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

Erik Larson has done it again. After real-life thrillers like Thunderstruck and  The Devil in the White City, he has created another work of non-fiction that reads like historical fiction. In his latest, Dead Wake, he tells the story of the last crossing of the luxury ocean liner, the Lusitania. Believed to be impervious to the German U-boats that trolled the waters of the North Atlantic in the Spring of 1915, the Lusitania and its passengers proudly set sail on its fateful journey from New York to Liverpool. Unaware or just oblivious to the dangers that awaited them, the passengers all seemed to be in festive moods and happy to be on board the great transatlantic "greyhound," the fastest liner in service during that era. In addition to providing the reader with historical details about World War I and the events surrounding it, Larson's ability to breathe life into a cast of characters gives the reader a chance to see them as real people not just figures in a history book. Not just a story about the tragedy of the Lusitania, we also
get an inside look at what the world was like at the height of the Progressive Era. If you love history, if you love a story with great characters, if you love a compelling story that will have you on the edge of your seat, this book is for you.

Reviewed by Kathy

4 Libbies = Run, don't walk, to the library to check out this book!