Despite the thrilling exploits that have spammed the breadth of human history, the topic can be deathly dull, particularly in the context of freshman core. For many people, their only experience with historical events is via overtired teachers and textbooks.
But when it comes to the work of writer Erik Larson, what put us to sleep in high school will have us clutching our Kindles in sheer suspense: such is his power to tell a compelling story. The bestselling author has tackled many of history’s most notorious events, from the inner workings of the Third Reich (In the Garden of Beasts) to the serial killer at large during the Chicago World’s Fair (The Devil in the White City). His latest book, Dead Wake, revolves around the tragic sinking of the Lusitania passenger liner in 1915, and it offers an account like most of us never imagined.