Dimensions
165 x 240 x 50mm
On May 7th, 1915 a passenger ship crossing the Atlantic sank with the loss of 1,200 lives. On board were some world-famous figures, including multi-millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt. The liner was the "Lusitania" and it was torpedoed by a German U-boat.
'Wilful Murder' is the hugely compelling story of the sinking of the "Lusitania". The first book to look at the events in their full historical context, it is also the first to place the human dimension at its heart. Using first-hand accounts of the tragedy Diana Preston brings the characters to life, recreating the splendour of the Cunard luxury liner as it set sail from New York and the horror of her final moments.
Using British, American and German research material Diana Preston answers many of the unsolved, controversial questions surrounding the "Lusitania": why didn't Cunard listen to warnings that the ship would be a target of the Germans? Was the "Lusitania" sacrificed to bring the Americans into the War? What was really in the ship's hold? Was the verdict of wilful murder, from the inquest held the day after the sinking, justified? And did the Kaiser's decision to cease unrestricted U-boat warfare in response to international outrage at the sinking effectively change the outcome of the First World War?
The first major book for twenty-five years to explore the tragedy, 'Wilful Murder' is a highly readable, thoroughly researched account that casts dramatic new light on one of the world's most famous maritime disasters.
