"The saga of the Lusitania is one of the most remarkable in the annals of maritime history. State-of-the-art when she went into service and the first express liner to be equipped with steam turbines, she outclassed all her rivals. She triumphantly restored British supremacy on the North Atlantic passenger routes and became an acknowledged commercial success; she was highly popular with her regular passengers. Her sinking, in just eighteen minutes in May 1915, by a German U-boat, with the loss of life comparable with that of the Titanic disaster, was at that time the most savage attack on civilians in the course of war and was widely denounced in allied and neutral countries, and the ramifications were felt right across Europe and America. From that day her loss has become encrusted with legends, including conspiracy theories, many of them created by German propaganda." "This new book unravels those myths and legends and tells a clear and compulsive saga of terrible maritime disaster, of clashes among three powerful nations, and a story of potentates and presidents, ambassadors and ministers of state, bankers, shipping magnates and spies and, not least, the captain, William Turner, who had to defend himself against charges of incompetence and fight for his reputation."--Jacket.

First published in Great Britain in 2001 by Chatham Publishing, Rochester, Kent.

Challenge and response -- The birth of a star -- The brief life of the armed merchant cruiser -- A winter of discontent -- The last voyage -- The Titans of the Admiralty -- The seventh day of May -- Reaction -- How are the mighty fallen -- Lord Mersey inquires -- In camera -- the Mayer liability trial -- The war of the notes -- The myths of the Lusitania -- Conspiracy? -- Post mortem -- The reasons why I -- The reasons why II -- Aftermath : America goes to war -- The captains and the kings depart -- Appendices. The four point bearing fix -- The Parsons marine steam turbine -- Explanation of priming and water hammer.