Dead Wake: The last Crossing of the Lusitania or Dead Wake: Germany's Agggressive Submarine Program During World War I

Erik Larson is one of the masters of narrative non-fiction, and he again proves it in Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. The book is about the fatal last crossing of the Lusitania the largest passenger steamship of its time, and its sinking off the coast of Ireland. It gives us a look into the wealthy class that could afford a luxury cruise during war time. Tells us stories of the passengers,  some famous and some not, and lets us sail on the Lusitania with them without the seasickness. The most interesting story being told is the German submarine campaign of the first world war and of  the captain of Unterseeboot-20 that sunk the Lusitania, Captain Walther Schweiger. Captain Schweiger, as were the captains of the U-boat fleet, was directed to sink as much tonnage as possible, whether military or civilian. Civilian lives were of no consequence. The previous restrictions of warfare that protected civilian ships no longer applied to the war zone that Germany placed around Great Britain, Germany was intent on sinking any vessel that was not German. Tracking Captain Schweiger was a clandestine British intelligence unit, Room 40, a group that came into possession of the German code book, and monitored radio transmissions of U-20 and those U-boats within range. Room 40 had been tracking Schweiger's U-20 and knew when it entered the waters off the coast of Ireland, and knew the Lusitania would be sailing through the same channel and would be in jeopardy of attack. America was not involved in the War at this time and to attack a passenger steamship that was on route from American to London that carried many American citizens, many of which were children and babies, was thought to be an invitation to join the war. Perhaps British intelligence were hoping such an attack would persuade President Woodrow Wilson to declare war, or perhaps it was an egregious oversight, but the Lusitania's Captain Turner was never notified of an enemy submarine in its path nor was he given directions on evading such an attack. This story is a sad tale, one that could have been avoided but for the lack of the flow of information and oversight. The information was there, the jeopardy of attack was known, but the Lusitania was sunk and lives were lost, many lives were lost. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania was an intriguing read, one I recommend.