Dead Wake Book Report

So far, Dead Wake has been a stop-and-go type of book. There are patches where it gets interesting and exciting, and times where it becomes a very slow, hard to follow trail. Dead Wake has displayed the German ruthlessness, and just how cruel they can be. As well as America, being very stolid at the start at the war.
Dead Wake provides a strong story between the Axis and Allies, and how they react to each other. Dead Wake switches between sides, but focuses on one main character: Captain William Thomas Turner, captain of many ships, including The Lusitania. Dead Wake shows the disaster of history, which have long been obscured.

The Germans begin to sink ships, military or not, without warning.
Three ships, all cargo related, were sunk by the coast of Holland by German submarines. The ships were full of cadets, and after the first ship The Aboukir, sunk, The Cressy and The Hogue

moved in to intercept the sinking ship and its passengers warily. As the other two cargo ships moved in, non-hostile, German submarines fired without tentatively and sank all three, killing 1,459 British sailors, many of them young cadets. As the remaining survivors gathered onto lifeboats and started away, one of the sailors, unknown, stated: “I do not think that anyone realized that a submarine could do any damage.”(Larson 39).
After hearing the reports of the German submarines, the British begin to prepare for war against the German.

Captain William Thomas Turner.
Captain Turner was the Captain of The Lusitania. He applied for a sailor position at Cunard, and got the position. Only to find out he could not get promoted to Captain unless he was a Captain outside of Cunard already. As he wanted a promotion, he left Cunard, only to return and become one of the most ambidextrous of his time. Captain Turners history shows he has had multiple wrecks, but to the interesting side of things, he was put in charge of the bigger ships, and the more opulent passengers.
Captain Turner is also a very humble Captain. After receiving a Silver Salver, he stated “I did not expect to receive any such recognition of my part in the matter, we all on board simply tried to do our duty as under any ordinary circumstances.”(Larson 10).
Captain Turner is a very skilled Captain, the best at controlling the bigger ships in the whole Cunard Empire, which is part of why the story of The Lusitania is here today.

The German side of

things.
After hearing America would declare war on Germany if one drop of American blood fell, they knew it was only a matter of time before America would do so. Sure enough, German Submarine Captain Freiherr von Fortsner gave chase to a British merchant ship, The Falaba, and ordered, “Stop or I fire.”(Larson 39). After announcing to Captain Frederick Davies that he and his ship had five minutes to evacuate and then the ship was going down, crew and passengers scrambled for their lives, as they scrambled onto lifeboats, the Germans fired, killing the Captain and 103 people. One person in particular, Leon C. Thrasher, was believed among the lost. Thrasher was a citizen of the United States. America was going to war with Germany.
After Germany heard the threat from the President of the United States, they ignored him and kept sinking ships, until what they thought would never happen, happened. America was going to enter the war.

Dead Wake tells the story of The Lusitania, and of the other ships among it and its time getting sunk by the cruel and unforgiving German army. Dead Wake also tells the story and history of Captain William Thomas Turner, Captain of The Lusitania. Dead Wake is a must read for those looking for a historical book that takes the account for both sides of the story.