Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Feb 22, 2019
In his telling of the sinking of the Lusitania, Larson tells the tale of a dozen people involved in the tragedy - the captains, the passengers, even the folks off the ship. It's a horrifying story of miscommunication, panic, and death. If you're familiar with the story of the Lusitania at all, then you know that the ship was primarily a passenger vessel. Merchant vessels like this were warned about sailing through war zones, and by all rights, it really should not have been torpedoed. But I'm not here to tell you the history of the Lusitania, nor assert my opinions regarding war tactics.
Larson tells this as a story, carefully balancing different perspectives to offer a full, impartial story. No matter what way you spin it, the Lusitania is a deep, troubling tragedy. Through Larson's expert storytelling, you become attached to the passengers as characters in the tale. If you're even vaguely interested in the Lusitania, WWI, maritime history or history in general, I can't recommend this enough. It's beautifully told and filled with careful research. I enjoyed it as much as one can enjoy such a history.