Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson - Paperback WWI Naval History - Gripping True Story of the 1915 Lusitania Disaster

Condition: BRAND NEW Format: Paperback ISBN: 9780552779340 Publisher: Black Swan (Transworld Publishers) Age Range: Adult (18+) Overview: Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania is Erik Larson's masterful, meticulously researched account of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania in May 1915. Blending narrative suspense with rigorous historical detail, Larson follows the doomed liner from her glamorous New York departure to her final, fateful minutes off the Irish coast. Perfect for readers of narrative non-fiction, WWI history, and maritime disaster, this paperback edition delivers a story that reads with the pace and tension of a thriller while remaining scrupulously true to the historical record. About the Book: On 1 May 1915, the Lusitania set sail from New York bound for Liverpool, carrying nearly 2,000 passengers into waters Germany had declared a war zone. Erik Larson weaves together multiple threads: the ship's captain, William Thomas Turner, confident in the old rules of naval warfare; the commander of German submarine U-20, Walther Schwieger, hunting beneath the waves; the codebreakers of Room 40 in the British Admiralty, guarding secrets that might have changed everything; and President Woodrow Wilson, distracted by a new romance as war loomed. Larson's hallmark intercutting of these perspectives builds slow, inexorable tension, transforming a well-known tragedy into an urgent, page-turning drama. Readers meet ordinary passengers - families, honeymooners, children - whose fates hung on decisions made far above their heads. The book explores hubris, missed warnings, and the fog of weather and war, culminating in the eighteen minutes that helped draw America into the First World War. Grounded in extensive archival research, Dead Wake offers both a gripping read and genuine historical education, a favourite of book clubs and history enthusiasts alike. Key Benefits: A thrillingly told, meticulously researched account of one of the defining maritime tragedies o