#1 New York Times BestsellerFrom the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the LusitaniaOn May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly … The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era’s great transatlantic “Greyhounds”—the fastest liner then in service—and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack.
Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger’s U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small—hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more—all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history.
It is a story that many of us think we know but don’t, and Erik Larson tells it thrillingly, switching between hunter and hunted while painting a larger portrait of America at the height of the Progressive Era. Full of glamour and suspense, Dead Wake brings to life a cast of evocative characters, from famed Boston bookseller Charles Lauriat to pioneering female architect Theodate Pope to President Woodrow Wilson, a man lost to grief, dreading the widening war but also captivated by the prospect of new love.
Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster whose intimate details and true meaning have long been obscured by history.
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The story tracks the real history of the sinking of a passenger ship crossing while the German Uboats were patrolling the seas around Great Britain. Heart wrenching as the Allies and Germans pugnaciously held their positions leading to the disastrous sinking of the Lusitania. Author Larson steeps the book in introductions of various passengers, …
I love how Mr. Larson is able to weave the story into the actual events of the sinking of the Lusitania.
This an excellent read! Great investigation of actual event – brings characters to life. Reads like a novel.
A well written book about the sinking of The Lusitania and surrounding facts about the event and World War I. I enjoyed the historical context and the writing.
I love all of his books. He makes history come alive.
Fifth book I’ve read by Larson, and it’s as superb as all the others. Don’t know how he does it. This is a deep dive into the history of the Lusitania disaster, far beyond the one paragraph it usually warrants in history books. I learned a lot about WWI submarines. Why anybody would have wanted to serve in one is beyond comprehension. Also learned …
Probably my favorite Larson book. Dead Wake is told from two perspectives: those on the Lusitania and its protagonists, and those of the U-board captain and crew. The book jumps back and forth to create a seeming real-time portrayal of events. The story of the U-boat captain and crew is particularly compelling. Larson’s books are always …
Exceptionally well-researched. But segments of this book are downright dull. Which was hard for me to fathom as I waded through.
Let me explain that I am a fan of Erik Larson and loved both the Devil in the White City and In the Garden of Beasts. And I am extremely interested in both World War I and the story of the sinking of the Lusitania. So …
What can you say about a ocean liner what was torpedo by the Germans in WW1? I liked the writing style. Not too technical,. wrapped up the characters when possible at the end of the book . Was a page turner for me as I enjoy historical novels. A good read, nothing boring about it. I would reccomend this for a book club suggestion
larsen always crafts a compelling tale.
Love everything Erik Larsen has ever written.
The U-boat journal stalking ships, and the people on the boat in peril, it was fascinating.
Most informative !
Fantastic book of the German U-boat situation in its early days, Atlantic crossing issues by passenger and merchant vessels, and seafaring dangers around Ireland and Great Britain during early war years. Very well written to keep the reader’s attention!
I recently reviewed “the Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson. I found it compelling and certainly exhaustively researched and enjoyed it very much. However, I preferred “Dead Wake.” I have always been drawn to the lives of ordinary people much more than to those of the powerful and well-connected, and although there are many of the latter in …
Well written. If you enjoy history, especially WW II history, this book is for you.
Like most people, I had plenty of misconceptions about the Lusitania. Did you know that the United States didn’t enter the war until two years after its sinking? That doesn’t make the disaster any less of a contributing factor; it’s just that the “knee jerk” reaction did not take place—probably to the disappointment of the “powers that be” who may …
Eric Larson makes history entertaining
Like most of Larsson’s books, Dead Wake is very interesting and readable. Great history
Erik Larson has never disappointed me. He’s hit another one out of the park. His books leave me entertained and more knowledgeable about history than I did before I began reading. In “Dead Wake” Larson explores the last voyage of the Lusitania, the largest and most luxurious British passenger liner of the day. The voyage begins in the first week …