This post is part of an original series created by librarians/media specialists across Central Minnesota featuring books.

Title: Dead Wake
Written by Maria Burnham, Media Specialist at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School

Wow!  A stunning tale of the sinking of the Lusitania.  I simply don’t know how Erik Larson continues to produce book after book of gripping non-fiction.  I have to admit that I didn’t have much knowledge of the event before I started reading, but by learning what’s happening from all perspectives of those involved in the terrible tragedy, I was glued to the pages.  In the 353-page book, I learned about the U-Boat captain who fired the deadly torpedo at the passenger ship.  I learned about many of the passengers aboard the ship — why they were headed to London and what they were doing as the ship sank deep into the ocean.  And I learned about President Wilson’s life and handling of the German attack.

This book is gripping.  Of course, at first the reader learns about details here and there that eventually add up to making for a gripping plotline overall.  About halfway into the book, I couldn’t put it down.  One day, I brought the book to the lounge to read after I finished eating (which, by the way, also says a lot about the book–I usually like to visit with colleagues during lunch), and I kept audibly gasping in horror.

The details in this book will stay with me for a long, long time.  Well done, Erik Larson.  Another gripping non-fiction tale!