Into the Danger Zone: The Lusitania, First Battle of the Atlantic, and Liners During the Great War

As the First World War erupted, the transatlantic passenger trade was at its peak and, as the enormity of the conflict grew, many liners were conscripted into military service. In an attempted counter-blockade of England, German U-boats began attacking Allied merchant vessels, sparking international outrage as civilian casualties began to mount in what became known as the First Battle of the Atlantic. Eventually, the declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917 helped to draw the previously neutral United States into the conflict. By war’s end, the U-boats had managed to sink over 5,000 ships, killing 15,000 people in the process. Into the Danger Zone recounts what it was like for both military personnel and civilians alike to experience a sea voyage during a time of unprecedented war, when they could encounter dangers from U-boats, mines, and enemy surface vessels. Attacks were frequent and tragedy all too common. This engaging oral history, now in a revised and expanded second edition, helps readers to experience this little explored chapter of the twentieth century through the use of a large quantity of unpublished or rare first-hand accounts, illustrations, and photographs. Available on Blurb.