This is my third Erik Larson. I greatly enjoyed Devil in the White City (serial killer during Chicago World's Fair) and Isaac's Storm (Hurricane in Galveston). I was less enthused about In the Garden of the Beasts (Berlin, rise of Hitler).
Technique of Part I is to break the narrative into three strands: Lusitania, Washington, Room 40 (spy room where German messages are being cracked). It's a great technique for the book, but not for a blog whose point is to help me when I look back at books I've read, so . . .
Lusitania sections to page 110
Lusitania is greyhound of sea. 25 knots, 30 mph. Commissioned by the British Navy for duel purpose, a passenger ship that could be easily converted into a fighting ship. The fighting part never worked out, though it's twin (Mauritania) functioned as a troop transport ship. More than 20 passages across the ocean. 2000 passengers per voyage. Lots of famous names, Larson introduces a female architect, a book collector, etc. Some Titanic survivors are on the Lusitania. As book progresses, I'm sure these people will come to life more. Oddities--the day the ship sailed, Germany expressly warned that all ships would be considered involved in the war and so would be targeted. Lusitania passengers were distressed, but not terrified. 1) Speed of ship 2) Size of ship 3) Expected protection from British Navy when they reached dangerous waters
White House: Wilson and the war
Strange way the war started. Obscure assassination leads to Austria-Hungary attack. All sorts of countries expect that they will be able to grab a little. Short war expected. Everything bogs down, trench warfare. Wilson's desire to stay out. Death of Wilson's wife, depression until he meets new woman. Submarine warfare far more effective than the Brits thought it would be. One submarine sinks a destroyer. Two other destroyers come to aid of Brits in water--they are sunk, too. British change procedure--no ship is to go to the rescue of another ship that has been sunk by a submarine.
Second Battle of Ypres--chlorine gas used by Germans. First war without rules, total war, ISIS like.
Room 40: Brits get a break and get hold of the German code book. Crack the code and decipher messages. Problem--if they act on "small" information, the Germans may figure out that the code has been broken and then change the code. So the Brits decide to use the information sparingly. Larson implies that they made far too little use, waiting for a major moment that never came. Captain of Lusitania, for example, is not notified that submarines have been sent by the Germans into the path of his ship. Brits don't expect them to sink a passenger ship, but . . . Larson makes a convincing case that submarine captains are lone wolves--they make up their own minds about firing--no checking with upper commands. Also, by nature of a boat that lies so low in the water, the submarine captain can see very little. Finally, submarine captains of German ships were rewarded by tonnage sunk, not number of ships. Lusitania (huge) becomes an obvious target.
Technique of Part I is to break the narrative into three strands: Lusitania, Washington, Room 40 (spy room where German messages are being cracked). It's a great technique for the book, but not for a blog whose point is to help me when I look back at books I've read, so . . .
Lusitania sections to page 110
Lusitania is greyhound of sea. 25 knots, 30 mph. Commissioned by the British Navy for duel purpose, a passenger ship that could be easily converted into a fighting ship. The fighting part never worked out, though it's twin (Mauritania) functioned as a troop transport ship. More than 20 passages across the ocean. 2000 passengers per voyage. Lots of famous names, Larson introduces a female architect, a book collector, etc. Some Titanic survivors are on the Lusitania. As book progresses, I'm sure these people will come to life more. Oddities--the day the ship sailed, Germany expressly warned that all ships would be considered involved in the war and so would be targeted. Lusitania passengers were distressed, but not terrified. 1) Speed of ship 2) Size of ship 3) Expected protection from British Navy when they reached dangerous waters
White House: Wilson and the war
Strange way the war started. Obscure assassination leads to Austria-Hungary attack. All sorts of countries expect that they will be able to grab a little. Short war expected. Everything bogs down, trench warfare. Wilson's desire to stay out. Death of Wilson's wife, depression until he meets new woman. Submarine warfare far more effective than the Brits thought it would be. One submarine sinks a destroyer. Two other destroyers come to aid of Brits in water--they are sunk, too. British change procedure--no ship is to go to the rescue of another ship that has been sunk by a submarine.
Second Battle of Ypres--chlorine gas used by Germans. First war without rules, total war, ISIS like.
Room 40: Brits get a break and get hold of the German code book. Crack the code and decipher messages. Problem--if they act on "small" information, the Germans may figure out that the code has been broken and then change the code. So the Brits decide to use the information sparingly. Larson implies that they made far too little use, waiting for a major moment that never came. Captain of Lusitania, for example, is not notified that submarines have been sent by the Germans into the path of his ship. Brits don't expect them to sink a passenger ship, but . . . Larson makes a convincing case that submarine captains are lone wolves--they make up their own minds about firing--no checking with upper commands. Also, by nature of a boat that lies so low in the water, the submarine captain can see very little. Finally, submarine captains of German ships were rewarded by tonnage sunk, not number of ships. Lusitania (huge) becomes an obvious target.
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