Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

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

An engrossing and detailed account of a true tragedy of warfare, and one that had far-reaching influence on America being pulled into the First World War. The pervading feeling I have reading this book is sadness at both the unnecessary loss of innocent lives, especially those of so many children. The feeling of sadness is followed closely by anger at those responsible for those deaths.

First, you have Germany and its decision to stop caring about civilian deaths. They gave permission to their U boats to destroy ships at will, regardless of whether they were being used for military purposes or were transporting passengers. Specially, U20 captain Schwieger, despite having the reputation of a nice, affable person to her fellow sailors, showed no compassion or remorse in killing innocent men, women, and children. You know what happens when you explode and sink boats? People die. I don't care if his "fiancée" says he came back a changed man, full of despair at how the Lusitania was destroyed, I don't believe it. Actions speak louder than words, and he went on with his role, continuing to sink boats indiscriminately, both British and neutral, both cargo and passenger. I wish no man death, but their is justice in the way he died, exploded in a mine field.

Second, I would agree that there seems to be some conspiracy between Room 40 and Winston Churchill in both deciding not to protect and advise the Lusitania, and then in their insistence that Captain Turner was at fault. Not only did they not send out any ships to help protect the Lusitania (while they sent ships to protect their strongest, safest ship??), but they withheld information that would have kept the Lusitania safer - they could have rerouted them to the newly opened, safer northern route, they could have told them exactly what ships and where had been sunk. They could have sent faster boats to try to save those in the water, but they didn't want to risk their boats, and many ended up dying of hypothermia, especially small and vulnerable children.

I've always had a vaguely positive impression of Winston Churchill, and that is now shattered. That he would know all the facts and still try to blame Turner until the very end is unconscionable and cowardly. People can make mistakes, but they have to admit to them before they can be truly forgiven.  If you're still wondering what the purpose would be in deliberately allowing the Lusitania to be sunk, it's that America had to be drawn into the war on the side of the British, or Germany would have won. They admitted it themselves in 1917 after the Americans joined the war effort.

As for the book itself, I loved the glimpses into the lives of the passengers on board the Lusitania. Larson was able to build such a vivid picture of those aboard that they truly came to life in front of our eyes, which made the loss of so many of them even more heartbreaking. Children wrenched from their parents, husbands from their wives, friends lost from one another forever - every loss was truly felt, every soul truly missed. Even those that survived did not do so unscathed.

In the end, the sinking of the Lusitania was perhaps a bigger tragedy than that of the Titanic. The Titanic was lost due to unfortunate coincidence, negligence in design and foresight, and the cruelty of nature. Much coincidence and bad luck led to the destruction of the Lusitania, but it was ultimately the cutthroat decisions of men that caused the deaths of so many, and helped lead the way to a new era of warfare where there is no mercy, and not even children are safe. And that is a sad day.

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