Publication
New York : St. Martin's Press, 2015.
Collection
Call number
History K
Physical description
xxvii, 370 p.; 25 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
"Lusitania: She was a ship of dreams, carrying millionaires and aristocrats, actresses and impresarios, writers and suffragettes - a microcosm of the last years of the waning Edwardian Era and the coming influences of the Twentieth Century. When she left New York on her final voyage, she sailed from the New World to the Old; yet an encounter with the machinery of the New World, in the form of a primitive German U-Boat, sent her - and her gilded passengers - to their tragic deaths and opened up a new era of indiscriminate warfare. A hundred years after her sinking, Lusitania remains an evocative ship of mystery. Was she carrying munitions that exploded? Did Winston Churchill engineer a conspiracy that doomed the liner? Lost amid these tangled skeins is the romantic, vibrant, and finally heartrending tale of the passengers who sailed aboard her. Lives, relationships, and marriages ended in the icy waters off the Irish Sea; those who survived were left haunted and plagued with guilt. Now, authors Greg King and Penny Wilson resurrect this lost, glittering world to show the golden age of travel and illuminate the most prominent of Lusitania's passengers. Rarely was an era so glamorous; rarely was a ship so magnificent; and rarely was the human element of tragedy so quickly lost to diplomatic maneuvers and militaristic threats"--… (more)
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member Reesa111
Won a an advance copy of Lusitania for free from the early reviewers group on LibraryThing. Looking forward to reading and reviewing this book.
LibraryThing member LorrieAP
This book tells the story of the maritime disaster of the sinking of the Lusitania, a luxury ocean liner torpedoed by a German u-boat in 1915, a few years after the sinking of the Titanic.
Don't know why, but I am fascinated by tragedies. Perhaps it's in reading of the depravity of mankind in
This lesser-known maritime disaster, though it hasn't garnered nearly the amount of publicity as the Titanic, is, nonetheless, an intriguing story in its own right with an equally interesting lineup of passengers and crew. The authors detail the lives of many of the occupants so that when the disaster actually occurs, the reader has a vested interest in what happens to them. After the Lusitania was torpedoed, it took only 18 minutes to sink. The stories of some of the survivors are eerily similar to those of the Titanic; the difference is the condensed amount of time between being struck and sinking, thus less time to think, strategize, ponder etc. I could feel the horror. There was a mention of one woman prematurely giving birth while in the ocean. It seems the captain and the crew were not at all prepared; the passengers took over the lifeboats because it was apparent the crew had not been trained in what to do in the event of an imminent sinking. There were stories of many of the lifeboats crashing into the sea, "spilling" its occupants.
The book tells of the aftermath and how each party wanted to place blame solely on another party. It also goes on to give the reader glimpses into the lives of the survivors and how and when they passed on later in life.
My only criticism would be that there are no pictures. Please note, however, that I did read an ARC, so perhaps the finished product will include pictures.
Don't know why, but I am fascinated by tragedies. Perhaps it's in reading of the depravity of mankind in
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instigating a tragedy or the heroism of mankind in a tragedy's aftermath. Probably both. Though I've recently become somewhat desensitized to how awful humans can treat other humans (it now happens so frequently and the acts just seem to get more vicious and deplorable), the acts of heroism restore my faith in humanity. I'm also forced to take stock in my own life, seeing how life can so abruptly end. But enough of the philosophizing...This lesser-known maritime disaster, though it hasn't garnered nearly the amount of publicity as the Titanic, is, nonetheless, an intriguing story in its own right with an equally interesting lineup of passengers and crew. The authors detail the lives of many of the occupants so that when the disaster actually occurs, the reader has a vested interest in what happens to them. After the Lusitania was torpedoed, it took only 18 minutes to sink. The stories of some of the survivors are eerily similar to those of the Titanic; the difference is the condensed amount of time between being struck and sinking, thus less time to think, strategize, ponder etc. I could feel the horror. There was a mention of one woman prematurely giving birth while in the ocean. It seems the captain and the crew were not at all prepared; the passengers took over the lifeboats because it was apparent the crew had not been trained in what to do in the event of an imminent sinking. There were stories of many of the lifeboats crashing into the sea, "spilling" its occupants.
The book tells of the aftermath and how each party wanted to place blame solely on another party. It also goes on to give the reader glimpses into the lives of the survivors and how and when they passed on later in life.
My only criticism would be that there are no pictures. Please note, however, that I did read an ARC, so perhaps the finished product will include pictures.
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LibraryThing member MomBoyd
Though there were many warnings before her final voyage, passengers scoffed at them and boarded the Lusitania anyway, much to their later detriment. This book is an interesting look at the passengers who boarded the ship for what was to become its final voyage, why they ignored the warnings, and
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what they found aboard. Lusitania then details the sinking of the ship and the later lives of the passengers. While some may not appreciate all of the details included, they really allow you to visualize the ship and its passengers. Show Less
LibraryThing member Artymedon
One has to have read "Remembrance of Things Past" or Henry James novels to truly feel the world that came to a crashing end in Europe at the beginning of world war I. It is this world the passengers of Lusitania were leaving on their Eastbound fatal voyage that still survived in New-York as a time
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warp and that they transported in sheer luxury on the Atlantic Ocean. Somewhat obscured in our collective memory by the surge of interest in the "Titanic", the story of "Lusitania" is worth telling through the many lenses of its passengers and crew as it remains a touching symbol of things past. Show Less
LibraryThing member fuzzi
After reading "A Night to Remember", I requested this book through Member Giveaways, and was happy to win a copy. However, I was disappointed at the structure of the story. For one thing, the pages are filled with so many footnotes, I found it distracting. Also, there is such a plethora of
There was an incredible amount of research done, and it could be a good book, but it desperately needs a slash and burn editor.
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information, it bogs down the narrative. After a promising beginning, the book dragged through page after page of descriptions of the rooms, and the bios of the passengers. By page eighty, I did something I never do: I skipped ahead...to the sinking of the ship and the after effects.There was an incredible amount of research done, and it could be a good book, but it desperately needs a slash and burn editor.
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LibraryThing member mclane
While perhaps not garnering as much attention as other recent books on the sinking of the LUSITANIA in 1915, this is a very well researched and written history of this maritime tragedy. It contains much information on the various rooms, equipment, furnishings, etc., of the vessel, as well as a
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great deal of information on the First and Second Class passengers, both before, during and after the fatal voyage. There is also a wealth of information on the background and actions of the commander of the U-Boat which sank the Lusitania, as well as on her captain, the British Admiralty, and other British and American officials involved in these events. The main flaw in this book is the authors' complete concentration on the wealthy and famous passengers who were among the First and Second Class travelers, with literally no information on Third Class passengers, and very little on the crew. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Lusitania or the history of WW I. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrmapcase
This is a kind of two sided book, it is a biography of the upper class passengers with great attention to detail, and a dichotomy of their actions. The other half is the ship and her crew, with a depleted competency due to World War I. On the surface they seemed to have learned from the mistakes on
Most passengers went aboard fully knowing the dangers involved, but most ignored them, and the authors seem to want to touch on all of the first class passengers and their lives at home. These extended forays into class detail somewhat derail the book but it picks up during the actual attack, which includes knowledge from the German side.
Free review copy.
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the Titanic, with lifeboats and life vests for all passengers, but the passengers were never given instructions on how to use the vests, and the most of the boats were inoperable.Most passengers went aboard fully knowing the dangers involved, but most ignored them, and the authors seem to want to touch on all of the first class passengers and their lives at home. These extended forays into class detail somewhat derail the book but it picks up during the actual attack, which includes knowledge from the German side.
Free review copy.
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LibraryThing member BettyTaylor56
The 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania has just passed. As a result of this anniversary, there are several new books on the topic. I chose to read this one by Greg King and Penny Wilson. Well, I think I made the wrong choice. This book was so tedious; it was a chore to read. I had to
The rest of the first twelve chapters was filled with the minutiae of the biographies of the First Class passengers. It went into detail of what they brought on board with them and the downright foolishness of the rich. For example, Alice Vanderbilt was so arrogant that “she once spent hours being endlessly driven around New York City because she felt it beneath her dignity to give her chauffeur directions.” Perhaps a better title would have been “Lusitania: Lifestyles of the Rich and Arrogant”. I was so bored with their stories that none of them really stuck in my mind. Therefore, I felt no connection once the ship was hit and started sinking.
There were a few people who were nervous about the voyage. Some wills were changed prior to embarkation due to the nervousness. One lady carried her jewel box with her when dining “should disaster strike”. There was definitely tension on board the nearer they came to the British Isles. Some of the passengers thought that an escort would be sent to safely guide them through the danger zone. In fact, the ship’s captain had pretty much said that. But there was no escort. The captain was strict about evacuation drills, but only with the crew. The passengers themselves were never included in a drill, and this was a serious error. The lifebelts were difficult to access, and the passengers were not assigned to lifeboats. This contributed to the chaos that ensued when the ship was indeed torpedoed.
Amongst all the panic, it seemed the crew was more interested in saving their own lives than those of the passengers. Also the crew did not know how to lower the lifeboats. Many of the collapsible lifeboats were unusable as they lacked plugs, oars missing, oarlocks rusted, etc. As the ship slid into the sea, Captain Turner continued to tell people that the boat could not sink.
If you can get through the first half of the book, the last half does pick up. Reading what the survivors endured was interesting. If you know almost nothing about the Lusitania, you may find this book interesting.
Thank you to GoodReads and St, Martin’s Press for an Advance Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.
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read through just over half of the book before the torpedo hit. So what was in that first half? There were a couple of interesting facts. First, there were warnings from the German embassy in Washington, DC. Travelers were reminded that a state of war existed between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies. They were informed that the waters adjacent to the British Isles were part of the zone of war. The embassy stated that vessels flying with the flag of Great Britain or any of her allies were susceptible to destruction in those waters. However, the warning was ignored and treated as just propaganda. The second interesting fact was that unlike the Titanic that took two hours and 40 minutes to sink, the Lusitania went down in only 18 minutes!The rest of the first twelve chapters was filled with the minutiae of the biographies of the First Class passengers. It went into detail of what they brought on board with them and the downright foolishness of the rich. For example, Alice Vanderbilt was so arrogant that “she once spent hours being endlessly driven around New York City because she felt it beneath her dignity to give her chauffeur directions.” Perhaps a better title would have been “Lusitania: Lifestyles of the Rich and Arrogant”. I was so bored with their stories that none of them really stuck in my mind. Therefore, I felt no connection once the ship was hit and started sinking.
There were a few people who were nervous about the voyage. Some wills were changed prior to embarkation due to the nervousness. One lady carried her jewel box with her when dining “should disaster strike”. There was definitely tension on board the nearer they came to the British Isles. Some of the passengers thought that an escort would be sent to safely guide them through the danger zone. In fact, the ship’s captain had pretty much said that. But there was no escort. The captain was strict about evacuation drills, but only with the crew. The passengers themselves were never included in a drill, and this was a serious error. The lifebelts were difficult to access, and the passengers were not assigned to lifeboats. This contributed to the chaos that ensued when the ship was indeed torpedoed.
Amongst all the panic, it seemed the crew was more interested in saving their own lives than those of the passengers. Also the crew did not know how to lower the lifeboats. Many of the collapsible lifeboats were unusable as they lacked plugs, oars missing, oarlocks rusted, etc. As the ship slid into the sea, Captain Turner continued to tell people that the boat could not sink.
If you can get through the first half of the book, the last half does pick up. Reading what the survivors endured was interesting. If you know almost nothing about the Lusitania, you may find this book interesting.
Thank you to GoodReads and St, Martin’s Press for an Advance Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Beammey
This was one of those books that I just liked, you know? I didn't love it, I didn't hate it -- it fell squarely in the middle. It wasn't a bad book by any means, there were parts I quite enjoyed, but it was all a bit, I don't know...slow, I suppose. This book does have good information in it and I
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am glad I read it, but it's not as good as some of the other books about the Lusitania that are out right now. I would still recommend this if you are interested in the ship and the era. 3.5 out of 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member briandrewz
A completely absorbing look at a tragedy that changed the world. Going into the book, the only thing I knew about the Lusitania was that it had been sunk. I knew no background on its history, its passengers, or its crew. This book answered the majority of my questions. Greg King and Penny Wilson
The story is a sad one. Hundreds of lives lost. If only the warnings had been taken seriously about the German submarines anxious to blow up anything that they came across. The Germans themselves actually warned passengers to steer clear of the Lusitania as it was a prime target. There were even conspiracy theories that supposed the British government allowed the Lusitania to be used as bait to entice the United States into joining WWI.
A fantastic book.
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easily engage the reader in their fantastic descriptions of the ship, its passengers, and crew. The only thing missing is the third class passengers, easily explained (by the authors) by the fact that there just wasn't enough documented history on these passengers to include them in the book. The story is a sad one. Hundreds of lives lost. If only the warnings had been taken seriously about the German submarines anxious to blow up anything that they came across. The Germans themselves actually warned passengers to steer clear of the Lusitania as it was a prime target. There were even conspiracy theories that supposed the British government allowed the Lusitania to be used as bait to entice the United States into joining WWI.
A fantastic book.
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LibraryThing member doomjesse
When writing a book about a known event, the hardest part is often keeping up interest until the known event happens. You have no buildup of tension because you know what the outcome will be. Greg King has done a masterful job of keeping up interest and explaining the goings on of a ship at the end
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of the Edwardian age. From the daily betting of how far the ship has travelled, to the onboard newspaper, to the rules and manners of ship life, Mr King covers it all. Before you know it you've arrived at the end of the book and you regret it's over. I love history books and even I had a few new things to learn. Show Less
LibraryThing member EricCostello
I read this book right after I read Erik Larson's book "Dead Wake." One thing that this book has that Larson's book doesn't is better illustrations; in fact, it has illustrations, whereas Larson's does not, a weakness on his part. The story is pretty familiar, and Larson's narrative is actually
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better done than this one, though King and Wilson do a decent job. Worth reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
This book chronicles the last voyage of the ill-fated Lusitania, a luxurious ocean liner that sailed into a war zone and was targeted by a German U-boat. A few years ago, I read Dead Wake by Erik Larson, which covers much of the same ground as this book. In the case of this book, I wish the author
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had done more to connect the sinking of the Lusitania to World War I, which felt like important context which was skimmed over in this history. Overall, a decent history of the Lusitania, although I would recommend Larson's Dead Wake over this book. Show Less
Language
ISBN
9781250052544