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There are currently 21 member reviews
for Lusitania
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Jane A. (Lakeport, CA)
A 'must' for history buffs
The tragedy of the Titanic has long fascinated people around the world. What many don't realize is that 3 years later an equally tragic nautical disaster befell the Lusitania, pride of the Cunard line. While naiveté played a large part in the Titanic story, hubris played an equally contributory part in the fate of the Lusitania. Authors King and Wilson have done a wonderful job of introducing the reader to the circumstances and the individuals involved in this drama, then following the fateful cruise to its tragic end. The narrative is riveting and well-paced throughout, and the analysis of the tragedy is thorough and thought-provoking. In short, I couldn't put it down until I had read it all.
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Marjorie H. (Woodstock, GA)
Disaster Again
The book "Lusitania" by Greg Wilson and Penny Wilson is one of the most enjoyable historical books I've read in a while. A lot has been written about the Titanic, but little about the luxury liner torpedoed as WWI was building up. This book is an education. Vividly written with beautiful descriptions of the opulence of the age, I enjoyed every page. I was amazed by the information regarding the captain and his disregard for orders, as well as the laxity of the crew. And again, the situation with the life boats. Was nothing learned from Titanic? The characters - so real - on the cusp of a new era were very interesting.
I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history and culture of the times. So much can be learned.
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Monica G. (San Antonio, TX)
Starts Out Boring But Gets Better
I read an account of the Lusitania when I was a young girl and had been fascinated by the story. There were so many mysteries surrounding the sinking of this ship and the book answered many of them. But in addition to answering questions regarding the faults that lead up to the ship being torpedoed, we learn about what happened to the survivors of the tragedy. I appreciate how much research these authors put into solving the mysteries surrounding the story and feel as though the authors gave me a front seat to people's lives as the story unfolded. The story is well written and companionable. The first half of the book is somewhat mundane but it's worth the time to read through to the end as the second half of the book follows the lives of the people who survived the tragedy. Definitely a good read!
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Melissa M. (Leesburg, FL)
Detailed, beautiful and heartwrenchingly tragic.
We read breifly about this in my history class in high school. History remembers the Titanic well but the Lusitania is another tragic sea disaster that is equally real and full of loss. This book is brilliantly laid out and full of mesmerizing historical detail.
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Yolanda M. (Boise, ID)
Overloaded
While clearly heavily researched and informational, I found it impossible to find a good reading flow to this book. Details taken in snapshots and corroborated with copious notes were great in small doses. Characters were definitely brought to life and fleshed out and I often wondered at the way the authors got down to the very thought processes of people on board. If I was taking a college course on life outside the battlefields during the war, this would be the book.
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Carolyn S. (Decatur, GA)
Lusitania
The book was very interesting to read, however I think it would have worked better as historical fiction. It seemed like they felt they had to include every quote they found. As a result they couldn't weave in an extended story line which would have made a good book a great book.
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Jan H. (Long Beach, CA)
Lusitania - a well researched reference
Lusitania is full of well referenced facts pertaining not only to the ship and it's passengers, but also to the time period which proceeded WW 1. It is quite remarkable to read about the opinions and procedures governing cruise ships, given what we know today. Wealthy passengers and their families had knowledge of printed threat of demise while crossing the Atlantic, and elected to proceed nevertheless. I recommend this book as a reference book, not a good story to read. It is full of facts, but there is not the flow of a good "readable" story.
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