Book Log 2015 #41: Dead Wake by Erik Larson

Larson's skill at narrative non-fiction is well on display in this telling of the Lusitania sinking, which bounces between the passengers and crew of the ship and the men of the U-boat that sank it. The strength of the book probably lies with the Germans, as we get a much clearer idea of why the policy around sinking passenger lines changes and why this specific U-boat was in the right place at the right time to fire her torpedoes.

Which isn't to say that the parts about the boat and its passengers aren't informative and entertaining. These sections only serve to underscore the human tragedy of the sinking, as characters we've followed throughout the voyage are put in harm's way, with not all of them surviving (which doesn't even begin to address the hundreds of unmentioned passengers who died).

The only thing about the book I didn't care for was the story of President Wilson and his courting of future wife Edith Galt. I don't feel like the stories meshed very well, and didn't really add much to the overall proceeedings. 

Very much recommended, even so.