Lusitania: Saga and Myth

by David Ramsay

The saga of the Lusitania is one of the most remarkable in the annals of maritime history. State-of-the-art when she went into service and the first express liner to be equipped with steam turbines, she outclassed all her rivals. She triumphantly restored British supremacy on the North Atlantic passenger routes and became an acknowledged commercial success; she was highly popular with her regular passengers. Her sinking in May 1915 by a German U-boat, with heavy loss of life, was at that time the most savage attack on civilians in the course of war, and was widely denounced in allied and neutral countries. From that day her loss has become encrusted with legends (including conspiracy theories), many of them created by German propaganda. In this new book David Ramsay has unraveled those myths and legends and tells a clear and compelling saga of terrible maritime disaster and clashes among three powerful nations. It is a story of potentates and presidents, ambassadors and ministers of state, bankers, shipping magnates, spies, and, not least, Captain William Turner, who had to defend himself against charges of incompetence and fight for his reputation. Based on detailed research, this new book almost certainly contains the most objective account of the history of the liner and the circumstances surrounding her sinking. The sinking of Lusitania, which took a mere eighteen minutes, led to a loss of life comparable with the Titanic disaster, and the ramifications were felt across Europe and America; this masterly telling of the story will intrigue the general reader as much as it does the historian and enthusiast.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

308 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the 7th May 1915 The Lusitania was sunk off the coast of Ireland by a German U-Boat and it eventually helped to precipitate the entry of America in to the First World War. David Ramsey has written The Lusitania Saga and Myth 100 Years On which is one of the more interesting books that has recently been published on the subject and certainly the most objective.

The Lusitania when Cunard put her in to service in 1907 was one of the most advanced liners on the high seas; she was the first express liner on the Atlantic routes to have steam turbines to generate her power and outclassed all her rivals. She was a success on the New York routes and was very much a commercial success, and also had regular passengers.

When a German U-Boat sunk her on 7th May 1915 there was a very heavy loss of life and was one of the major times there were mass casualties amongst civilians rather than military personnel. After the sinking Captain William Turner had to defend himself from charges of incompetence from all sides and had to fight to defend his previously excellent reputation. The sinking was condemned by the allied countries and neutral alike especially the savagery of the attack.

Since the sinking many myths have grown from it, such as the ship was carrying gold, or that it was carrying German Spies who were about to be arrested. Since that day so many legends and conspiracy theories have grown, some encouraged by the Germans propaganda at the time.

David Ramsey through some excellent research delves in to the history of the ship, the challenges that the Lusitania faced both prior to the war and also during the war, and the political recriminations after its sinking. This is one of the most fascinating studies in to a maritime disaster that really did have world changing consequences, and various myths have grown since.

This really is a well researched, well written account that all those who read it will enjoy, as the writing is engaging and it is well illustrated throughout with maps and pictures. Ramsey also reminds us that The Lusitania took 18 minutes to sink and that 1,198 people lost their lives, or 39% of those on board had survives, compared to the Titanic which took over 2 hours to sink and only 32% survived.

This is an excellently updated book for historian, enthusiast and general reader alike.

[Edward Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for research. Fair warning: this is a very dry and largely colorless volume. And it's for Lusitania die-hards only. It's less about the actual tragedy and more about the surrounding circumstances before and after. So those who are looking for a more personality-driven volume may want to consult other volumes. But the context here has proven very helpful!

[James Gillen · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books on the subject. Informative and fun to read!!

[Velimir Randic · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting theory on the sinking of the Lusitania...