Skip to main content

Dead Wake--Concluded.

Not surprisingly, the section dealing with the sinking is riveting.  Capt. Turner blamed by many in England, including Churchill, but exonerated (rightly, Larson argues) by two courts of law.  German U-boat has luck on its side--Lusitania turns to give perfect shot.  Lusitania is carrying some munitions--but hard not to look on this as, by today's vocabulary, a terrorist act by a state.  1200 dead; 750 survivors.  125 Americans dead.

Children roaming the deck when torpedo hits--parents frantic to find them.  Life jackets kept in rooms; people don't know how to put them on.  Crew of limited skill--best British crewmen are in the Navy. Calm seas keep death toll down.  Any kind of storm and many more would have died.

America doesn't immediately enter the war.  Wilson still tries to find way to keep USA out. Churchill angry--by trying to save lives, Wilson allowed more lives to be lost.  More sinkings bring more verbal protests from Wilson--but still no declaration of war.

Zimmerman telegraph message intercepted.  German offers alliance with Mexico promising to return to Mexico the states of Texas, New Mexico, etc. to the Mexicans after the defeat of the Americans.  This finally pushes Wilson to declare war.

Excellent book--perfect of blend of research and narrative.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oppenheimer . . . film

 Solid opening 30 minutes (we're treating this like a mini-series).  O's involvement with left-wing causes . . . rift with Einstein (O thinks of him as over-the-hill and Einstein knows it.)  First splitting of atom.  Lawrence Lab in Berkeley--Lawrence practical applied physics . . . not O's strength.  Main actor is from Peaky Blinders.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Master Chapter 2

February 1895 (Alice died in 1892) Money problems, jealousy of Wilde; time spent with Lord Wolseley1; off to Ireland to lick his wounds; Irish unrest--Irish landlords boycott all social events; much time spent with manservant Hammond (homosexual attraction again); fancy dress ball, appalling to James, who is only happy in company of Hammond, though Hammond remains a servant and no more; little girl alone on the grounds--inspiration for Turn of the Screw?; conflict with Webster who alludes to Wilde's successful play and HJ's failure; Wolseley was an  Anglo-Irish  officer in the  British Army . He became one of the most influential and admired British generals after a series of successes in Canada, West Africa, and Egypt, followed by a central role in modernizing the British Army in promoting efficiency. He served in Burma, the  Crimean War , the  Indian Mutiny , China, Canada and widely throughout Africa—including his  Ashanti  campaign (18...
Post a Comment
Read more