Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dead Wake is the story of the last voyage of the Lusitania in May 1915. It is a story that in some aspects is well known, at least for those who know something about the First World War, but there is a lot more to the story. The author has crafted a compelling narrative about the Lusitania and U-20 and their meeting off of Kinsale Head.

The book is about more than the passenger liner and the submarine that attacked it: we also learn about the impact of the war on society, especially in the United States, which was still neutral. President Wilson figures prominently in the narrative, as does Winston Churchill. And we learn about the passengers and crew of the Lusitania ,and the officers and men of U-20. And we also learn about the Royal Navy’s intelligence operation “Room 40” which was able to decrypt German signals, and tracked U-20 on its way to meet the Lusitania.

It is a very well-written book and it is difficult to put down once you’ve started. I knew a bit about the Lusitania before I read this book, but there were still many things that surprised me. One of the biggest surprises to me was how quickly the Lusitania sank after the torpedo struck it: less than 20 minutes.