Welcome to Litsy!

Larson writes historic non-fiction with remarkable balance & dexterity.

He brings forth personal detail to invite emotional resonance & recognition, making something so distant as a shipwreck 110 years ago feel near & vital.

Then he steps back to widen the scope, to show how incidents of the past intersect & connect, reflect & echo.

It‘s a rhythm of “up close” then “big picture” then back again. And I will read as many books as he puts out.

Very good!
#roll100 @PuddleJumper

I‘m always amazed when a writer can make such a suspenseful story when the reader already knows the ending.

The mysterious golden sky orb shining…on a *Saturday*! Naturally I had to take this rare opportunity to read outside for a change. 😀☀️

4.5 ⭐

Erik Larson writes well researched books. When I read a book that he has written I know that I am going to get well researched, well written book that will transport me to whatever the year or years the book includes. I can vividly see myself there.

#nomfiction #history #bookspinbingo #readaway2024 #audiobook #alphabetchallenge2024 (D)

#readyourkindle @CBee

“Dead Wake” by Erik Larson is an exhilarating journey through history, written with the finesse of a master storyteller akin to Tom Clancy, Ian Fleming, or Robert Ludlum. Larson skillfully navigates between the roles of hunter and hunted, immersing readers in the heart-pounding suspense of the era.

Back to some good old non-fiction. This Erik Larson book has been on my TBR List for some time. Bon voyage!

Little history lesson.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Engaging account of the torpedoing of the Lusitania and its impact on geopolitics and some of the survivors

Larson never fails to provide a throughly readable and informative book. This one has the double honor of pulling me out of a reading slump, as it‘s the first book I‘ve managed to finish in a month… oops!

Non fiction that reads like fiction. What a story!
#disaster #bookbinge

Apparently I really like NF disaster books - here are some I‘ve read over the past few years. Perhaps the human spirit and one‘s will to live is quite appealing.

#Disasters

#BookBinge

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I don‘t know how Erik Larson always writes nonfiction that reads like fiction. But he never fails to pull me in. I listened to this one on audio and it‘s fantastic. He tells a great story.
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

I learn so much from Erik Larson! He makes everything so fascinating that you can‘t wait to see what happens, even though you already know what happens! Devil in the White City is still my favorite, but this was excellent! Read this for #authoramonth #aam

I knew next to nothing about the sinking of the Lusitania before #authoramonth convinced me to give this book a try. It took me some to get into it but, once I did, I found this incredibly interesting.

I‘ve finished 2 #AuthorAMonth books. Neither came close to The Devil in the White City for me. Perhaps, I will reread White City but I‘m not planning to read any new-to-me Larson books this month.

#authoramonth

This was my first Larson book and I‘m glad he was chosen as an #aam as I found it fascinating.

The Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat during World War I. I liked the mix of viewpoints in the book; passengers‘ stories, both UK and US politics, what was happening on the submarine itself.

Of course, reading about a tragedy like this is ever easy but I thought that this was a balanced view and I learnt a lot.

I found this book very interesting. The book talks about the tragedy of the Lusitania. I rated this book a 4 out of 5 stars. #AwesomeApril day 2#EasterOMC day3 @Clwojick @LadyKatrina @Andrew65

A well-written and thoroughly researched account of the Lusitania‘s final voyage.

This book about the sinking of the Lusitania is my least favorite Larson of the three I‘ve recently read. It didn‘t have the superb tension of Isaac‘s Storm nor the sheer evil of his book on Nazi Germany. Still, he is a narrative nonfiction champ and it is very good. I enjoyed being in the head of the German U-boat commander who sunk it. Captain Turner of the Lusitania was a great tragic figure. It‘s the details that make his writing shine.

#Dead #OminousOctober @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This is a painting of the Lusitania, a luxury passenger ship which was sunk by a German torpedo in 1915. It was called a “Greyhound” because of its‘ speed. The book follows the story of Captain Turner, the German U-boat and many passengers. Fascinating information, although,at times, the nautical facts went over my head! Political intrigue.President Wilson‘s pursuit of his second wife added a respite from the devastation.#booked2022 #nauticaltheme

This book has been sitting on my TBR shelves for years. I realized that it would work for a challenge and that the audio was also available from Libby. Thus, I am using the audio + book method to quicken the process. It is my first Erik Larsen read. When I checked Goodreads, I saw that it was also Jenny Colvin‘s first Larsen. I am dedicating this read to her. #rememberingjenny

This entire year has been slowly sliding downhill until it was like an avalanche. To my #LitsyLove friends, I am so sorry I just fell away. I'd love to come back and write again. Hopefully this year can pick up soon

Harrowing account of the infamous incident with historic implications.

For our recent 22nd wedding anniversary we watched Titanic ( the taxi driver who took us to get our marriage licence in Vegas was playing the soundtrack and was horrified we‘d never seen the film -
So we promised him we‘d watch it as soon as we got home!). Put me in the mood for a book about ships and disaster! This seems to fit that bill!

I gave myself a 2022 head start and began a chunkster in December. Haha - there‘s 75 pages of acknowledgments so it wasn‘t quite as daunting a read as I anticipated. I found this fascinating - and the wartime assumptions made astounded me. I‘ve heard the name Lusitania my whole life and I guess I assumed that meant I knew way more history about it than I did. Humbled by books!

It‘s amazing how Erik Larson makes something that should be really boring interesting. There was a lot of detail about submarines in WWI, the captains of both U-20 and the Lusitania, and the effort to get the US into the war. I loved the personal aspects, with quotes and details from survivors and writings/journals from the passengers and crew.

This was my #doublespin read for August. This book was very good. I did struggle with it at times. I think that has to do with this being my 2nd book about maritime disasters in about 1 month. It was well researched and full of personal details from survivors or recovered personal writings. I am left feeling sorrow that this was allowed to happen and even desired. I won't say further than that. I'll look for more of his works. @TheAromaofBooks

Getting ready to start this for my #doublespin selection for August. I've heard all of his books are excellent. Being an ex-sailor, I hope this is as good as many say.

If you are into disasters, like the Titanic, you will like it, but it has too many non-essential details. It took forever before it got to the actual torpedo hit and sinking. Learned more about U-boats in the first World War, and how it took two years before Wilson was able to get the USA into the War. Some more overall perspectives and facts could have been included, like how Wilson's second wife later practically led the country. Very good.

I'm reading this next. I've read his In the Garden of Beasts and Devil in the White City, and he's an author I like. I really enjoy popular history that's well written.

Now how many more will I get in before the end of the year? 😊📚
#goodreadschallenge

🌸 outdoors

🌼 I do #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville , #bookspin #doublespin #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks , and:
#springsentiments @Eggs
#oppositeday @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheKidUpstairs
#poetrymatters @TheSpineView
#quotsyapr21 @TK-421
#moviesinapril @Klou

Really like Erik Larson and hope to read more. I started with The Splendid and the Vile. I love being read to, so the audios of his books are great 👍🏼
Dead Wake is the artfully written history of the last voyage of Lusitania and the sub that destroyed it.

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

#windsofmarch #sailaway

Day 5: Sail Away

🎧📚 Chapters flip between life onboard the Lusitania during its final voyage & life on the german submarine U-20 that sank the ocean liner plus chapters involving President Wilson, Churchill, their personal lives & the aftermath.

This is my favorite Erik Larson book to date & I haven‘t heard Scott Brick narrate in forever so that was unexpectedly comforting.

This is a true story told in novel format. Truly heartbreaking! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👇🏻

I am about to run out of books so I‘m waiting for the library to open while I listen to an audiobook.

WOW!!! I started with audiobook but quickly realized I needed physical copy to roll along with. To say this was EYE opening is an understatement. You just can‘t make this sh$t up. One thing that blew my mind was a Canadian passenger who didn‘t survive the The Lusitania (most DID not), was then sent home as a corpse and the Ship he was on (I think it was the Hesperian) was torpedoed- what?!! Torpedoed in life and death👇🏽

TBH this week has been a bit...weird. Myspouse is all riled up about politics, the chief of staff messed up my timecard and I can‘t get it fixed, I dumped half my lunch on my brand new pants. BUT I‘m getting ready to go to in-person book club! Social distancing, masks, and outside. I‘ve missed these ladies.

Pharrell‘s “Happy” always makes me think of summer.

#thoughtfulthursday

I only knew passing information about the sinking of the Lusitania so I found this book interesting.
I like Larson‘s way of making non fiction feel like fiction.

Time for some #audiopuzzle time

Up next

Page-turner

My first Larson book but certainly not my last. I don‘t know much about WWI but this was a good addition to my knowledge base. Larson writes nonfiction that provides facts in addition to telling a story - the tragedy of the Lusitania and the entrance of America into WWI.

Pictured is the painting “Return of the Mayflower” depicting the US warships sent to patrol British waters after Wilson and America declared war. #nfnov