REVIEW: Dead Wake The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

Dead Wake
The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
Author: Erik Larson

The RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915 just off the coast of Ireland. The ship sank in less than 20 minutes, killing nearly 1,200 people. Many decried the attack on a passenger ship. But German military leaders said the attack was justified because the ship was carrying munitions for use by the British military. It would be decades before it was proven that Germany was correct....the passenger ship was indeed carrying munitions for use in World War I.

Dead Wake not only tells the story of the sinking and great loss of life, but also about the politics, military decisions and mistakes that led to the ship sailing without escort in a war zone. It also talks about the Lusitania, its history, crew and passengers, and facts about the German Navy, U-Boats and early submarine warfare. Because it opened responding ships up to attack by U-boat, orders had gone out that no vessel was to approach and render aid to any ship that had been damaged by a torpedo. Warnings about imminent submarine attacks against all vessels in the war zone had been issued by Germany prior to the attack. Why then did so many passengers, including many children, board the ship, sailing directly into danger? And why were munitions loaded onto a passenger liner, putting thousands of people at risk? This book gives so many interesting facts about the world situation at the time, shipping and war zone issues and the actual event. Erik Larson presents the whole story in an interesting and informative way. This is non-fiction and not a narrative account, but it kept my attention the entire time. Very interesting and well written!!

I think so many people were willing to board the ship, despite repeated warnings from Germany, because it was assumed a passenger vessel would not be targeted. And, it's also human nature to believe that disasters are things that happen to other people. Until the sinking of the Lusitania, the dangers of the war zone were almost a joke with passengers laughing about the possibility and buying life jackets in New York department stores before setting sail. The fact that the shipping line was willing to carry munitions on a passenger vessel further shows that the danger wasn't being taken seriously. With U-Boats actively attacking merchant ships and military vessels with success, it is astounding to me that the Lusitania was allowed to sail that course into the war zone with no escort, no orders to divert to a safer route or to sail in a zig zag pattern. The whole conglomeration of decisions made by passengers, crew, the shipping line and military brought about this disaster. Germany came right out and said WE ARE GOING TO SINK THIS SHIP...DONT GET ON IT -- and thousands still bought tickets and sailed from New York. Foolish. But even more foolish is the fact that it sailed with munitions in the hold without any escort to protect it. Bad, bad, bad decisions!

The sinking of the Lusitania and the deaths of 128 Americans who were on board did not bring the United States into the war immediately. The US didn't join in the World War until 1916. But, the cry of "Remember the Lusitania'' was used as war propaganda and a rallying cry for US troops. I wonder how it might have changed things if the public had known that the hold of the ship contained war munitions that a neutral passenger vessel was not allowed to carry during wartime? The munitions aboard the ship made it a valid target for U-Boats. Larson offers some insight into why this was done, and some pretty nefarious reasons why the ship was not supplied with a military escort or ordered to sail in a zig zag pattern to help it evade an attack. It could be that the 1,200 people that drowned in the sea that day were collateral damage and a part of a hidden agenda to pull the United States into the conflict in Europe.

I listened to the audiobook version of the book (Penguin Random House Audio Publishing). The audiobook runs just over 13 hours and is narrated by Scott Brick. He reads at a nice even pace and is easily understandable. I have hearing loss but had no problem hearing and understanding him.

I learned a lot of interesting facts that were new to me, such as the fact that Captain Von Trapp (of Sound of Music fame) had been a U-boat captain in WWI. At one point, he ordered the torpedoing of a vessel, causing the deaths of more than 600 people. That incident is the reason why he chose to escape rather than be called up to serve again in WWII.

Great book! Anyone interested in maritime or WWI era history will definitely enjoy this book!