Nonfiction Navigators discussion

Everyone knows of the sinking of the Titanic back in 1912, when the ship hit an iceberg and met its untimely end while traveling from Southampton to New York. Many people do not know, however, that three years after the sinking of the Titanic, a similar ship set sail from Manhattan and never reached its destination in Liverpool. Erik Larson’s new novel, Dead Wake, reflects on the tragedy of the Lusitania and how the ship found itself treading hazardous waters across the Atlantic.

In May of 1915, the United States was a neutral nation, with World War I unfolding all around the world. The Germans devised submarine tactics to target the British, and the British hacked communication lines to intercept the Germans. Within the chaos of war, passenger vessels and cargo freights had a rough time reaching their destinations. If a submarine recognized the ship of an opposing country it would torpedo the hull and sink the ship.

The Lusitania never dreamt of meeting this fate. Dubbed the “Greyhound of the Seas,” its captain believed the vessel could outsail any threat with its speed of 25 knots, and doubted that the Germans would attempt to target any ship carrying American passengers. The odds seemed to side with the safety of the Lusitania, until one commander made a war-wrenching decision.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved how Larson offered so much background on World War I leading up to the sinking of the Lusitania as well as his entertaining stories of passengers on board the ship. His maps were amazing as well. They saved me many Google searches and were a great visual aid to have while reading.

Larson, Erik. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. New York: Crown, 2015. Print.