Dead Wake：The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

#1NewYorkTimesBestsellerFromthebestsellingauthorandmasterofnarrativenonfictioncomestheenthrallingstoryofthesinkingoftheLusitaniaOnMay1，1915，withWWIenteringitstenthmonth，aluxuryoceanlinerasrichlyappointedasanEnglishcountryhousesailedoutofNewYork，boundforLiverpool，carryingarecordnumberofchildrenandinfants.Thepassengersweresurprisinglyatease，eventhoughGermanyhaddeclaredtheseasaroundBritaintobeawarzone.Formonths，GermanU-boatshadbroughtterrortotheNorthAtlantic.ButtheLusitaniawasoneoftheera’sgreattransatlantic“Greyhounds”—thefastestlinertheninservice—andhercaptain，WilliamThomasTurner，placedtremendousfaithinthegentlemanlystricturesofwarfarethatforacenturyhadkeptcivilianshipssafefromattack.Germany，however，wasdeterminedtochangetherulesofthegame，andWaltherSchwieger，thecaptainofUnterseeboot-20，washappytooblige.Meanwhile，anultra-secretBritishintelligenceunittrackedSchwieger’sU-boat，buttoldnoone.AsU-20andtheLusitaniamadetheirwaytowardLiverpool，anarrayofforcesbothgrandandachinglysmall—hubris，achancefog，acloselyguardedsecret，andmore—allconvergedtoproduceoneofthegreatdisastersofhistory.Itisastorythatmanyofusthinkweknowbutdon’t，andErikLarsontellsitthrillingly，switchingbetweenhunterandhuntedwhilepaintingalargerportraitofAmericaattheheightoftheProgressiveEra.Fullofglamourandsuspense，DeadWakebringstolifeacastofevocativecharacters，fromfamedBostonbooksellerCharlesLauriattopioneeringfemalearchitectTheodatePopetoPresidentWoodrowWilson，amanlosttogrief，dreadingthewideningwarbutalsocaptivatedbytheprospectofnewlove.Grippingandimportant，DeadWakecapturesthesheerdramaandemotionalpowerofadisasterwhoseintimatedetailsandtruemeaninghavelongbeenobscuredbyhistory.