Hosts: the Johnsons
Experts: Linda G., the Johnsons, the Behringers
From one of our favorite authors (3 books so far)comes this fascinating tale of the sinking of the Lusitania.
Chris Schluep wrote the following appreciation for the book when it was selected as An Amazon Best Book of the Month for March, 2015:
“On May 1st, 1915 the Lusitania set sail on its final voyage. That it was sunk by a German U-boat will be news to few—and Larson’s challenge is to craft a historical narrative leading up to the thrilling, if known, conclusion, building anticipation in his readers along the way. To his credit, he makes the task look easy. Focusing on the politics of WWI, on nautical craftsmanship and strategy, and on key players in the eventual attack and sinking of the “fast, comfortable, and beloved” Lusitania, Larson once again illustrates his gift for seducing us with history and giving it a human face. Dead Wake puts readers right aboard the famous Cunard liner and keeps them turning the pages until the book’s final, breathless encounter. “
The New York Times Book Review declared, “Larson is one of the modern masters of popular narrative nonfiction…a resourceful reporter and a subtle stylist who understands the tricky art of Edward Scissorhands-ing narrative strands into a pleasing story…An entertaining book about a great subject, and it will do much to make this seismic event resonate for new generations of readers.”
Here is a 4-minute film clip of the final departure of the Lusitania. I found it more enjoyable when watching in full-screen view.
And here are the pictures that should have been included in the book (click on an image to see the full photo; click on left or right of the photo to bring up navigation arrows; click on the “i” in the controls at the bottom of the photo to turn on captions):
Two somewhat tangential things that piqued my interest while reading the book:
- Why passengers on a ship—or an airplane, or a train—are referred to as “souls.” I found out (as one might suspect) the usage is quite old and and its usage is traditional. But the designation also has a purpose in that it includes specifically all living human beings on board, whether crew or passenger. “Souls” refers to “souls on board,” which is abbreviated in communications to “S.O.B’s,” so a communications tower query typically asks for “Quantity of S.O.B.’s and remaining fuel.” The opportunity for sport is all too obvious.
- The life jacket issue. It was hard to imagine why passengers had so much trouble figuring out how to use the life jackets—not knowing which hole was for the head and which for the arms. The middle picture (the book cover illustration) helps us understand.