Erik Larson's books WILL make you smarter. I knew nothing about the final crossing of the Lusitania from New York to Liverpool during WWI until I read this book and now I feel like I've had a history refresher course that I never knew I needed! Larson deals with his non-fiction subjects with such reverence and humanity. His dedication to his research of all facets of this book (much of the fancy men's clothing worn on deck was pink; Woodrow Wilson could write a helluva love letter) made it come to life for me. Extremely moving and massively informative, Dead Wake is a must read. 
 P.S. Don't skip out on the Notes section at the end. He's included lots of tidbits that didn't fit into the main narrative and a website where you can view the only existing footage of the arrivals and departure of the Lusitania's final voyage.