“Dead Wake” by Erik Larson – Excavating the Truth from the Pages of History

The sinking of the Lusitania is an event that not only marked an important historical shift for the United States and left many grieving, but it is also one of the more mysterious happenings of the century, for the sole reason that a thick, grey and seemingly never-ending mist surrounds the truth of what happened.

To reconstruct the event from the perspective of all those involved is much easier said and done; the questions keep on piling up while most answers remain shaky in their foundation.

However, we still trudge onwards and attempt to shed light on this tragedy, or at least Erik Larson does in his book Dead Wake.

Now, I know there was recently a review of Lusitania which touches on the exact same topic as this book, and so I shall begin by pointing out the major difference between the two: Dead Wake is truly written as a narrative piece of non-fiction, meaning it is penned in the same style as a fictional story.

Also, it never hurts to have more than one source of information in regards to a certain event, especially one surrounded by so many questions.

And so how exactly does Dead Wake re-tell this story?

Simply: it dedicates itself to two perspectives, that of the hunter and the hunted. We are treated to the developments which took place on both sides, and slowly but surely the author paints a grand picture of not only the events which transpired, but also of the socioeconomic and political climates and tensions of the era, especially when it comes to the United States.

It would seem that Larson really has done his homework, bringing to the table a surprising amount of researched information on the grand disaster. Slowly but surely he weaves the storylines together, culminating into one thread at the end, that of the catastrophe itself and its irreparable consequences.

When it comes to capturing the emotional impact of the whole thing, it has to be said that Erik Larson is nothing short of a genius. He is phenomenal at bringing characters to life and make them feel human and relatable... an effect that is actually amplified when you remind yourself that the people here once existed and have their fates sealed by history, unbeknownst to them.

All of them, from the small ones to Woodrow Wilson himself, will stick with you, and you'll find yourself actually caring and fearing for them, knowing what is to come. Larson manages to make it feel like it truly does matter, despite the fact that it all took place more than a hundred years ago.

Factually-speaking, you are going to get a fair amount of information out of the book, but you should not expect it to delve into all the small little details. What it aims to do is explain how this all came to happen, and it does so with unmatched clarity, better than any history book you could have hoped for.

On the other hand, if you are already largely familiar with the story of the Lusitania's sinking and want to go beyond what is commonly-known to dig up the smallest of details, then perhaps a more specialized book would be better.

All in all, Dead Wake is most certainly one of the best, if not the best books out there to get acquainted with the tragedy of the Lusitania's sinking, mixing the pertinent and interesting facts with a narration that engages you and truly makes you care.

Recommended to anyone but those who, as mentioned above, are only seeking to go as deep as possible into the story behind the tragedy.

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Erik Larson Personal site Erik Larson is an American author of non-fiction and journalist whose works touch on the more morbid and practical side of life. The Devil in the White City, for instance, is an exploration of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and the infamous crimes perpetrated by the serial killer H.H. Holmes, while in the Garden of Beasts, his latest work, looks into the first American ambassador to Nazi Germany, William E. Dodd.