Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
Erik Larson, 2015
448 pp.

Book Review by Molly Lundquist
April, 2015
Following his penchant for writing about grand historical events—while placing two contrasting worlds side-by-side—Erik Larson, takes on the sinking of the Lusitania. The ship's torpedoing by a German u-boat stunned the world and culminated, eventually, in America's entry into World War I.

In the hands of a skilled writer like Larson, the Lusitaia's demise becomes an epic event. His ability to conjure up the majestic ocean liner, its glorious interior, and the large personalities of its staff and passengers draws attention to the enormity of the loss.

In alternating chapters, Larson also takes us into the bowels of the German submarine in all its claustrophobic glory—the odors of unbathed men, unflushed toilets, diesel fuel, and mold, always mold. The two worlds—of the spacious liner and the cramped u-boat—couldn't be farther apart, except that time is drawing near when they will meet, resulting in a devastating blow to one.

As in much of life, insignificant moments can end up with dire consequences—what we now refer to as "the butterfly effect." Larson pulls all the little threads together for us at the end: those minor occurrences, which we thought nothing of as we read, placed the ship squarely in the crossbeams of the German submarine at precisely the wrong moment.

If there's a hero in the story, it would be the captain of the Lusitania, who operated with consummate skill and patience. The villain, however, is an unexpected figure. He is not the u-boat captain Walther Schwieger, strangely enough. The villain comes from within the British Admiralty and will end up leading his country through another world war 25 years later: Winston Churchill. I will not spoil for you his role in all of this, but based on extensive research, Larson attributes actions (and motives) to Churchill that seem troubling. Read for yourself and decide.

As with all good histories, Larson places Dead Wake in the context of the larger society: both British war time and American pre-war time. Even more, while we well know the outcome—yeah, the Lusitania goes down; no spoilers there—Larson manages to create a gripping suspense story, one more terrific work to add to his writerly stack!

See our Reading Guide for Dead Wake.