Search - National Geographic: Last Voyage of the Lusitania on DVD

Lusitania

Stephanie Johnson | Westminster, Colorado United States | 04/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Great film, my History students enjoyed it. Kept their attention and had great information on the history of the ship and world war 1"

National Geographic: Last Voyage of the Lusitania

William J. Levy | Albany, NY | 02/20/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As usual, National Geographic has done a wonderful job of bringing a topic to life. If documantaries are for you, this is a MUST HAVE. Something new can be learned each and every time this is viewed."

"NOTICE! TRAVELLERS intending to embark on the Atlantic voya

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 01/08/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"National Geographic's hour-long LAST VOYAGE OF THE LUSITANIA blends a handful of antique film clips with reminiscences of a few survivors and narration from Martin Sheen. The lion's share of this documentary is devoted to Robert Ballard's underwater explorations via his mini-sub Jason of the RMS Lusitania's resting place.

Because the ship lay damaged-side-down, Ballard, who was first to locate the Titanic and Bismarck wrecks, finds it impossible to say with certainty that a lone torpedo caused an explosion of rumored contraband armaments. A long track of coal on the ocean floor leading to the remains may indicate that when the motored bomb hit, it caused nearby coal dust in almost-empty bins to fill the air. This cloud might easily have ignited with the torpedo's flash, thus tearing the boat's right side aft of its cargo hold to shreds, explaining why Lusitania sank in a mere 18 minutes.

Most tragic of all is the final segment. Cunard's 1915 files on the disaster are examined and we see photo after grueling photo of some of the nearly 300 recovered bodies. Many are children and infants; all have the dreadful appearance of victims drowned in an unforgiving sea.

For the record, 1,198 of the 1,959 on board Lusitania died on May 7th, 1915 after the unlucky liner crossed paths with the German U-20 submarine. This predator had already sunk three ships: the Candidate, The Centurion and Miss Morris, a merchant schooner. One torpedo launched from a half-mile distance was all it took to quickly send Lusitania to a watery grave."

Factual and revealing

Daniel J. Agostinho | 09/29/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After all those years it is revealing to learn of the demise of the Lusitania and what lead up to the demise of The Lusitania, I felt sorry for all those lives lost and what the survivors had to endure."