In Dead Wake, Erik Larson takes the reader aboard two historical vessels on a collision course: the R.M.S. Lusitania and U-20, a German submarine. The narrative is told in turns about a group of passengers on the Lusitania, the movements of the German Unterseeboot-20, the operations of British Intelligence, and the US President’s decision making. We meet, among others, Charles Lauriat, a bookseller transporting some original Charles Dickens works to London; Theodate Pope, a pioneering female architect also headed to London; Walther Schweiger, captain of the U-20; Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States; and Captain Turner, the experienced and talented captain of the Lusitania.
No stranger to bringing history to life, Larson has painstakingly recreated life in America, Britain, and Germany in 1915, the second year of the First World War. Germany has declared all the waters around Britain as a war zone and has submarines patrolling all over. Cunard Line, the owners of the Lusitania, disregard a notice from Germany in the newspaper the day before she sets sail warning of potential danger, and incredulousness and a lack of communication from the UK government to the crew of the Lusitania set the tragedy in motion. The nonfiction prose is so well-written and captivating that it feels like reading fiction because, through his extensive research into letters, diaries, newspapers, log books, and interviews, Larson is able to recreate the conversations and thoughts of the people involved. We get to know the characters from the time the ship sets sail until it fatefully crosses paths with the U-boat and its torpedoes, and Larson has us emotionally invested in their fates by the end.
For history fans, this book is a no-brainer, and should be next on your reading list, but readers of fiction will also enjoy the story and Larson’s masterful storytelling. Fans of Erik Larson’s previous books won’t be surprised that he has told another captivating tale so well, and will enjoy reading this just as much. Dead Wake is a perfect example of narrative fiction told at its best.
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