Blue and Gray Navies: The Civil War Afloat

by Spencer C. Tucker

A longtime military history professor at Virginia Military Institute and prolific author, Spencer Tucker examines the important roles played by the Union and Confederate navies during the Civil War. His book makes use of recent scholarship as well as official records and the memoirs of participants to provide a complete perspective for the general reader and enough detail to hold the interest of the specialist. Tucker opens with an overview of the U.S. Navy's history to 1861 and then closely examines the two navies at the beginning of the war, looking at the senior leadership, officers and personnel, organization, recruitment practices, training, facilities, and manufacturing resources. He discusses the acquisition of ships and the design and construction of new types, as well as ship armament and the development of naval ordnance, and North and South naval strategies.The book then takes a close look at the war itself, including the Union blockade of the Confederate Atlantic and Gulf coasts, riverine warfare in the Western theater, Confederate blockade running and commerce raiders, and the Union campaigns against New Orleans, Charleston, Vicksburg, and on the Red River. Tucker covers the major battles and technological innovations, and he evaluates the significance of the Union blockade and the demands it placed on Union resources. Fourteen maps and a glossary of terms help readers follow the text. Extensive endnotes provide additional material.

Genres: American Civil War, History, Civil War

426 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2006

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, readable overview of the naval Civil War by an author who knows his stuff and can communicate quite effectively.



The structure of the book is a little different-- mostly chronological within topics-- which interrupts the overall sweep of the course of the war; so I wouldn't recommend this as an introduction for those new to the naval Civil War. (Tucker's own "Short History of the Civil War at Sea" fits that bill admirably, though, and I would direct newcomers to that one first.)



A good read, and the structure, while not without its challenges, allows for a little more analysis of specific aspects of the naval war than a purely chronological approach might have.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive history of the Union and Confederate navies.

Along with the battles, Tucker examines the people, the vessels, logistics, and technological developments. While readable, there is little dramatic about Tucker’s narrative, and it often reads like an encyclopedia. Still, Tucker does a great job describing both sides’ use of ironclads, the roles of Stephen Mallory and Gideon Welles, and the debate over the effectiveness of the Union blockade (Tucker argues that the blockade was, in fact, effective) The maps are also of good quality.

Tucker also covers the war on the rivers and the use of commerce raiders. Other sections do a great job covering questions of organization, strategy, etc. Tucker concludes that neither side was ever able to master planning and execution, and army-navy cooperation varied widely. In the end, Tucker argues, Union naval operations succeeded in shortening the war.

A well-written, well-researched history.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting look at naval warfare during the Civil War. The naval aspect is very under-appreciated by historians. It's usually limited to Monitor vs. Virginia and the Alabama. It was nice to see a broader story.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good telling of the naval battles of the Civil War and good insight to this little known part of the Civil War. However, each chapter reads like a separate essay and there doesn't seem to be an overall flow to the narrative.

[Mark Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough examination of the naval side of the American Civil War. This was required reading for a course I took on that conflict at Temple University - Ambler in the Fall of 2009.