Unsinkable: The Titanic Podcast

L.A. Beadles
  • 4.6 (203)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Welcome to Unsinkable, an intense look at the cultural history of Titanic and its era. The history of the ship is laden with: women, people of color, families that have spoken up and lived out loud to leave a legacy we cannot ignore. The past is present and the future. We cannot make the mistakes of our ancestors.

  1. 3D AGO

    Announcing the April 14th Titanic Livestream, with J. Kent Layton and Tad Fitch!

    A very special announcement! I'll be joining J. Kent Layton, Tad Fitch and a whole crew of wonderful Titanic experts the night of April 14th for a Titanic sinking livestream/conversation.  Join us on this channel: https://www.youtube.com/parttimeexplorer Also check out all of Tad and Kent's April (and anytime!) Titanic content via these links:  The Steam & Splendor Network on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@SteamAndSplendorThe Steam & Splendor Network Podcast: https://thesteamandsplendornetworkpodcast.buzzsprout.com/The Steam & Splendor Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesteamandsplendornetwork/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 Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

    46 min

  2. MAR 24

    Titanic, the Immigrant's Ship (with James Penca of Witness Titanic Podcast)

    Today I'm joined by James Penca from the Witness Titanic podcast for a fascinating and heartfelt look at the stories of a few of Titanic's third class passengers, ones too often left out of more sensational narratives. Together, we shine a light on journeys across the Atlantic that reveal so much more than tragedy. Through their own words and research into both their socioeconomic and cultural lives, we uncover a wealth of insight into the American immigration experience. From the hopes and hardships that drove people to leave everything behind, to the systems and realities that shaped their arrival in a new world, these passengers embody the complexities of the immigrant experience and utlimately how many immigrants passionately built their own new realities.  And just as importantly, we address the brutal reality of the current political climate--one that seeks to erase the beauty and promise of America as a nation of immigrants.  For Titanic Weekend: https://sites.google.com/view/titanicweekend2026/home Follow James Penca & Witness Titanic: Apple Podcasts: Listen here Spotify: Listen here YouTube: @WitnessTitanic Instagram: @WitnessTitanicPod Patreon: patreon.com/c/witnesstitanic 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 Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

    1h 45m

  3. FEB 24

    The Archibald Gracies: A Bizarrely Complex American Legacy (Part Two)

    Today's episode dives even deeper into the fascinating but complex familial history of Archibald Gracie IV, one of the most well-documented survivors of the Titanic disaster. We'll explore the layers of his lineage and how he viewed it, from his questionable passion for a Confederate military heritage to the personal tragedies that shaped the man who found himself aboard that ship in April 1912.  In his memoir about the sinking, Archie the Fourth claimed that all lines of class had been blasted apart that night. Had they really? Did he have any perspective, really, to offer on this after a lifetime of leisure and wealth and rumination? Did the tragedy of his young daughter give him some that perhaps historians haven’t noted? Or is his account really just a classist and racist piece of fiction on par with the tome he wrote about his father’s Civil War servicer? Yeah, we’re going there. 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 Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

    45 min

  4. FEB 10

    The Archibald Gracies: A Bizarrely Complex American Legacy (Part One)

    The Gracie family, starting with its original Scottish immigrant Archibald, built a shipping empire in 18th and 19th century America--New York to Alabama--that profoundly shaped economic development. But their wealth was deeply entangled with the slave trade, its plantation economy, and later the Civil War itself. Their legacy, memorialized in landmarks like Gracie Mansion (now the NYC mayor's residence), reflects the uncomfortable truth of how American prosperity was built on exploitation. When Archibald Gracie IV stepped on to the decks of Titanic, he'd inherited a complicated legacy and was fighting tooth and nail to prove the worth of his ancestors' fallen pride.  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 Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

    42 min

  5. JAN 8

    Has Titanic's Legacy Fallen Prey to Late-Stage Capitalism?

    Happy 2026! Join me in a new season as I take a look at Titanic's historiography, changing legacy, and questions of its over-commodification. Feel free to reach out with feedback! All of the books I recommend can be found here, where you can purchase and support the podcast + local independent bookstores: https://bookshop.org/shop/unsinkablepod 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 Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

    55 min

  6. 12/22/2025

    From Iconic Ship to Iconic Ship: Author Richard Stone on Project Mayflower and its Titanic Connections

    Join author Richard Stone and myself as we discuss his work Project Mayflower: Building and Sailing a 17th Century Replica--a detailed and important dive into the legacy of the Mayflower and how its replica (a joint venture between the US and the UK) has also resonated for several generations.  You can find the book here: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9781493084364 The Titanic and the Mayflower stand as perhaps the two most iconic vessels in modern cultural memory, legacies enduring not through military conquest or commercial success, but through their profound symbolic resonance in the collective imagination. Both ships represent pivotal moments of transition and aspiration—the Mayflower carrying Pilgrims toward religious freedom and a new world in 1620, though as we discuss in the interview this isn’t 100 percent accurate, the Titanic embodying Edwardian confidence and technological hubris in 1912. Each voyage ended in a way that amplified its mythology: the Mayflower's grueling journey and harsh first winter became foundational to American identity and Thanksgiving tradition, even though that’s also more myth that reality, while the Titanic's catastrophic sinking on its maiden voyage became the ultimate cautionary tale about human overconfidence. What unites them most powerfully is how they've transcended their historical moments to become cultural touchstones—the Mayflower as shorthand for American origins and pioneer spirit, the Titanic as a universal metaphor for tragedy, class division, and the limits of progress.  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 Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

    56 min

  7. 12/15/2025

    A "What If" Mega-sode! w/ Pablo O'Hana

    Come along as we unpack a veritable grab-bag of "what if" questions, some submitted by listeners! These are questions that perhaps can't warrant their own episode but are important to address nonetheless. Thanks to Pablo as always and to you, the listeners, for being here! 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 Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

    53 min

  8. 12/05/2025

    Book Club: He Jumped First, with Author and Actor Tim Baker

    Titaniac alert! This is a fun and moving one.  Tim Baker is an actor, screenwriter, and firm believer that iced coffee should be its own food group. A Midwest-born, East Coast-raised transplant, he now calls Los Angeles home. Fueled by a healthy dose of sarcasm and a lifelong love for history, he writes about dynamic, flawed, and multifaceted characters—probably because he finds perfect people incredibly boring. His daily routine consists of a three-mile run, followed by several hours of trying to keep up with the stories in his head and petting every dog he sees. Find his new novel here: https://www.amazon.com/He-Jumped-First-sweeping-forbidden-ebook/dp/B0FTTDDHJS?ref_=ast_author_mpb 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 Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

    53 min
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4.6
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203 Ratings

About

Welcome to Unsinkable, an intense look at the cultural history of Titanic and its era. The history of the ship is laden with: women, people of color, families that have spoken up and lived out loud to leave a legacy we cannot ignore. The past is present and the future. We cannot make the mistakes of our ancestors.

Information

  • Creator
    L.A. Beadles
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    138
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Unsinkable: The Titanic Podcast (L.A. Beadles)
  • Show Website
    Unsinkable: The Titanic Podcast

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