Exploring the Lusitania - 1995

Front Cover, Exploring the Lusitania, Probing the Mysteries of the Sinking that Changed History, 1995.

Front Cover, Exploring the Lusitania, Probing the Mysteries of the Sinking that Changed History, 1995. GGA Image ID # 18d3ea13d1

From The Inside Flaps

Avenge the Lusitania! was the slogan emblazoned on British recruiting posters during the second year of the Great War.

In May of 1915, a German torpedo sank the sleek Cunard liner Lusitania with the loss of 1,195 civilian lives. The sinking turned world opinion against Germany, and the deaths of 123 American passengers were the first step in bringing the United States into World War I.

But almost from the moment the German submarine fired the torpedo, controversy has surrounded the Lusitania. Why did she sink so quickly? Why was there a second explosion? Had the liner been carrying munitions for the British? Did Winston Churchill, then First Sea Lord, allow the sinking in the hope that it might draw America into the war? Rumors of conspiracies and cover-ups surround the liner, and eighty years later, she is still a ship of mystery.

In August of 1993, Dr. Robert Ballard, the Titanic discoverer, and the Bismarck led an expedition to Lusitania's wreck, off the coast of Ireland, searching for answers. Using a small submarine and remotely controlled camera vehicles, Ballard and his team studied the wreckage like a team of underwater detectives trying to solve a murder mystery.

Their high-quality underwater images of the shattered wreck can now shed light on the cause of the sinking that sent her to the bottom in minutes. Ballard's conclusions are authoritative and provide a fascinating, definitive account of what happened on that fateful May afternoon eighty years ago.

Exploring the Lusitania is also a glorious illustrated history of one of the proudest examples of the age when liners ruled the sea lanes, featuring Ballard's excellent underwater photography paired with high-quality archival material in fascinating "then and now" spreads. And paintings by noted marine artist Ken Marschall, who accompanied Ballard on his expedition and was able to paint the Lusitania firsthand from a submarine, capture the lost liner in all her shattered poignancy.

Dr. Robert D. Ballard is known worldwide for his explorations of both the Titanic and the legendary battleship Bismarck. But he is also one of the world's foremost oceanographers and has used submersibles to explore the ocean depths and chart their hidden features for many years.

Dr. Ballard is also the JASON Foundation for Education founder, a nonprofit organization that involves schoolchildren in live electronic field trips. Since its first expedition in 1989, the JASON Project has involved more than two-and-a-half-million students worldwide in its interactive programs.

Dr. Robert Ballard works with his wife, Barbara Earle Ballard. She is president of Odyssey Corporation and Odyssey Expeditions, which developed, organized, and executed the expedition off Ireland that resulted in this book and the National Geographic television special on the Lusitania. Dr. Ballard has also coauthored a novel with Tony Chiu entitled Bright Shark and acted as a technical advisor for Steven Spielberg's television adventure series Seaquest DSV. In the summer of 1995, Ballard explored the Titanic's sister ship Britannic, which sank off Greece in 1916.

Spencer Dunmore worked closely with Robert Ballard on the research, organization, and writing of this book. A Canadian writer, he is the author of several books, including Wings for Victory and the bestselling novel Bomb Run.

Ken Marschall created realistic paintings of the Lusitania wreck and numerous paintings of her on the surface for this book. Exploring the Lusitania marks the fourth time he has worked with Robert Ballard. The world's foremost painter of the Titanic, his work was prominently featured in Titanic: An Illustrated History.

Eric Sauder, a leading expert on the Lusitania, served as a historical consultant for both the exploration and this book, providing many pictures from his private collection.

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Warner Books
A Time Warner Company
A Warner/Madison Press Book 0-446-51851-4
Printed In Italy
$45.00 FPT
($54.00 in Canada)
Exploring the Lusitania

Synopsis

On May 7, 1915, the fastest, most luxurious cruise ship in the Cunard line, the Lusitania, was sunk by a German U-boat, spurring U.S. involvement in World War I. Now, best-selling author/researcher Robert Ballard probes the decades-old controversy surrounding this pivotal maritime tragedy.

From the Back Cover

Back Cover, Exploring the Lusitania, Probing the Mysteries of the Sinking that Changed History, 1995.

Back Cover, Exploring the Lusitania, Probing the Mysteries of the Sinking that Changed History, 1995. GGA Image ID # 18d42831d9

The man who brought the world the Titanic now reveals the most mysterious liner of all time ...

On May 7, 1915, a torpedo from a German submarine hit the elegant Cunard liner Lusitania. In less than twenty minutes, the ship sank, taking the lives of 1,195 people. For eighty years, this great maritime tragedy has been shrouded in controversy. Was the Lusitania carrying munitions? Why was there a second explosion?

Now underwater explorer Robert Ballard illuminates this ship of mystery. He has probed the entire length of the haunting wreck in his tiny submarine in search of clues. His History-making findings are revealed in this enthralling book highlighted by hundreds of breathtaking photographs, paintings, and diagrams.

Description From the Publisher

In August of 1993, Dr. Robert Ballard, the Titanic discoverer, and the Bismarck led an expedition to Lusitania's wreck off Ireland's coast.

Using a small submarine and remotely controlled camera vehicles, Ballard and his team studied the wreckage like a team of underwater detectives trying to solve a murder mystery.

Their high-quality underwater images of the shattered wreck can now shed light on the cause of the sinking that sent her to the bottom in minutes.

Ballard's conclusions are authoritative and provide a fascinating, definitive account of what happened on that fateful May afternoon eighty years ago.

Contents

  1. The Old Head of Kinsale, 1993
  2. The 202nd Crossing
  3. The Last Departure
  4. A Fateful Encounter
  5. Abandon Ship!
  6. Pointing the Finger
  7. Exploring the Lusitania
  8. Lusitania Then and Now
  9. What Sank the Lusitania?
  10. Epilogue
  • Chronology
  • End Matter

Library of Congress Catalog Listing

  • Personal name: Ballard, Robert D.
  • Main title: Exploring the Lusitania : probing the mysteries of the sinking that changed history / Robert D. Ballard, with Spencer Dunmore ; paintings by Ken Marshall ; historical consultation by Eric Sauder.
  • Published/Created: New York : Warner Books, c1995.
  • Description: 227 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm.
  • ISBN: 0446518514 (hardcover)
  • LC classification: D592.L8 B345 1995
  • Related names: Dunmore, Spencer, 1928-
  • LC Subjects: Lusitania (Steamship); Shipwrecks--History--20th century.
  • Notes: "A Warner/Madison Press book." Includes bibliographical references (p. 219) and index.
  • LCCN: 95002771
  • Dewey class no.: 940.4/514
  • Type of material: Book
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