Critical Hours -LUSITANIA: The Final 24 Hours

At 2:10 p.m. on 7 May 1915, a single torpedo struck RMS Lusitania off the coast of Ireland.

Eighteen minutes later, one of the most famous passenger liners in the world had vanished beneath the Atlantic.

More than 1,100 people were dead.

The disaster shocked the world.

But what happened during the final twenty-four hours before impact?

In this immersive historical reconstruction, bestselling author Bill Stewart takes readers aboard Lusitania during the last ordinary day of her existence.

Passengers stroll the promenade decks.

Children play beneath Edwardian luxury.

Officers maintain their watches.

Stewards prepare evening meals.

Beyond the horizon, German submarine U-20 continues its patrol.

Neither side yet understands how little time remains.

Hour by hour, then minute by minute, this gripping narrative follows the converging paths of hunter and hunted until history can no longer be stopped.

Drawing upon survivor testimony, official inquiries, contemporary accounts, and historical research, The Final Twenty-Four Hours places readers inside one of the most consequential maritime disasters of the twentieth century.

A great ship.

A single torpedo.

Eighteen minutes that changed the world.

Perfect for readers of maritime history, naval history, World War One history, and narrative nonfiction.