played On: The Titanic Violinist & the Glovemaker: A True Story of Love, Loss & Betrayal

by Christopher Ward

The amazing true story of one of the band members who famously played as the Titanic sank, written by his grandson  On 14th April 1912, when the Titanic struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sank, 1,500 passengers and crew lost their lives. As the order to abandon ship was given, the orchestra took their instruments on deck and continued to play as the ship went down. The violinist, 21 year-old Jock Hume, knew that his fiancée, Mary, was expecting their first child, the author's mother. A century later, Christopher Ward reveals a dramatic story of love, loss, and betrayal, and the catastrophic impact of Jock's death on two very different Scottish families. He paints a vivid portrait of an age in which class determined the way you lived—and died. This outstanding piece of historical detective work is also a moving account of how the author's quest to learn more about his grandfather revealed the shocking truth about a family he thought he knew, a truth that had been hidden for nearly 100 years.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Historical, Music, Book Club, Own

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 26, 2011

About the author

Christopher Ward is the grandson of Jock Hume and Mary Costin. He is a former editor of the Daily Express.

Reviews

[Dem · Rating 4 out of 5]

On 14th April 1912, 1,497 passengers and crew lost their lives on The Titanic's maiden voyage. As the ship sank the orchestra took their instruments on deck and continued to play.

A young man by the name of Jock Hume who played the violin with this Orchestra lost his life that night while his finance Mary who was expecting their first child was awaiting his return back home in Scotland.

This is a fascinating story of the Hume and Costin Family and offers a different side of the Titanic story as the author takes up where many other Titanic books finish and tells the story of what happens after the ship goes down.

I found the first few line of the introduction of this book fascinating and was hooked after reading the following;

" Of the 1,497 passengers and crew who died in the North Atlantic that night only 328 bodies were recovered, one of them was my grandfather, Jock Hume a violinist in the Titanic's band. He was twenty one. His pay was stopped the moment the ship went down and two weeks later his father received a bill for the White Star line brass buttons and epaulettes on his uniform"

I found this was a moving and well researched book and the author while recounting the tragic story of his family's history manages to give the reader a great historical account from the moment the Titanic sank and this was information that I had not read before.


I have read quite a lot about the Titanic through the years but really enjoyed this book as it was really well written and a real page turner.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This really was a fascinating story, but the reading was difficult at times. The author jumped around in time quite a bit without much transition and it became very confusing. He had a tendency to use adjectives to describe characters but didn't explain further what he meant (for example describing someone as arrogant but not backing it up with examples)and was often repetitive and long winded in the imagery.

He billed the book as one that would discuss class differences and while he did that he failed to completely draw the parallel between his grandfather and Astor he was looking for. I was also frustrated by the relation of certain conversations and stories without supporting documentation.

Overall, I did enjoy the book because the story itself is interesting, but the way it was written, failure to meet its advertised objective and structure made it a difficult read.

[Pamela Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The instant I spotted this book, I knew I had to read it. Not only was it about one of my favourite moments in history, it featured around my home town, and one of the town's best loved heroic figures.

The author, the grandfather of Jock Law Hume, member of the Titanic band, started this book with no idea what it would become. The idea came as part of a family project tracing ancestors, but only when Ward realised how complex the history was, did he realise just how amazing a story there was to be told.

Grief, love, loss, betrayal, tragedy. The sinking of the Titanic did more than claim thousands of souls on board, it created a ripple effect of tsunami proportions for the ones unfortunate enough to be left behind.

When Jock, aged twenty one, boarded the ill-fated vessel, he left behind a pregnant fiancee, an estranged family and a community of people who loved him. Though the book is primarily about the author's grandfather, it does not end with his death. Rather the opposite. And the Band Played On is more about the people Jock left behind, and the way their lives were irrevocably changed after the sink went down.

I found the book to be immensely intriguing and very interesting - not to mention absolutely heartbreaking. It was odd to be reading a book and recognising all the places mentions (and even a few shivers at a few buildings mentioned where I used to work). More than a few times I had to put the book down as I couldn't see the pages through my tears. The author didn't hold back on anything, and instead unleashed the cataclysmic devastation that so many families felt in 1912.

Ward put me on the stern on the Titanic countless times, and threw me head first into the households of the Costin's and the Hume's - not to mention the ice deck of the Mackay-Bennett, the vessel charged with the immense task of retrieving the bodies the Titanic left in the Atlantic.

I cannot recommend this book enough. As the author said, a generation grew up with the shadow of the Titanic looming over them. I dare anyone to read this book and not feel the ship looming over them.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. It was a very interesting read. Recommended.

[Ethan Michaels · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book suggests this is a true love story with what happened after the Titanic sank as a back drop.
It is important to know that the author is a blood relative of one of the bandsmen who, without regard to their personal safety, played until the last moment possible as the boat sank.
25% of the book addresses what the title suggests.
75% is the history of the author's family.

[LibraryCin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jock Hume was a young violinist, playing in the band on the Titanic – the band that famously played bravely on, as the ship sank. Jock, along with the rest of the band, died that night. The author of the book is a descendant of Jock and is looking not only at the aftermath of the Titanic disaster, but is looking closely at Jock’s life and volatile relationship with his musician/violinist and violin-maker father. Ward also looks at, in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster, the woman that Jock left pregnant, Mary, whom he intended to marry. The baby that resulted, Johnann (later called Jackie), is the author’s mother.

I really liked this. The first half of the book was more focused on both Jock and the aftermath of the Titanic. There was also some look (I think for comparison purposes) at millionaire John Jacob Astor and his subsequent recovery and his body’s trip home. The second half really did focus on Jock’s family; his father did not like Mary and there were “squabbles” (to put it mildly) and legal battles. I love reading more about the Titanic and I also love biographies, so this worked really well for me. There are plenty of nice photos included, as well. I read the paperback, which had a few updates that didn’t get into the hardcover edition.

[Audrey Ashbrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

And the Band Played On by Christopher Ward is a biography of his grandfather, John ‘Jock’ Law Hume, the twenty-one-year-old Scottish violinist aboard the Titanic. 

This book was fairly interesting! It would be fascinating to visit the Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazingly readable narrative of the aftermath of the Titanic tragedy. Christopher Ward's focus is on his grandfather's family but his research goes into the body recovery and burial of the victims of the tragedy. I found all of it fascinating.

[Reet Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

At long last we have a book that focuses on the life of the violinist John Law "Jock" Hume and that of his family. From his death on Titanic those many years ago to Dumfries, Scotland where his fiancee and father and step-mother fight it out in the aftermath of the disaster readers are in for one wild ride.

I must say that I am very disappointed in And the Band Played On. I waited many months before breaking down and purchasing a copy, my interest first being piqued when it was released in 2011; that interest only snowballed as Titanic enthusiasts raved about the little volume on different forums. And so I popped it open, dived in and waited for the story to begin...and waited...and waited...and waited. What? Page 220 - the very last page of the book - and still nothing? All right, so perhaps I am being too critical but I found Christopher Ward's book lacking. It doesn't really concern Jock but rather the things his death set into motion. There is a great deal of what I would call filler material. The author tries to draw comparisons between Jock and John Jacob Astor IV (e.g. both died, both left behind unborn children...end of comparison!) and fails miserably. The great detail paid to Astor did little for the book other than rehash what most people already know; so in effect, irrelevant.

I'm also at a complete loss for words over Mr. Ward's evident hatred for his great-grandfather, Andrew Hume (Jock's father). Rarely does he miss the opportunity to take a jab at the man or remind readers how ashamed he is to have been related to Andrew. I have no problem at all with him disliking his great-grandfather and if all the stories about Andrew are to be believed (I did not see the documentation that the author was using to back up his claims) Mr. Ward has every right to do so. However, the rant-like paragraphs are bordering on embarrassing as the Costins are championed and the Humes degraded.

When we get right down to the nitty-gritty, I personally felt that the author was trying very hard to make a bigger story out of something that lacked material. It opens with a very detailed description of hypothermia and what happens to the human body at different temperatures. After that the CS Mackay-Bennett's sad journey is recounted with little mention of Hume. At this point I began to bang my head on the table. Where the heck is Jock's story?! As it turns out I never got to it. After the recovery of his body the author goes on to narrate the post-Titanic life of the Costins and Humes and their legal fights. Not boring, per se, but rather misleading as I was expecting a biography of Jock and a little more information about Mary, none of which was in abundance.

Do I recommend And the Band Played On? Yes and no. Knowing what I know now I still would have bought the book as the families of the Titanic victims and survivors are just as important at the Titanic figures themselves. When that is taken into account then this can be considered an important addition to Titanic literature. But if that is not what you believe (shocking!) then you may want to pocket your dollars and put those greenbacks towards the purchase of another title that fits your interests.

DISCLAIMER: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” we would like to note that we have not received compensation for our book review of “And the Band Played On”.

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[Gordon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm afraid I was massively disappointed by And The Band Played On. It started well enough - the details of the immediate aftermath of the Titanic disaster, told through the medium of Jock Hume, a 21-yr-old violinist in the band that played Nearer My God To Thee as the ship went down. Hume also happened to be the author's grandfather.

By way of contrast, the book follows a little of the aftermath of a rich American passenger's demise too, but this book is really a family history.

The story is easily read, but the author loses the plot early on by painting his great-grandfather, Jock Hume's father, as an undiluted heap of malicious, grasping, uncaring evil, a man who we are led to believe cheated on his wife (with no evidence to support it) and a fraudster. Instead the author's mother is portrayed as an innocent victim of this monster.

All of this might well have been true but the author's approach is to make his allegations in unsupported fashion. Late on in there's a bit where he says of a young woman who's moved into an unwelcoming household, "it was here that any abuse that happened took place". It's out of nowhere and is an astonishing statement - it just assumes that abuse might have taken place.

I bought this book for £2.30 in a second-hand bookshop, which was around £2.25 too much. Read the first chapter then give It to a charity shop.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting to journey with this family as they deal with the aftermath of losing their son & brother in the disaster. The father of the victim is especially disturbing as is the way the various companies dealt with the victim's families. Many things were brought to life that I never thought about before when thinking about this event. For example, the challenges faced by the crew of the ship that was sent out to recover the bodies from the ocean, and the families that waited for that ship to arrive back home with their loved ones. The decisions that had to be made on who to embalm immediately on that rescue ship, who to simply place in storage and who to attach an iron bar to so they can be "buried" at sea. The horrors and unfairness of the class system at that time are never to be forgotten.

Fascinating true story.

[Georgi_Lvs_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read some great new facts in this read! Although very heart-breaking!!

Was interesting to read what happened after the Titanic also.

My obsession with the Titanic is growing...

4****

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

În noaptea de 14 spre 15 aprilie 1912, nava de linie Titanic a companiei White Star s-a scufundat în primul său voiaj de la Southampton la New York, în urma unei coliziuni cu un aisberg. Din cei 1497 de oameni ― pasageri şi echipaj ― care în acea noapte şi-au găsit sfârşitul în Atlanticul de Nord, au fost recuperate numai 328 de trupuri. Unul dintre acestea a fost al bunicului meu, Jock Hume, violonist în orchestra Titanicului. Avea douăzeci şi unu de ani.

Plata lui a încetat în momentul în care nava s-a scufundat şi, două săptămâni mai târziu, tatăl său a primit o factură pentru nasturii de alamă şi epoleţii White Star de pe uniformă.

S-au scris sute de cărţi despre Titanic. Aproape toate, ca de altfel şi filmele care înfăţişează dezastrul, se încheie cu nava în poziţie verticală dispărând în adâncurile oceanului. Această carte începe acolo unde se sfârşeşte viaţa pasagerilor şi a echipajului: cu ceea ce a urmat. Este o poveste şocantă despre cruzimea şi secretele corporatiste, cu analogii contemporane sugestive. Contextul în care este amplasată povestea este cel al unei clase caustice, a cărei discriminare în moarte a fost la fel de nemiloasă ca cea din viaţă.

Ideea acestei cărţi a demarat la începutul anului 2010, ca un fel de proiect despre istoria familiei, pe modelul Cine crezi că eşti? dedicat copiilor, nepoţilor şi familiei surorii mele ― nicidecum o carte despre Titanic. Sora mea murise cu patru ani în urmă, iar mama noastră cu zece ani mai devreme. Din ce în ce mai conştient de propria mea apropiere de moarte, mi-am dat seama că am rămas singurul care mai ştie câte ceva despre familie, singurul în stare să atribuie un nume chipurilor şterse de pe vechile fotografii în sepia abandonate în valiza ponosită din pod.

Este o poveste reală despre urmările catastrofice ale Titanicului, despre două familii obişnuite din Dumfries, oraş situat în sud-vestul Scoţiei, şi despre cum tragedia s-a propagat asupra generaţiilor următoare ale celor implicaţi timp de aproape o sută de ani. Mama mea, care s-a născut la şase luni după moartea lui Jock şi a trăit până la optzeci de ani, nu a putut scăpa niciodată de fantoma Titanicului. Acelaşi lucru s-a întâmplat şi în cazul familiei milionarului american, Colonelul J. J. Astor, care, la fel ca Jock, a murit lăsând în urmă un copil nenăscut. Probabil este şi cazul altor „familii ale Titanicului”.

[Joana Almeida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quando vi este livro pela primeira vez e lo a sua sinopse, não posso dizer que não tenha ficado igualmente curiosa com o seu conteúdo. O mesmo referia que com o desastre do Titanic, duas famílias escocesas iriam sofrer o seu impacto por longos e duros anos, fazendo igualmente referência ao breve encontro entre Jock Hume e o Coronel J.J.Astor, mesmo antes do desaparecimento do Titanic.
Neste livro há várias descrições acerca do antes, durante e após o desastre náutico mais famoso de sempre. A forma como os passageiros se comportaram e como o protagonista central deste livro, avô do autor e membro da Banda do Titanic, morreu a tocar durante todo o desastre. Fala igualmente da recolha e tratamento dos corpos, das variadas notícias nos jornais, umas verdadeiras e outras falsas, e como a morte de Jock afectou a vida da sua jovem noiva, Mary, grávida de poucos meses, e o seu pai, Andrew Hume.
Faz-se umas breves referências ao Coronel J.J. Astor, mas não da forma como estava à espera...focando-se mais na briga entre a família de Jock Hume e da sua noiva, Mary Costin, pela paternidade da sua filha e pela ajuda que poderiam receber do Fundo do Titanic.
No geral gostei da forma como o livro foi construído, notou-se o estudo e o cuidado do autor em reunir o máximo de informações, detalhes e até mesmo fotografias da época, dando força e impacto as suas palavras.
109 anos após o desastre e 11 anos após a publicação deste livro, estes factos continuam tão recentes nas nossas mentes como na altura dos seus acontecimentos, sendo por isso uma leitura que recomendo a quem, como eu, deseja aprofundar mais ainda os seus conhecimentos acerca do Titanic e das pessoas que nele navegavam a 14 de Abril de 1912.

[Sarah Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

And the Band Played On by Christopher Ward, is the latest book for my book club. I actually ‘enjoyed’ reading this book. I found it very interesting. Everyone is aware of the tragic story of the Titanic ship, and what a huge tragedy it was. But not what everyone is aware of (I certainly wasn’t) was what happened after the sinking.

This book written by the grandson, of one of the victims of the sinking, sheds light on how the victims were treated after the sinking. The author’s grandfather was 21 year old Jock Hume, a violinist in the Titanic's orchestra, who continued to play after the ship began to sink, and who ultimately lost his life. Ward details events that unfolded after the sinking, and how his grandfather's death impacted on 2 very different Scottish families.

I found this an interesting read, about the sinking of the ship and the recovery attempt afterwards to reclaim the bodies of those who had perished at sea. And the story of the author's grandmother and grandfather. I had originally thought that this book was centred solely on the events that happened on the Titanic and afterwards, but this ended up being more about the author's family and it’s history. An interesting read nonetheless. I found it a little bit disjointed in parts but overall quite interesting.

[Rebecca Briesemeister · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars
I thought this was a really interesting story. It completely shatters the facade created around the titanic and goes into the dark history that followed its sinking. I really thought the first half of the book was really interesting, to find out how exactly the recovery process and aftermath were. The second half on the other hand just went on and on in the family drama that followed Jock’s passing. While I think I understand that the author included these things to show how life went on for the families directly affected by the titanic’s sinking, that did not make it any more interesting. I especially think that Jock’s father was dwelled on a bit too much.
Overall, this book took me twice as long as any other book to read simply because it was so dark. As a society the story of the titanic is written over and over again through movies and various media’s. The titanic is romanticized and its flaws are overlooked for the grand staircase and high class dining. I think this book draws attention to a lot of these things and challenges the worlds view of this historic event and makes it more real for people who did not experience it first hand.
I think this is a great book for people who are interested in the titanic and maybe want to see the dark side of i

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book on the day that marks the 111th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

This was an interesting read, though during the first chapters I was not sure what the actual plot was - this book moves back and forth continuously in time and between multiple people that were involved with Jock and the aftermath after the Titanic sunk. Later on, this book focuses more on the author’s family (particularly his grandfather), their history and how they dealt with the death of Jock and the years after that. The parallels between Jock and J.J. Astor’s family and their posthumously born children lacks an actual conclusion, and I’m just not sure what precisely is the added value to this inclusion.

It may be due to the translation, but some sentences were grammatically incorrect. It also includes the wrong date for the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre - 9 September. Not sure if this is an error made by the author (it’s supposed to be a quote but it doesn’t include a (sic)), or by the translator.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book even though the writing was inconsistent. From the title of the book you would think the book would be more about the entire band and its members on the Titanic. I understand the author was writing about his grandfather and the aftermath of his dying but the characters he mentioned should have been explored a bit further. He tried to draw a parallel between his grandfather and John Jacob Astor which I wish could have been delved into a bit further. They both left pregnant women behind. He did mention the problem of obtaining records which is understandable. But over all it was an interesting book. I have just returned from Halifax where his grandfather is buried and it was interesting to see the graves. It was a tragedy and unfortunately the tragedy continued afterwards due to some of the people involved. I did learn some things from the book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m sure that anyone who knows much about the ill fated Titanic have heard how the band played on as the ship sunk. This is the story of Jock Hume, the Titanic’s violinist who did just that. It is written by Jock’s grandson whose Grandmother was pregnant with the author’s mother when the disaster happened. Every family has skeletons and stories and this therefore is much more than a story about Jock. Jock’s father was such a character (not a compliment) and the court battles between him and Jock’s grandmother over the paternity of her daughter and the Titanic Relief money is fascinating. Then we hear about a most bizarre revenge hoax that you couldn’t possibly make up.

[Moira Walshe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fascinating read presenting lots of information in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster. I found that I had to read on, as it was so compelling and all of the book was well constructed. Criticisms have been made in other reviews of the author focusing on J J Astor and making comparisons with him and Jock Hume. I found that this was relevant and wasn’t at all distracting. The story focuses here on the great gulf between the classes and the way the dead were treated but also the connections between the two men, as they both left behind unborn children. A book that will stay with me for a long time. The story of Jock’s family was quite dramatic too.

[Book Grocer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase And the Band Played On here for just $10!

Most people are familiar with the story that the band aboard the Titanic continued to play as the boat sank, however this book looks at one particular member. A beautifully written, emotional tribute to the writer's grandfather, who was the band's violinist.

Elisa, Book Grocer

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this super interesting, and I hadn't expected it to delve so deeply into Jock's life and the lives of those that knew him outside of and after the Titanic sinking. like some other reviews have said, the timeline does jump around quite a bit which I found confusing at first, but the chapters are segmented into 'themes' or people rather than chronologically and it makes sense overall once you realise that and get into it. would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in history, especially if you think you already know everything worth knowing about the Titanic!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually one for history books, but the title of this one grabbed me. Being born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the sinking of the Titanic holds a large chapter in the city's more unfortunate history. I really loved this book, though sad it is. It jumps around a bit but the essence is pure and the consequential tragedies that followed the ship's disaster are informative and interesting. Well done, sir.

[Vera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tragic story but very interesting. The author has done extensive research which revealed information about the fate of those who perished and those who where left behind. The White Star line don't come out very well in the way they dealt with the aftermath. The author's personal story is very sad and probably representative of many others

[Miaomiao Guo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is attractive to me because it is sort of related to Titanic. However, while from the very beginning of this book, it says this is not about the ship nor the accident but it’s about a true story of the man who died from the Titanic accident. I enjoy reading the background of two families and several people. But the last a few chapters are a little boring to me though.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Titanic disaster was tragic, and we know so much about it, but the aftermath is even more tragic and gruesome as grief was made worse by corporate greed and insensitivity. Fascinating account of one family’s trajectory off of that iceberg. I never heard about what happened in the days and weeks after the sinking. Fascinating.

[Chris Peace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tragic sinking of the Titanic is well known to all. Also the class of travellers determined where they travelled, upper decks for upper class and steerage for the lower class. However until I read this book I wasn’t aware that your ‘class’ also determined where you were buried. Like the lifeboats for the survivors, there were not enough coffins for the dead. The upper class got the coffins whilst the lower class had weights attached to their bodies and put back into the water. The story is based on Jock Hume, a violinist in the band, who played while the ship sank, and his descendants. The book shows how greed played an important part in what happened in Jock’s family.

[Sharron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed reading this, the subject matter was engaging and where it was directly relevant to the Titanic very interesting. It focussed too much on Andrew Hume for my liking and thus the largest part of the book seemed to be more of a biography about him (which had I known I probably wouldn’t have read it). For that reason 3 stars.

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, a non-fiction book I genuinely enjoyed reading throughout it all. To know what goes on after the tragedy that is the Titanic for small families. The pain and suffering caused by the White Star Line.

The audacity and hubris of Andrew Hume and his second wife. I’m just glad to have read and now know the story of Jock Hume. May his story never cease to exist.

[Tiffany Johnstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is a particularly heartbreaking story I think readers will find. I think readers will find Jock Humes personal life interesting, before and after his death. It certainly is an interesting story.