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Civil War Naval Books
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USS Constellation
An Illustrated History. Bockmiller & Bopp. The last all-sail
warship constructed by the U.S. Navy, the Constellation is the last vessel
afloat that actively served in the Union or Confederate Navies during the
Civil War. Over 200 B&W images - including photographs, engravings,
paintings and sketches - present her fascinating story, from
mystery-shrouded construction in 1854, through numerous assignments and
several restorations. 128 pgs., 6½"x 9¼", sfbd.
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The Battle of the Ironclads
John V. Quarstein. This book brings to life the dramatic events that
occurred in Hampton Roads on March 8 and 9, 1862, when the first battle
between armored vessels - in what was perhaps the most significant naval
event of the entire Civil War - took place. It's a visual chronicle not
only of the exciting story of the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia
(Merrimack), but also a saga of uncommon valor and leadership. 128 pgs.,
185 B&W illustrations, 6½"x 9¼", sfbd.
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Under the Blue Pennant
John W. Grattan. Recently discovered in the Library of Congress archives,
this memoir was written just after the Civil War by John Grattan, an
ensign in the Union navy who witnessed some of the war's most significant
naval operations. It's a highly acclaimed eyewitness account of the War at
sea, providing fascinating insights into command decisions made on the
bridge as well as life below deck. 252 pgs., 55 B&W illustrations, 5¾"x
8¾", sfbd.
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The Secret Service of the Confederate States in Europe
James D. Bulloch. A forgotten classic about a forgotten part of the Civil
War, this book is the personal account of Jefferson Davis' secret man in
London, who was tapped to clandestinely acquire arms and ships for its
navy. The mission ended in grand failure, but more than a decade later,
the author created this dispassionate, meticulously researched record that
stands as one of the most important military memoirs of the Civil War. 669
pgs., 5¼"x 8", sfbd.
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Union Monitor 1861-65
The first seagoing ironclad was the USS Monitor, and its profile has made
it one of the most easily recognized warships of all time. Following her
inconclusive battle with the Confederate ironclad Virginia, technological
advancements were included in subsequent monitor designs, and by the end
of the war the US Navy possessed a modern coastal fleet carrying the most
powerful artillery afloat. This book covers the design, development and
operational history of the Union's Monitor fleet. 48 pages, 40 B&W
photographs and illustrations, 11 color illustrations, 7¼"x 9¾", softcover.
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Hampton Roads 1862
First Clash of the Ironclads. Angus Konstam. On March 9, 1862 the
world's first battle between two ironclad warships took place in the
confined waters of Hampton Roads, Virginia. The four-hour duel was a
stalemate, but crucially the Virginia had failed to break the Northern
blockade of the Southern ports. It was a single battle that rendered
wooden warships obsolete and transformed the face of naval warfare
forever. 96 pgs., 80 B&W and 12 color illustrations, 7¼"x 9¾", sfbd.
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Union River Ironclad 1861-65
In the fight for control of the Mississippi River - a vital strategic
artery in the Civil War - the Confederates relied on field fortifications
and small gunboats while the Union built a series of revolutionary river
ironclads that fought in a string of decisive engagements. This book
explains how these vessels worked, how they were constructed, how they
were manned and how they fought. 48 pgs., 40 B&W photos and illustrations,
7¼"x 9¾", sfbd.
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Mississippi River Gunboats of the American Civil War
At the start of the Civil War, neither side had warships on the
Mississippi River. But in the first few months, both sides scrambled to
gather a flotilla, converting existing riverboats for naval use. It was a
miracle of ingenuity, improvisation and logistics, particularly for the
South. This title describes the design, development and operation of these
gunboats throughout the war. 48 pgs., 40 B&W photos and illustrations, 11
color illustrations, 7¼"x 9¾", sfbd.
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Farragut
America's First Admiral. Robert J. Schneller, Jr. "Damn the torpedoes!
Full speed ahead!" With those words, David Glasgow Farragut led a fleet of
Union warships into Mobile Bay, where he achieved one of the most
celebrated victories in American naval history. This biography is of the
greatest naval officer, Union or Confederate, of the Civil War and,
indeed, perhaps the most outstanding U.S. naval officer of the 19th
century. 132 pgs., 15 B&W illustrations, 5"x 8", hdbd.
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Success Is All That Was Expected
The South Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Civil War. Robert M.
Browning, Jr. This blow-by-blow account of the naval operations of the
South Atlantic Blockading Squadron includes harrowing engagements between
ships and forts, daring amphibious assaults, battles between ironclad
vessels, harassment of Confederate blockade runners, and combating the
incredible evolution of underwater warfare in the form of the CSS Hunley.
509 pgs., 30 B&W illustrations, 6"x 9", hdbd.
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War, Technology, & Experience Aboard the USS Monitor
This book adds a new perspective to the USS Monitor story as it explores
how mariners - fighting "blindly" below the waterline - lived and coped
with the metal monster they called the "iron coffin." You'll learn how the
iron warship emerged as an idea and became practicable, how building it
forced changes in manufacturing technology, and how the vessel captured
the 19th century American popular imagination. 200 pgs., 6"x 9", sfbd.
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Civil War Ironclads
The U.S. Navy and
Industrial Mobilization. William H. Roberts. The first comprehensive study
of one of the most ambitious programs in the history of naval
shipbuilding. The Navy established a "project office" that spearheaded
efforts to develop a marine fleet of ironclads, but the author argues here
that, for the many reasons he presents and contrary to widespread belief,
the ironclad program set Navy shipbuilding back a generation. 298 pgs., 25
B&W illustrations, 6"x 9", hdbd.
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Monitors
The Men, Machines and Mystique. Jerry Harlowe. This book is a series of
vignettes addressing the unique and particularly odd, but singularly
powerful ironclad warship classes designated as "monitors." Also covers
the men involved with the vessels, and touches on the mystique that
developed around these floating flatirons. 112 pgs., 100 B&W photos and
illustrations, 8½"x 11", sfbd.
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Ironclads and Columbiads
William R. Trotter. Recounts the exciting battles and events that shook
the coast of North Carolina during America's bloodiest war. It's a story
of frustrations, missed opportunities for both sides, lopsided victories,
and heartbreaking defeats, illuminated at every turn by flashes of
extraordinary bravery and tactical brilliance. This book tells that story
in more detail than it has ever previously been told. 456 pgs., 25 B&W
photos and illustrations, 5½"x 8½", sfbd.
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Gray Phantoms of the Cape Fear
Running the Civil War Blockade. Dawson Carr. In mid-1863, Wilmington,
North Carolina, found it had to supply Robert E. Lee's army if the South
was to continue the Civil War. Guns, ammunition, clothing, and food had to
be brought into the Confederacy and Wilmington was the last open port.
Knowing this, the Union amassed a formidable blockading force off storied
Cape Fear. This book tells the story of the blockade-runners and their
captains, crews, cargoes, opponents, and many unbelievable escapes. 239
pgs., 6"x 9", sfbd.
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Confederate Ironclad 1861-65
Angus Konstam. The creation of a Confederate ironclad fleet was a miracle
of ingenuity, improvisation and logistics: Confederate designers adapted
existing vessels or created new ones from the keel up, building them in
remote cornfields, on small inland rivers or in naval yards within sight
of the enemy. This title explains how these vessels worked, how they were
constructed, how they were manned and how they fought. 48 pgs., 40 B&W and
10 color illustrations, 7¼"x 9¾", sfbd.
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Raising the Hunley
The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine.
Hicks & Kropf. In February 1864, after a legendary encounter with a Union
battleship, the Confederacy's iron "fish boat" H.L. Hunley vanished
without a trace, remaining one of the great unsolved mysteries of the
Civil War for more than a century. Then, in August 2000, the Hunley was
raised from the bottom of the sea. Here, you'll gain new insights into the
Hunley's final hours and learn the amazing true story of its rescue. 317
pgs., 30 color and B&W photos and illustrations, 5 1/2"x 8¼", sfbd. |
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