Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Book Review

February 24, 2016 — This is my first attempt at a book review, but I was so captivated by this particular book that I felt compelled to write down my impressions of it. The book is Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson.

The fate of the Lusitania is well-known to most of us. The luxurious British ocean liner, world’s largest passenger ship in her day, on a voyage from New York to Liverpool, England, was sunk by a German torpedo off the coast of Ireland in 1915.  Over one thousand lives were lost, more than one hundred of them Americans. But knowing how it ends takes nothing away from the gripping suspense of Larson’s narrative. Thanks to the meticulous record-keeping of American and British authorities, ship’s logs and writings of survivors and witnesses, the book reads like a novel with intimate detail and deep insight into the personalities and mindsets of those involved.

Larson describes events leading up to World War I, introduces us to many of those involved in the drama, from passengers to various American and British officials, and key players such as William Turner, captain of the Lusitania, who remained on the bridge until the ship sank beneath the waves. He survived. There was the highly skilled, determined, ruthless U-boat captain, Walther Schwieger, who was credited with sinking a total of 190,000 tons of shipping, of which the Lusitania comprised about 16 per cent. And of course, President Woodrow Wilson, who kept America out of the war until 1917, while grief over his wife’s death over-shadowed some of the most difficult decisions an American president has had to make.

In many ways, the tragedy was unnecessary. The Lusitania expected an escort by the Royal Navy as it neared Liverpool. It didn’t get one. Schwieger’s U-boat had already sunk three ships and was known to be still patrolling waters in the Lusitania’s path, but this information was never relayed to Captain Turner. Schwieger, low on fuel  and with only three torpedoes left after his patrol of the North Atlantic, was headed for home port when he had his historic meeting with the Lusitania.

Larson’s description of the devastation and terror following the torpedo hit is so vivid it’s gut-wrenching to read. The Lusitania listed so badly and quickly, lifeboats had trouble launching. Some were upended, dumping forty or more passengers into the sea. Others, fully loaded, smashed against the side of the ship, killing some passengers instantly. Many didn’t know how to wear their life jackets correctly and were held head-first under water and drowned. Some were thrown into the water with no life jackets. There were many acts of heroism and sacrifice.

One particularly heart-breaking experience was that of seven-year-old Robert Kay. He had spent most of the trip in quarantine with measles. His mother, in the late stages of pregnancy, tried to carry him to a life boat, holding him close as they were thrown into the sea. They became separated and he never saw his mother again. Someone reported seeing a woman giving birth in the water. The possibility the woman could have been his mother haunted Robert the rest of his life.

It was three hours before rescue ships arrived. Many, floating in their life jackets, died of hypothermia in the 55-degree water. Of the nearly two thousand passengers, less than eight hundred survived. Six hundred were never found. Out of thirty-three infants aboard, six survived.

In the final chapters, Larson follows up with stories of the lives of the survivors in the years following the attack. A tireless researcher and master story-teller, Larson has written a remarkably thorough accounting of one of wartime's great tragedies.

Sunday, February 7, 2016

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"

February 7, 2016 — It was an ambitious undertaking for the Winni Players Community Theatre, but they proved themselves up to the daunting taak in every respect in their performance of the Tennessee Williams classic, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Directed by Susanna Brent at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire, the intense drama held the audience's rapt attention for nearly three hours, including two brief intermissions.

On Big Daddy's 65th birthday, the Mississippi plantation owner's family has gathered to celebrate. Son Brick and his wife, Maggie, his other son Gooper and wife Mae and their five children (a sixth on the way) are all present. The family has lifted a great weight from Big Daddy and his wife, Big Mama, by informing them Big Daddy's exploratory surgery and battery of tests have found no evidence of the cancer they feared. But are they being truthful?

Over the course of one evening, old resentments and bad feelings boil to the surface. Alcoholic Brick, hobbled by a broken ankle, drowns his sorrows over his lost youth, football prowess, and death of a close male friend with whom he may or may not have had a gay relationship. Brick sleeps separately on the sofa, ignoring Maggie's endless tirades against his drinking and neglect. Big Daddy, loud and abusive, takes out his rage on everyone, especially Big Mama who tries unsuccessfully to appease him. Gooper, a successful lawyer, barely hides his contempt for his father and brother. Mae and Maggie engage in catty and sarcastic exchanges.

As he often does, Winni regular Ray Dudley steals the show with his thunderous portrayal of the explosive Big Daddy. You can't help but sympathize with the abused Big Mama as portrayed by Barbara Webb. Jamie M. Clavet is perfectly cast as the sexy, neglected Maggie. David T. Bleiler in many ways has the most challenging role as the heavy-drinking, depressed Brick. Connor D'Heilly and Margaret Lundberg are excellent as Gooper and Mae. Several supporting actors and five delightful children round out the cast in this, one of the best community players groups in New Hampshire, or anywhere else.