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Dead Wake

‘Dead Wake’ is a critically acclaimed non-fiction novel authored by Erik Larson, an American writer. The story is about Lusitania, an American ship bound for Liverpool. Unknown to those on board, the voyage would be the last that the ship would ever make. Believed to be greater than even the Titanic, everyone thought that the Lusitania was indestructible. The British had gotten word of a possible attack on the ship but ignored it. The events in the book revolve around the First World War during which Germany and Britain fought each other. The attack on the Lusitania was carried out by a German submarine to offend the British. The United States had long declined to be a British ally in the war, but after the ship sunk, the United States joined the First World War in 1917. The main idea of the book is to examine different characters of the people on board, as well as the position of Germany, Britain and the United States of America in the First World War.

When Lusitania left New York, there were many notable personalities aboard. Some of them include the billionaire businessman Alfred Vanderbilt, a famous bookseller named Charles Lauriat and also one of the first female architects of the time (Larson). Other characters explored in the novel are two brothers, Cliff and Leslie Morton who held the position of deckhands. The ship also had a significant number of women and children on it, more than any other ship before the Lusitania. The ship had five stories, further adding to the belief that it was indestructible. No one could destroy such a humongous structure. William Thomas Turner commanded the ship as its captain.

On board the Lusitania, people laughed, ate drank and made merry. They were excited to be on the ship and were assured of a safe journey. Smoking and drinking were particular pastimes enjoyed by the passengers. The ship was supposed to be a passenger ship, but there were claims that it ferried arms as well. Britain and Germany had declared war on each other’s vessels, but this was taken to mean only military ships. Those traveling on the Lusitania felt they had little to worry about concerning the war between Germany and Britain. Before this, the British sought to enlist the help of the United States in the war, but this was met with a lot of reluctance by President Woodrow of the United States. On the first of May 1915, the New York Times carried a post warning of a possible attack on the Lusitania because the Germans might ambush non-military ships (Larson). No one paid any heed to this, and the boat set off as planned. This oversight is what contributed to the sinking of the Lusitania by the Germans.

A German submarine shot at the Lusitania, sinking it. The U-20 submarine was under the command of a thirty-two-year-old captain, Walther Schweiger. The novel describes their submarine as stuffy and tiny, they shared a small toilet, and stale air pervaded the space (Larson). The reader is tempted to think that the captain and his men that sank the Lusitania were a group of monstrous and unfeeling human beings that caused the deaths of hundreds of people. It is also hard not to empathize with the men stuck in the tiny sub for a long time, unable to breathe fresh air and sharing one toilet. Larson shocks the reader by giving a contrasting description of Captain Walther. He loved dogs, man’s favorite pet, lending him an endearing quality. He only attacked because his position demanded that he lead his men to fulfill their duty to their country.

Erik Larson depended mostly on primary sources as he pieced together the events of the sinking of the Lusitania. One example of the primary sources is a letter from one of the survivors of the tragedy, Dwight Harris. Harris wrote to his mother telling her of what happened in the ship in several letters. It is probably the most comprehensive account since he was a first-hand witness to everything that happened. There were other survivors who also gave their accounts enabling the author to cross-check facts and make sure that the novel gave an accurate picture of the occurrences before, during and after the attack on the Lusitania. In addition to the first-hand accounts, Larson also visited the University of Liverpool where he accessed photographs taken after the tragic sinking of the ship (Larson). From the pictures of dead bodies, he got an idea of the magnitude of loss and death that accompanied the attack.

The author of ‘Dead Wake’ succeeds in convincing the readers of his arguments. The description of the atmosphere in the ship gives the reader a feel of the confidence that passengers had in the invincibility of the ship. The sinking itself is also described vividly and reading the book; one feels that they were right there to witness the event. Readers also get to see the viewpoint of the German officers who launched the attack on the ship. President Woodrow’s affair with Edith allows readers to see his humanity after the loss of his wife. These are some of the strengths of the book; readers can relate to many things. The use of primary sources strengthens the author’s credibility because he did not just make up a story but did research before writing. The book also informs on the events that led to the United States to join the way, mostly because of the attack on the Lusitania.

Works Cited

Larson, Erik. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. Broadway Books, 2015.