Dead Wake

I just finished listening to Dead Wake written by Erik Larson and narrated by the very expressive voice of Scott Brick.

Larson once again has put together an incredibly well researched, fascinating history lesson.  His books catch the reader in their grasp and like a gripping story of fiction don't release you until the very end.  Even though you may know how the story is going to end, you are learning new in depth facts along that way that keep you riveted to the story.  Also Brick who has narrated other Larson books, has a smooth, quiet, yet commanding voice that is pleasant to listen to and adds to the reader's connection to the tale being revealed.

Larson presents the sinking of the R.M.S. Lusitania in precise detail.  He has collected incredibly exhaustive amounts of information about many of the passengers who traveled on that fateful crossing.  He also has done a extremely thorough job of gathering the information about the ocean liner, Lusitania and its parent company, Cunard.  Of course, Larson has also has compiled a comprehensive amount of data about the German submarine, U -20, whose captain Walther Schwieger,  called the command to torpedo the 787 foot ship as it was underway from New York to Liverpool, on May 7, 1915.

It is amazing the number of coincidences that seem to have occurred.  The happenstance that so many pieces fell into place to put the Lusitania in the direct path of the U-20 at the precise moment and time.  Larson points out how if the ship had left at a different time, or had been traveling with all four of its smoke stacks firing, instead of trying to save power and only using three stacks, which slowed the ship down, or if it had taken a slightly altered route, the two boats, the submarine captained by Schwieger and the Lusitania with William Thomas Turner at the helm would never have been in the same waters at the same time.

Larson describes in great detail about a number of the passengers as they board the ship in New York City.  He follows their experiences, interactions through their correspondences while on the ship.  He learns many minute details about the passengers and also follows them as the ship is sinking and then afterwards.  Who escapes and lives, who dies.  Out of a guest list of almost 2,000 people, 764 people were rescued and about 1, 195 perished.

The hardest part of this book to read is that in so many ways the tragedy could have been averted or at least after the torpedo had hit its target fewer people could have died.  There are many lessons learned from the sinking of this fabulous superliner and other ships sunk which led up to the United States entering World War One.  Reading about the British Admiralty and the knowledge they had but did not follow through with.  The story of Woodrow Wilson, recently having lost his wife and being depressed.  Wilson busy meeting and wooing Edith Galt with rides in his favorite car the 1919
Pierce- Arrow.

Larson  constructs a wonderful depiction of building suspense as the Lusitania steams toward its inevitable doom.