Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

Ever find yourself looking through binoculars and needing to adjust them just slightly to bring things into focus?The impact of the 1915 torpedoing of the state-of-the-art passenger steamship, Lusitania, gets an engrossing fresh examination in Erik Larson's 2015 book, "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania," in both personal and political sketches. And for this recounting the dead wake stretches back one hundred years behind the ill-fated liner and its 1,959 passengers, of which 764 survived.It is the outset of the Great War still in its early stages but now apparent to be a struggle that will endure much longer than any expected. The expectations at the outset, particularly among the Germans confident in the Schlieffen Plan, were the war would be over in a matter of weeks (see my February 14, 2014 Amazon book reviews, “Revisiting The War to End War on it Centennial,” for AJP Taylor’s “War By Timetable” and Paul Ham’s “1913: The Eve of War”).However, the resistance of the Triple Entente (Britain, France, Russia) to the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy) is greater than planned for and heading to mutually debilitating trench warfare on the land front.The importance of the seas as a battleground, both physically and psychologically, is ramping up for both sides as Germany seeks to bring Great Britain into submission by cutting off its supplies and demonstrating a new power "rules the waves."Revamped and reengineered, the submarine has emerged as the weapon for a speedy victory among German military leadership. Their prevailing view is that all shipping, military and merchant, combatant or neutral, must be destroyed to accomplish this end. Kaiser Wilhelm gives his reluctant approval. Seemingly within weeks, the submarine is making good on its threat.Into this battle zone steams the Cunard Lines’ Lusitania designed with improved internal construction, better passenger safety precautions and better communication systems than the 1912 ill fated Titanic as well as the power to outrun any submarine threat. Or so it seems and is believed right up to shortly after 2PM GMT on May 7th under a lovely blue sky off the coast of Ireland.Using detailed research and verified sources, Larson credibly builds his story and its timeline through shifting perspectives among various passengers, especially the Americans; the steamship captain (William Turner) and staff; the U-boat commander (Walter Schweiger); the British Admiralty, particularly the secretive and self-protecting Room 40 staff who had cracked the German message ciphers but did not want to show their hand; the American president, Woodrow Wilson, maintaining a neutrality stance but distracted by events in his personal life.As the tale unfolds, it is becomes clear that the outcome could have been altered multiple times by simple, almost mindless decisions: by-passing a delay in exiting farewell visitors in New York; cruising at maximum speed rather than economizing on fuel by running at three-quarters power; releasing protective British naval ships for escort once off the coast of Ireland; a fatal evasive maneuver by the Lusitania that unknowingly brought the ship toward the German U-boat.The author alludes to more sinister motives possibly at work: the Brits, specifically Churchill, may have ignored the threat to the Lusitania hoping that a provocation might spur the Americans into the war on their side (not unlike the events and secret alliances leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor). It certainly raises questions about Churchill's tactics, possibly unnecessary, to win at all costs despite being a great public figure and orator.Set against these larger issues are the heroics, determination and patience of the passengers themselves. These sketches are entertaining though more about the first and second-class passenger survivors for whom there were sufficient resources to weave stories. And due to the nature of the source materials the shock and panic of the passengers seems muted compare to Joseph Conrad's autobiographical narratives of crews on floundering ships depicted in his "Typhoon" and other stories published just prior to the Lusitania episode. As a result, the profiles do not seem quite as engaging as the more focused character development of Larson's "The Devil in the White City" and "Thunderstruck."Despite being an act of war or terror and loss of life, similar to Pearl Harbor or the World Trade Center, the sinking of the Lusitania still seems remarkably removed from engaging an American response - at least for two more years and, by that time, for many more reasons. Perhaps because the event was outside the physical United States, the broader public, the competitive media coverage of Hearst and Pulitzer?I think you will find "Dead Wake" an entertaining and thought-provoking read.

“Travellers intending to embark on the Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany . . . and Great Britain . . . and that travellers sailing in the war zone on ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk.”The notice that ran in U.S. newspapers on May 1, 1915, ten months after the outbreak of World War I and three months after Germany declared a submarine blockade of the British Isles, was insufficient to prevent RMS Lusitania, the largest of the Cunard line, sailing from New York to Liverpool. Instead of remaining safely in New York Harbor, the ill-fated Lusitania departed for the North Atlantic and entered the waters off the southern coast of Ireland, a veritable killing field for German unrestricted submarine warfare. U-boats operating catlike in British shipping lanes merely waited to pounce.Unterseeboot (undersea boat) U-20, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger, lurks as predator to Lusitania’s prey in Erik Larson’s epic disaster story. The author brilliantly captures the reader’s attention by depicting what the U-20's crew experiences as it realizes it is about to become a willing participant in sinking the largest British commercial vessel (nearly 45,000 tons) to this point in the war. Additionally, readers experience what the Lusitania's unwitting passengers experience on the receiving end of one of U-20’s torpedoes. The damage resulting from a direct hit is staggering. Lusitania sinks in 18 minutes, losing 1,198 passengers (including 128 Americans) and crew.“Dead Wake” is a masterpiece of historical nonfiction and offers an exciting and highly suspenseful read. Larson’s gift is in animating a major historical incident by bringing the most significant actors and lesser players to life and then infusing their story with little-known detail. What makes “Dead Wake” so enjoyable is Larson’s vivid portrayal of life onboard the luxurious Lusitania prior to the attack and, in contrast, the tightly packed, confined living conditions of a German U-boat as the crew awaits confirmation of the 'kill.' As an example, there is this passage:“Linking all this apparatus was an array of pipes and cables as densely packed as the tendons in a human leg. ‘More dials and gauges than one might ordinarily see in a lifetime, one crewmember said.’”Larson also quite ably develops the primary characters in the story, including Captain William Thomas Turner, Lusitania's wise and experienced, if not convivial, captain. For instance, the author portrays Turner as aloof, preferring to retire to his private quarters and a book to socializing with the ship's passengers. Similarly, Larson provides Schwieger, the U-20 commander, with a personality, depth, and motivation for his workmanlike efficiency in torpedoing freighters and ocean liners alike.Schwieger’s ruthlessness seemingly knows no bounds. One example: “On February 1, he [Schwieger] fired a torpedo at a large ship painted white and marked with large red crosses, the hospital ship Asturias. He missed. But the attempt was considered a new low in German callousness. Even his superiors seemed surprised.”One may question the morality of the Imperial German Government's targeting of British commercial shipping to interdict the flow of military materiel such as ammunition into the war zone. Yet, it issued repeated warnings to nations disposed to continue such activities. Stunningly, “Dead Wake” reveals how much British Naval Intelligence was aware of U-boats’ plans and operations. The author’s discussion of the impact of ‘Room 40’ and its eagle-eyed but eccentric codebreakers is spellbinding and perhaps best summarized by the following passage:“[Knowing that U-20 was in the North Atlantic and heading south to Liverpool] was like knowing that a particular killer was loose on the streets of London armed with a particular weapon, and certain to strike in a particular neighborhood within the next few days, the only unknown being exactly when.”Equally fascinating, Larson makes much of Lord of the Admiralty Churchill’s comments regarding the need to induce American involvement in the war. By so doing, he implies that senior-ranking members of the British government may have welcomed the attack on Lusitania but stops short of implicating them in Lusitania's demise. It is an objective fact that the British sought to end American neutrality. However, the lengths the government would go to secure American entry into the war remains an open question.Further, while it is also never quite clear in “Dead Wake” how much the British knew of Schwieger’s propensity for indiscriminate predation in 1915, it is abundantly clear that they sought to divert blame for the tragedy to Imperial Germany and Captain Turner. If guilty of anything, Turner underestimated the U-boat threat and, ironically, placed too much trust in the British Royal Navy to safeguard the Lusitania. Despite extensive research and numerous investigations after the incident, no one has established culpability for the ship's destruction beyond that of Imperial Germany. The author leaves it to the reader to draw his own conclusions concerning what could have been done to prevent Lusitania’s sinking.Larson employs an easy-to-read style with careful pacing so “Dead Wake” reads like a suspense thriller. He seemingly beckons the reader to turn the page to discover what will happen next. Remarkably, Larson sheds light on every aspect of the Lusitania disaster – before, during, and after the incident – in a 353-page book. He also deftly captures U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's personality while including the other events and circumstances that precipitated America's entry into the war a full two years after the sinking.Erik Larson scores on every level by following the actions of the unusual personalities appearing throughout the Lusitania story and the impact the ordeal has on their lives. He can make the seemingly mundane interesting and the interesting thoroughly engrossing. By fully elucidating the Lusitania disaster while allowing the reader to ride along like a passenger, “Dead Wake” is an absolute winner!

Me gustó que llegó 2 días antes de la fecha dada, pero la cubierta que trae el libro venía con manchas que no se quitan.

His writing is sharp, captivating and his timing exceptional. You are drawn to facts in an involving manner.

Muy accesible para leer, muy adecuada para unas vacaciones

When the anniversary of the Lusitania came around in 2015, I opted to read, ": Triumph, Tragedy, and the End of the Edwardian Age" by Greg King and Penny Wilson, so it is only now that I have finally got around to this book on the tragedy, by Erik Larson. My initial thoughts are that, if your interest is more in the voyage and passengers, then it would be best to read the King and Wilson book. This is a little more wide ranging, with a large section concentrating on the aftermath and how it affected the then US President, Wilson (although much of his attention seemed to be taken up by personal matters).Although it initially seemed that Lusitania was a ship that had learnt the lessons of Titanic, with passengers assured that there were lifeboats for all, this sinking again shows how size, and speed, were seen as all important in terms of safety. Although the ship had been warned that it would be in danger, when it sailed into the war zone, most passengers accepted the assurances that they could outrun submarines (they obviously didn't) or would be given an escort by the British Navy (they weren't). The Captain swung out lifeboats as the ship neared Ireland, and messages warned of U-boats, but circumstances meant actions taken failed to help when disaster struck. Although some passengers were nervous, again, it was seen as wiser to deny the danger, even after the ship had been hit; meaning passengers were unsure where to go, or what to do, and many were unaware of how to put on life-jackets correctly, meaning they died unnecessarily. This was especially true as the ship sank quickly and there were a large number of families and children aboard.This is a good overview of the disaster, and the aftermath, as well as the political situation during wartime and how the sinking of the Lusitania helped sway public opinion.

NOTE10/10 !Ce fut un véritable coup de coeur, qui m’a passionnée du début à la fin. Je me suis retrouvée plongée dans la période de la Première Guerre Mondiale, que je connaissais pourtant peu, avec grand enthousiasme. J’ai adoré le style de l’auteur, extrêmement intéressant et facile à suivre malgré la complexité des événements.MON AVISSi vous craignez de ne pas tout comprendre au livre car vous n’y connaissez pas vraiment grand chose à la Première Guerre Mondiale, soyez rassurés : tous les faits les plus importants ayant mené au naufrage sont expliqués de façon simple mais suffisante pour s’y retrouver. Je n’ai que des connaissances de base sur cette période (je ne savais même pas pourquoi les États-Unis étaient finalement entrés en guerre…) mais le contexte est très clairement exposé.Le style de l’auteur, quant à lui, est très fluide et parvient à capter les événements de façon à les rendre presque romanesques. J’ai dû me rappeler à plusieurs reprises que je n’étais pas en train de lire un roman, tellement j’étais plongée dans l’histoire. Certains romanciers ont des histoires bien moins prenantes que celle-ci ! Une citation à l’arrière du livre le compare au film Les Dents de la Mer et je dois dire que c’est une comparaison très bien trouvée ! On sait comment les événements vont se terminer (après tout, la couverture est assez parlante), mais le suspens est bien entretenu et monte au fur et à mesure des pages… Il ne manque plus que la petite musique angoissante et le tableau est complet.Les différentes personnes concernées par le naufrage sont, elles, présentées de manière très humaine, même pour les chefs d’état : dans la mesure du possible, l’auteur nous donne une description de leur caractère ainsi que de leur passé et, pour les passagers, des raisons qui ont mené à leur embarquement sur le Lusitania. Il y a beaucoup de noms différents, mais une mini-description y est rattachée à chaque fois que l’on retrouve un protagoniste (par exemple, on nous rappelle régulièrement que Lauriat est le libraire) et, moi qui ai pourtant beaucoup de difficultés à me rappeler des prénoms, je n’ai pas eu de peine à m’y retrouver.NIVEAU DE DIFFICULTÉ DE LECTURE EN VERSION ORIGINALE (ANGLAIS)3,5/5Le livre contient plusieurs termes spécialisés, mais ils sont normalement expliqués pour les plus compliqués. Néanmoins, il y a beaucoup de personnages, de lieux et d’actions différentes, et le récit change souvent de point de vue, ce qui peut être assez déstabilisant quand on ne connaît pas bien la langue.Je ne le conseillerais pas à un débutant mais il n’est pas non plus obligatoire d’avoir un niveau très élevé en anglais, simplement une bonne motivation et réussir à suivre un récit suivant de nombreux protagonistes.