On May 7, 1915, the great ocean liner Lusitania, was sunk by a German U-boat patrolling the waters off the coast of Great Britain. Nearly 1200 passengers died (including 98 children), and the world was outraged at an attack on innocent civilians.
Larson does a terrific job of presenting the history of the ship, her captain and crew, as well as the U-Boat and her captain. It is interesting to note that Cunard was well aware of the dangers, yet those in charge felt The Lusitania could outrun any U-Boat it encountered. I especially appreciated the stories of the passengers. Getting an opportunity to know them and then learning of their harrowing ordeal, made the narrative come alive and could not help but affect the reader.
Also fascinating is Larson’s portrayal of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, and how he chose to grapple with an attack on a British ocean-liner which was obviously carrying American citizens. Wilson chose to delay entering into the European war by nearly two years and was criticized by Winston Churchill who believed the delay only prolonged the war and the loss of lives.
4 stars (out of 5)
Published in 2015
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