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David Dyer

Goodreads Author

Born

in Port Kembla, Australia

Website

http://www.daviddyer.com.au

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DavidDyerAuthor

Genre

Historical Fiction, Fiction, History

Member Since

December 2015

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David Dyer grew up near Sydney, Australia. After school, he pursued an eclectic career that included studying medicine, travelling the world in merchant ships, and working as a lawyer in Sydney and London. He was a solicitor for several years at the London legal practice whose parent firm represented the Titanic’s owners in 1912. Upon his return to Australia, he became an English teacher and writer, and in 2013 was awarded a doctorate in creative arts. In 2016, he published The Midnight Watch, a novel about the ship that witnessed the Titanic’s distress rockets but failed to respond. He then turned his attention to space, and in 2019 was lucky enough to meet moonwalkers Buzz Aldrin and Charlie Duke, who inspired him with their vision, darin ...more

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When did you first learn about the SS Californian? Why do you think it’s such a little-known aspect of the Titanic’s history, and what can we learn from it?

David Dyer I first learned about the Californian incident when I was a very young child. I watched ‘A Night to Remember’ with my grandmother when I was about 4 o…moreI first learned about the Californian incident when I was a very young child. I watched ‘A Night to Remember’ with my grandmother when I was about 4 or 5, and that film shows (a little inaccurately) the key aspects of the Californian’s role. Later, when I was in Grade 4, I wrote a story entitled ‘Titanic’s Disaster’, which has an intriguing couple of sentences on its second page:

“The wireless operator was sending SOS calls to the Calafornian [sic] which was only ten miles away but its wireless was shut down over one hour ago. Rockets were fired every five minutes but the Calafornian though that it was some sort of ship board celebration.’

We know now that the ‘shipboard celebration’ thesis cannot be true, but this shows that even as an eight year old I was grappling with the mystery of ‘why didn’t the Californian go?’

Although ‘the Californian incident’ is very well known – and, indeed, very controversial – in Titanic circles, it is less well known in the general population. And I think much of the reason for this is the James Cameron film ‘Titanic’. The film was extraordinarily popular, and it does not refer to the Californian. In the DVD version there is a deleted scene showing the Californian warning the Titanic, but no scenes at all showing the Californian seeing the Titanic’s rockets. I think the story was probably too complex, too subtle, too difficult for Cameron to fit within his narrative structure.
What can we learn from the Californian affair? Well, that the universe can be unfair, and that even small errors can have catastrophic consequences. More importantly, though, I think the incident shows us that there are different ways of ‘being a man’, of being strong. Sometimes the greatest strength a person can show is to admit weakness, mistakes, and vulnerability. None of us are perfect.
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Hi David Dyer, how does it feel to be so devilishly handsome and such a terrific writer? And if you had to choose the Titanic passenger who sticks in your mind most, who would it be?

David Dyer Thank you, Alexa, for your question! In fact, being devilishly handsome can be a bit of a challenge at times, but I do my best. Sometimes I give mysel…moreThank you, Alexa, for your question! In fact, being devilishly handsome can be a bit of a challenge at times, but I do my best. Sometimes I give myself a break by trying to look a bit middle aged.

Now, which Titanic passenger sticks in my mind the most? Why, Stella Sage, of course! She was a feisty young woman who did her very best in difficult circumstances.
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David Dyer’s books

Average rating: 3.82 · 5,020 ratings · 845 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Midnight Watch 3.81 avg rating — 4,631 ratings — published 2016 — 21 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	This Kingdom of Dust 3.93 avg rating — 389 ratings — published 2024 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Super by Erin Prescott, Erin Boettcher Irby (Editor), David Dyer (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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David Dyer's Blog

Television!

20 June 2016

Just a quick note:

Those who want to hear me talking about The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian with Virginia Trioli on ABC's News Breakfast can click here: https://twitter.com/BreakfastNews/sta...

And those who want to hear my book discussed on ABC TV's The Book Club can tune in to ABC television tomorrow, Tuesday 21 June, at 10pm. Otherwise, download it after Read more of this blog post »

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Published on June 20, 2016 14:11

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David Dyer made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — removing books from my profile topic " Mousum wrote: "done" Thank you very much! ...more "
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David Dyer rated a book it was amazing Orbital by Samantha Harvey	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nothing happens in this novel, or perhaps everything does. I just don’t know. What I do know is that it is beautifully written – so beautifully that I have no idea how it was done. Every paragraph is a poem, every sentence a miracle, every word a jew ...more
Sep 15, 2024 01:27AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Orbital by Samantha Harvey <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
David Dyer rated a book it was amazing Aunts Aren't Gentlemen (Jeeves, #15) by P.G. Wodehouse	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Wooster: Do you ever brood on life? Jeeves: Occasionally, sir, when at leisure. Wooster: What do you make of it? Pressy odd in spots, don’t you think? Jeeves. It might be so described, sir. If you’re feeling down, read a PG Wodehouse. They’re the perfect ...more
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David Dyer rated a book it was amazing Orbital by Samantha Harvey	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nothing happens in this novel, or perhaps everything does. I just don’t know. What I do know is that it is beautifully written – so beautifully that I have no idea how it was done. Every paragraph is a poem, every sentence a miracle, every word a jew ...more
Sep 15, 2024 01:13AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Orbital by Samantha Harvey <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Quotes by David Dyer (?)

“The ice seemed to suck everything from the world - the waves, the wind, light, warmth - everything.”
― David Dyer, The Midnight Watch

3 likes

“This century, whether it be wonderful or horrible, was going to belong to the women.”
― David Dyer, The Midnight Watch

2 likes

Polls

January 2021 Group Read - Debut Novel

The Last Days of the Romanov Dancers by Kerri Turner

26 votes, 40.6%

The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian by David Dyer

15 votes, 23.4%

Rhubarb by Craig Silvey

12 votes, 18.8%

Secrets of the Tides by Hannah Richell

11 votes, 17.2%

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“This century, whether it be wonderful or horrible, was going to belong to the women.”
― David Dyer, The Midnight Watch

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“The ice seemed to suck everything from the world - the waves, the wind, light, warmth - everything.”
― David Dyer, The Midnight Watch

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