The Sinking of the Lusitania

In May 1915, the RMS Lusitania, then the world's fastest liner, departed from New York. Seven days later she was torpedoed off the Irish coast with the loss of 1,198 lives. Suspected by the Germans of carrying clandestine munitions to Britain, the great ship steamed into a fatal encounter with the German submarine U-20. One of the largest naval disasters in history, it was a factor in bringing America into the First World War. Patrick O'Sullivan presents the complete story of the Lusitania a. air, exploring the cover-ups and the theories on what caused the baffling second explosion. His meticulous research reveals the most compelling explanation to date. This is a fascinating account of one of the First World War's most reported-on atrocities.

Patrick O'Sullivan, born in Cork, grew up hearing old fishermen's tales of German U-Boats that stalked the shores during the Great War. During a career as a commercial diver, his leisure time was spent exploring wreck sites, including that of RMS Lusitania. He has lectured and been interviewed extensively by the media on the subject, including for the BBC documentary Murder On The Atalantic.