A Wilful Murder: The Sinking of The Lusitania

The sinking of the Lusitania — the compelling story behind the human tragedy.

On May 7, 1915 a passenger ship crossing the Atlantic sank with the loss of 1200 lives. On board were some world famous figures, including multimillionaire Alfred Vanderbilt. But this wasn’t the Titanic and there was no iceberg. The liner was the Lusitania and it was torpedoed by a German U-boat.

Wilful Murder is the compelling story of the sinking of the Lusitania, placing the events both in their historical context, and their human dimension at its heart. Using first-hand accounts of the tragedy Diana Preston brings the tragedy to life, recreating the splendour of the liner as it set sail and the horror of its final moments. Then, using British, American and German research material, she answers many of the controversial questions surrounding the incident: why didn’t Cunard listen to warnings that the ship would be a German target? Was the Lusitania sacrificed to bring the Americans into the War? What was really in the Lusitania’s hold? Had Cunard’s offices been infiltrated by German agents? And, finally, did the Kaiser’s decision to restrict U-boat warfare in response to international outrage over the sinking change the outcome of the First World War?

Highly readable, highly researched Wilful Murder casts dramatic new light on one of the world’s most famous maritime disasters.