4.0

Larson has a nice touch for narrative history. This grips you as the Lusitania cruises towards it's fate. The dovetailing narratives of the Lusitania and the sub that would sink her builds some pretty good tension. Appreciated in particular the presentation of their relative nautical paths so I understood where they were during their open ocean tango. The personal stories don't smother the narrative--always a concern of mine when history should be at the forefront--yet they remain compelling through their sad aftermath. All these positives mask a mighty frustration. As the Lusitania set out to sea, I kept waiting for some discussion of whether or not there were munitions on board. WW I was setting Europe ablaze and the German's justification for firing upon the Lusitania was that she was carrying munitions to her enemies. This of course begs two fascinating questions, how do you dare kill so many civilians just to stop suspected munitions and it's companion question--how do you use so many civilians to shield your munitions as you try to sneak them across the Atlantic. These questions mostly remain unaddressed as the munitions possible existence is barely addressed. This grievance should knock the rating down another star but I will admit to being a sucker for sea stories.