Dead Wake

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson, 430 pages

In May 1915, the Lusitania, the most majestic ocean liner in the seas, was torpedoed by a German U-boat, killing nearly 1,200 of the ship's 1,900 passengers and crew members. Dead Wake is a detailed reconstruction of Lusitania's final voyage, told from the perspective of not only various passengers and crew members, but also the captain of the U-boat, a top-secret British intelligence team, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, and various others. While I knew exactly how this would end when I started the book, I was impressed with how Larson constructed the book to keep the tension high and the "plot" moving. An excellent book for those interested in WWI history, though not recommended for fans of cruises.