Mr Titanic
Spirit of the Night
Location: Gotham City
Posts: 1355
Rivets: 13 (+13/-0)
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 Review: Luistania, An Epic Tragedy - 9
Lusitania: An epic tragedy encompasses the many tragic details that arose when an attack on non- combatant civilians was initiated during the First world war. The elaborate touches on the impact of the Lusitania’s sinking and aftermath are thoroughly described and well defined. Preston knows her Lusitania from inside and out. Her ample research is beyond obvious, and her knowledge of the history is unprecedented. The author has an excellent sense of putting one and one together, and drawing sophisticated and relevant conclusions utilizing a broad array of information, that really gets one thinking. The more intriguing aspects of the book is the sense of wonder and possibility, because many theories are contradicted by the same facts that support them. And this justifies the fact that as outspoken as history truly is, often times it still is one big mystery.
The most respectable characteristic of Preston’s “Lusitania” is the fact that the author recognizes all references to actions and thoughts must be approached with an understanding of and mindset similar to that of the era - 1915. She explains the need to view the attack on the Lusitania from two perspectives, the horrors or war, and the breeching of international law and the humane details of an advanced civilization. Preston addresses the questions left deliberately unanswered, such as the nature of the second explosion aboard the Lusitania, and whether or not it was due to illegal ammunition.
*Why did the Lusitania travel so slowly (being one of the swiftest liners) on a straight path in a danger zone?
* Was she a pawn to bring the United States into the war?
* Was the charge of “willful murder” proper? - Against whom was it justified?
* Why did the ship sink in 18 minutes?
The birth of the vessel, length of the transatlantic run, and Lusitania’s influence on World War one are present within the book. How, by the words of Winston Churchill, “the poor babies who perished in the ocean struck a blow at German power more deadly than could have been achieved by the sacrifice of a hundred thousand fighting men.”
Diana is well prepared to shine light on the many conflicting theories regarding the tragedy, and how the image of women drowning with drifting long hair and children cradled in their harms provided the Allies with a huge propaganda advantage. The outrage of the world press is vividly expressed, and the idea that the Lusitania’s sinking was much more of a disaster for Germany than Britain was supported and explained. Her use of true logic and hard evidence and facts provide her with sensible conclusions that finally tie together the loose threads of a story left untold.
In all reality, I credit Preston with recognizing how the first world war was something in the way of a first step for our own world, towards the devastation of the middle ages and the compelling power of the repetition of history itself. How, the German’s use of a chemical war, the unrestricted submarine warfare system, and the murder of 1,198 civilians lead to a new age of barbarism and total war. How times will soon shift to reflect events like Hiroshima, and secure victory despite the once abundant sense of moral. Each high power will follow this prompted path, Preston explains, while the days of clean and noble war have given way to the darkness of our current world, where any such shade of gray is absent in war to come, from 1915, and on.
I have given this book a 9/10 simply because parts of it can seem to have more in common with a research paper than a book or story. On the other hand, Preston’s thinking is easy to follow, and anyone interested in a world engulfed in war and the outbreak of one tragic event that alters the era itself, is advised to read this book. It’ll get you thinking, and change your perspective immediately.
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May/5/2006, 8:23 am
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Topic 
TSOLD's time is: Nov/27/2009, 7:41 am