Larson writes history that reads like fiction

But it's not fiction. I wasn't sure I'd be interested in the Lusitania, but but I enjoyed Larson's other books so much, I thought "he might be able to do this one". I wasn't disappointed. From the logs of the U boat captain, British naval and government records, and diaries and statements of passengers, Larson weaves a narrative that reads as easily as good fiction. I put him in the category of Doris Kearns Goodman and Laura Hillenbrand.

21 people found this helpful

Larson excellent, blends big themes with humanity

Larson is in fine form, weaving together the small details of the passengers and crew of the Lusitania, a history of the ship, an overview of international relations, a truncated bit of biography of President Wilson during WWI before the US entered the Great War, a peak into Great Britain's Room 40 as it secretly read Germany's encrypted messages, and an exploration of the captain of submarine U-20 on the patrol that would bring it into a fateful meeting with the Lusitania. Where the fate of the ship is so widely known, Larson must work hard to build the suspense. He does this ably by making sure the reader is introduced to enough individuals to make their journey across the Atlantic fraught, as you begin to wonder who will and won't survive, and start picturing the agony that passengers and crew would feel if separated from siblings, lovers, spouses, friends, or children.

As Larson puts together the larger picture and sets the scene, we range from German U-boat captains, to a widowed Woodrow Wilson, to a pugnacious Winston Churchill, to a ship's crew lacking extensive experience. He lets us in on the reasons for various passengers' trips, describes the treasures they brought with them, and what they hoped for out of the Atlantic crossing. Interspersed with the intensely human details are lovingly rendered descriptions of the ship, and worrying revelations about the German's intentions toward Atlantic shipping and the uneven protection offered by the British Admiralty in response. The reader gets a very focused examination of a small part of World War I, seeing how warfare was beginning to change, how targets that were not wholly military were being stalked and that civilians were quickly becoming casualties.

With disaster looming, the reader knows that the Lusitania is speeding toward Britain but that its final destination will not be a dock but a sinking. At least 80% of the book covers the lead up to that disaster. And when the torpedoes strike, the reader is likewise struck with how luck (good for the U-boat, bad for the Lusitania) plays such a role in the event. Larson's description of the 18 minutes between torpedo strike and ultimate sinking are gripping, harrowing, and somber. He recounts impossible decisions: do you first rescue your sleeping child one deck below or your playing toddler one deck above; do you take the step off of the rail even though you can't swim; is there time to retrieve a life vest; should you search the ship for loved ones or get onto a lifeboat; do you lift one more floating person into a raft and risk capsizing it? Through use of interviews and written accounts by survivors, as well as diaries from passengers, Larson has masterfully recounted events (and personalities) leading up to the event, the reality of the sinking ship and struggle for life itself, and the aftermath.

And that aftermath manages to be troubling, confusing, mournful, and hopeful at once. Most troubling was the British Admiralty's immediate decision to try to blame the entire event on Captain Turner (the man in charge of the Lusitania), despite the fact that the Admiralty itself ignored some clear warnings and did not provide basic escorts for the Lusitania's protection. Suggested reasons abound, ranging from conspiracies to try to force America's hand and make them join the war to too jealously protecting intelligence to mere ineptitude. For the passengers themselves, after the sinking it meant waiting for rescue in cold water (some dying of hypothermia), finding out that companions had died, having to identify bodies. And for relatives of the passengers, there was a long wait to get word, and rife confusion where some where told their loved ones had died when they were in fact alive, or worse, that they were alive when they were actually dead. But for all the despair, there were fortunate reunions, husbands and wives, and two brothers in the crew. And of course bittersweet moments where some, but not all, of a family survived, or one person surviving where a companion perished. Despite the tragedy and some British strategists' beliefs that the 100+ deaths of American citizens would drive the country out of its isolationism, it would be years yet before America entered the war. Regardless, the sinking of the Lusitania was bellwether of changing norms and, when America finally did get off the fence, still something that struck the heart of the nation.

17 people found this helpful

Naivety VS Barbarians Of War

This amazing book offers a 360 degree birds-eye view of the history of these WWI events from multiple perspectives. A harrowing, engaging and throughly shocking story that kept me hanging on each word. I think Brick did a great job with the narration.

The book skillfully blends the cold dispassionate stories of U-boat attacks and the use of chemical weapons contrasted with the blind trust of the passengers of the Lusitania traveling into a war zone and the manipulative nature of the Admiralty and Room 40 trying to draw America into the war. A full picture is painted and a deeper understanding of life in the WWI years is made deftly available to the reader.

Recommended to history lovers who enjoy blow by blow accounts that place a human face on distant events. Truly a story of senseless murder on the high seas. Many questions are left unanswered in this retelling of negligence vs conspiracy theory incident vs random coincidence. Be forewarned not for the faint of heart. Wow.

67 people found this helpful

Overlooked story that gets its due

The Lusitania disaster often gets overlooked because Titanic was so grand. And the story has been forever imprinted in the public's mind because of the movie. But the sinking of the Lusitania, caused by a German U-boat torpedo, was absolutely incomprehensible. The warnings that it could happen, and then it actually happening is just so hard to fathom. Erik Larson once again captures a real life story and makes it as compelling as any work of fiction. And because it's true, he doesn't have to use any tired plot ploys. Scott Brick is as solid a narrator as ever. He never is anything less than the best. A wonderful, all around work, with the most amazing attention to detail.

6 people found this helpful

U-Boats. Sinister. Fascinating

I am a 33 year old male without formal education. I adore history books if the story holds my attention, but I'm usually a fiction reader. Dead Wake got me off good!!!!

19 people found this helpful

Another fascinating non-fiction story from Larson

Not as good as Devil in the White City, but also very good.....a fascinating look at WW I on the seas, with U-boats plying the seas around the UK and making it difficult for allied ships. Well written as well as interesting, Larson writes a very readable style.

11 people found this helpful

What a Ride!

Erik Larson has done it again. I knew that the sinking of the Lusitania was one of the causes for America's entrance into WWI, but was never curious enough to find out more details. With Larson’s fascinating reenactment of all the facts, he was able to show how so many people had a unique part of the history of the tragedy of the Lusitania. Larson’s facts and anecdotes about President Wilson, Churchill, the German U20 pilot, the Lusitania capain and so many of the passengers and crew made for a full history of events. He also gave me a clear view of life in 1915.

Larson has done this brilliant re-telling before with his many history books of which “The Devil in the White City” is my favorite. If you have any interest in history, be sure to get this audiobook. I enjoyed it immensely.

47 people found this helpful

Enjoyable but needs editing

Where does Dead Wake rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love Erik Larson's books and enjoyed this one too. He's very good at giving a 360 view of an event. That said, this one could have benefited from some editing. For example, we didn't need the details of Wilson's love life to know that he wasn't interested in going to war....because no one in the US was interested in participating in that war.

If you’ve listened to books by Erik Larson before, how does this one compare?

Devil in the White City is still my favorite and Isaac's Storm was better than this one too. Scott Brick's narration was a bit over dramatic.

12 people found this helpful

The Mysterious Room 40

Any additional comments?

On May 7 1915, the giant 800ft British streamship, under command of the ever-stoic Captain William Turner, steamed along just 11 miles off the coast of Ireland on its way to Liverpool, England carrying 1,962 passengers and crew. Waiting several hundred yards away, just under the surface, lay the German submarine U-20 under the command of one Walter Schwieger, the Lusitania in his sights. One torpedo, two explosions, and 18 minutes later, the Lusitania - briefly the largest passenger liner of its time - would capsize in 300 feet of water amid scores of dead and dying passengers struggling for lifeboats. In all, 1200 men, women, and children - passengers and crew - would lose their lives. It was a tragic event - a move by the Germans so brash that it set American opinion decidedly against Germany prior to our involvement in WWI. All of these facts and events are known and well documented. In Dead Wake, the author gives the facts life.

Erik Larson gives the listener a glimpse into the lives of some of the souls onboard the Lusitania and hints at the seemingly millions of random events that could have changed the outcome, small and large. A smaller part of this discussion is why, with the knowledge of German submarine positions that it had, did the British do nothing to prevent the tragedy when in fact they had the ability to do so.

This was my first Erik Larson novel and it won't be my last. I highly recommend this book.

7 people found this helpful

Masterpiece

Erik Larson gives a whole new meaning and excitement to the term "non-fiction". He and Scott Brick are a dynamic duo. I have learned so much history and have been spellbound by Larson's writing. School students would be a whole lot more enamored by important segments of history if Larson was required reading...in history, as well as literature classes!
I am a fairly well educated person, but "the Lusitania" never took on the true relevance of it's impact on history, for me, until now. Audible readers do yourselves an injustice if you pass this by!!

11 people found this helpful