Book Club: Dead Wake

Good morning everyone! Before I get into my little review (and I mean little...sorry...time crunch!) I wanted to just send out a "Thank you" to all of our veterans on this Veteran's Day. Thank you so much for your bravery and sacrifice. You've made getting up everyday and pursuing good things possible!

Now, in an unexpected turn I finished reading a book during the semester. *pause for gasps, passing out, and utter chaos*

That book was Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson. As minor in history with a focus in U.S. history, this kind of book is what speaks to me. It is not necessarily historical fiction. Larson pulls from a number of sources--seriously, a good chunk of the end of the book is endnotes--to tell the story of those who were on the ship when it was attacked by a German submarine.

Not only do we get the accounts of those on the boat, but also chapters devoted to President Wilson, Churchill and Room 40, and even Walther Schwieger--the submarine commander who initiated the attack. Through researching letters, notes, video, and photograph Larson was able to pull together a convincing account of day-to-day life on the ship and the mentality of the British and American governments as the signs of an attack grew even more obvious.

After finishing the book, I was left with many questions that would be interesting to research--this is the history student talking! If this is the kind of reading that you enjoy, or find yourself particularly interested in the World War I period, I definitely recommend this book to you. I can't wait to read it again.

<3 Ashley

Have you read Dead Wake? What did you think?