Dead Wake - The Most Recent Book from Erik Larson

Reading glasses on top of books

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Thomas "Tom" Stefkovich is a Colorado Aero Tech alumnus who has served as an aircraft mechanic with Roth Aerial Spraying, Inc., since 2016. When he isn't overseeing the maintenance of aircraft on behalf of the company, Thomas Stefkovich enjoys reading. He counts Erik Larson as his favorite author.

Larson is a New York Times bestselling author whose penchant for blending historical facts with fiction stories is manifested in books like In the Garden of Beasts, Thunderstruck, and The Devil in the White City. His most recent novel, Dead Wake, focuses on the sinking of the Lusitania, which occurred during World War I. 

The Lusitania set sail for Liverpool from New York on May 1, 1915, and was soon sunk by German forces in the North Atlantic. Larson's account of the disaster follows Lusitania captain William Thomas Turner and German Underseeboot-20 captain Walter Schwieger. Woven throughout the story is a broader picture of America during the time, with emphasis on powerful characters like President Woodrow Wilson and Theodate Pope, a pioneering female architect. The book has received praise from the New York Times and Entertainment Weekly, in addition to Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin.

Film Adaption Planned for Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts

An authorized aircraft maintenance technician, Thomas "Tom" Stefkovich works for Roth Aerial Spraying, Inc., where he ensures the aircraft complies with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. When he isn't working, Thomas Stefkovich enjoys reading historical fiction novels. His favorite author is Erik Larson.

A New York Times' best-selling author, Larson has written seven historical fiction novels, one of which is entitled, In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin. The popular book spent 15 weeks as No. 1 on the Times' list of bestsellers and is now being adapted for the big screen. Joe Wright, who has directed historical features such as Anna Karenina and Pride and Prejudice, is in the final negotiations to direct In the Garden of Beasts. Larson lent credibility to this report in a tweet in which he expressed joy that Wright was attached to the project.

While it isn't official, it has long been rumored that Tom Hanks will play the lead role of William E. Dodd, a Chicago professor who was sent to Germany in 1933 as an American ambassador. Hanks, who has been attached to In the Garden of Beasts since its film rights were picked up in 2011, is also expected to produce the movie.