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lindong524's review
informative
medium-paced
Erik Larson is a master storyteller that can bring any historical event described in passing in our history books into gripping, human stories.
On an ocean liner carrying 1,962, as Larson puts it, souls, only 761 survived the torpedo by the infamous German submarine U20. That means 1,201 lives perished. These were civilian lives. To say that war is senseless and dehumanizes human lives is an understatement. That's why Larson's book is all the more perfect and necessary.
In 350 pages, you learn about the people involved in the sinking of this great ocean liner. The political intrigues at play and the scheming leaders from all sides of the war (Allies, Central Powers, and neutral), but more importantly, the people on the liner and the people that torpedoed the liner. Again and again, Larson painstakingly weaves the most minute details together to give his readers, as much as he can, a human profile of Captain Turner, Theodate Pope, Grace French, Charles Lauriat, etc. but also Schwieger, the submarine captain that gave orders to strike Lusitania.
To be certain, Schwieger committed an atrocious act, but I cannot help but wonder, when your commanders turn war into a game where the single individual doing the most harm wins, how fast do humans turn inhuman? Captain Turner's strength and faith in himself after the Lusitania's sinking, while facing blame victims, is admirable but should not be as hard-sought. In reality, the price of 1,962 souls, survivors or otherwise, on Lusitania as well as tens of thousands of more who were lost in the war and then many more who grieved their absence was decided a worthy one by people sitting safely in ivory towers as they ordered more death and destruction.
Loss and grief is in no way unidimensional. There is loss in surviving, loss in uncertain death of a loved one, loss in witnessing a tragedy... Larson paints that remarkably well in the book. An act of evil is a seed of poison planted, it grows, extending its roots as far as it can go. The torpedo left a mark on Lusitania and the hearts of all who had encountered it.
On an ocean liner carrying 1,962, as Larson puts it, souls, only 761 survived the torpedo by the infamous German submarine U20. That means 1,201 lives perished. These were civilian lives. To say that war is senseless and dehumanizes human lives is an understatement. That's why Larson's book is all the more perfect and necessary.
In 350 pages, you learn about the people involved in the sinking of this great ocean liner. The political intrigues at play and the scheming leaders from all sides of the war (Allies, Central Powers, and neutral), but more importantly, the people on the liner and the people that torpedoed the liner. Again and again, Larson painstakingly weaves the most minute details together to give his readers, as much as he can, a human profile of Captain Turner, Theodate Pope, Grace French, Charles Lauriat, etc. but also Schwieger, the submarine captain that gave orders to strike Lusitania.
To be certain, Schwieger committed an atrocious act, but I cannot help but wonder, when your commanders turn war into a game where the single individual doing the most harm wins, how fast do humans turn inhuman? Captain Turner's strength and faith in himself after the Lusitania's sinking, while facing blame victims, is admirable but should not be as hard-sought. In reality, the price of 1,962 souls, survivors or otherwise, on Lusitania as well as tens of thousands of more who were lost in the war and then many more who grieved their absence was decided a worthy one by people sitting safely in ivory towers as they ordered more death and destruction.
Loss and grief is in no way unidimensional. There is loss in surviving, loss in uncertain death of a loved one, loss in witnessing a tragedy... Larson paints that remarkably well in the book. An act of evil is a seed of poison planted, it grows, extending its roots as far as it can go. The torpedo left a mark on Lusitania and the hearts of all who had encountered it.
book_reader_lover's review
informative
medium-paced
4.5
4.5 ⭐
Erik Larson writes well researched books. When I read a book that he has written I know that I am going to get well researched, well written book that will transport me to whatever the year or years the book includes. I can vividly see myself there.
Dead Wake is no different. I felt the excitement of boarding the fastest boat. I imagined myself walking along the deck and eating the food. I could feel the terror of when the ship got hit. I felt the coldness of the water. If you want to read good nonfiction history books, you need to read Erik Larson. I don't think you will be disappointed.
😊 Happy Reading 😊
#libby #libbyapp #audiobook #eriklarson #deadwake #nonfiction #history # readaway2024
Erik Larson writes well researched books. When I read a book that he has written I know that I am going to get well researched, well written book that will transport me to whatever the year or years the book includes. I can vividly see myself there.
Dead Wake is no different. I felt the excitement of boarding the fastest boat. I imagined myself walking along the deck and eating the food. I could feel the terror of when the ship got hit. I felt the coldness of the water. If you want to read good nonfiction history books, you need to read Erik Larson. I don't think you will be disappointed.
😊 Happy Reading 😊
#libby #libbyapp #audiobook #eriklarson #deadwake #nonfiction #history # readaway2024
book_concierge's review
4.0
Book on CD narrated by Scott Brick.
The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania.
As he did in Isaac’s Storm, Larson uses tidbits found in research materials from a variety of sources to flesh out a narrative tale of a great disaster. This time, the disaster is man-made, however.
Larson shifts perspective from the Lusitania, her passengers and crew, to U-20 (the German submarine that would successfully sink her), to Room 40 (the British intelligence office that had information that might have avoided the disaster if it had been properly shared. In this way the reader gets a much more complete picture of what was happening – and why – than the poor souls who lived (or died) through this tragedy. It’s a compelling story, which completely captured my interest despite my knowing how it would turn out.
Scott Brick does a good job reading the audiobook. His delivery is rather dry, but this is fine for a work of nonfiction. He was still able to lend a sense of the panic and distress of the passengers, Captain and crew of the Lusitania, though this is probably more attributable to Larson’s writing than to Brick’s performance.
The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania.
As he did in Isaac’s Storm, Larson uses tidbits found in research materials from a variety of sources to flesh out a narrative tale of a great disaster. This time, the disaster is man-made, however.
Larson shifts perspective from the Lusitania, her passengers and crew, to U-20 (the German submarine that would successfully sink her), to Room 40 (the British intelligence office that had information that might have avoided the disaster if it had been properly shared. In this way the reader gets a much more complete picture of what was happening – and why – than the poor souls who lived (or died) through this tragedy. It’s a compelling story, which completely captured my interest despite my knowing how it would turn out.
Scott Brick does a good job reading the audiobook. His delivery is rather dry, but this is fine for a work of nonfiction. He was still able to lend a sense of the panic and distress of the passengers, Captain and crew of the Lusitania, though this is probably more attributable to Larson’s writing than to Brick’s performance.
pained_creations's review
adventurous
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.75
Larson makes history interesting. Great to learn more about what drew the US into the war.
mruark's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.5