What do you think?
Rate this book
Confederate Goliath: The Battle of Fort Fisher
The only comprehensive account of the Battle of Fort Fisher and the basis for the television documentary Confederate Goliath, Rod Gragg's award-winning book chronicles in detail one of the most dramatic events of the American Civil War. Known as "the Gibraltar of the South," Fort Fisher was the largest, most formidable coastal fortification in the Confederacy, by late 1864 protecting its lone remaining seaport-Wilmington, North Carolina. Gragg's powerful, fast-paced narrative recounts the military actions, politicking, and personality clashes involved in this unprecedented land and sea battle. It vividly describes the greatest naval bombardment of the war and shows how the fort's capture in January 1865 hastened the South's surrender three months later. In his foreword, historian Edward G. Longacre surveys Gragg's work in the context of Civil War history and literature, citing Confederate Goliath as "the finest book-length account of a significant but largely forgotten episode in our nation's most critical conflict."
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
3 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 12, 2019
Rod Gragg's Confederate Goliath: The Battle of Fort Fisher is a thorough and well-crafted account of the fall of Fort Fisher below Wilmington, North Carolina near the end of the Civil War. By late 1864, Wilmington was the only significant port open in the Confederacy. It was the haven of a lucrative blockade-running business which kept the South, and particularly R. E. Lee's army, supplied with many essential items of war materiel. The fort's seizure by a combined operation of the Union army and navy spelled doom for the Confederacy. Gragg's book relies on solid research and among its strengths is the adept interweaving of serious historical writing with the personal accounts of officers and soldiers of each side. Confederate Goliath: The Battle of Fort Fisher earned Four Stars from me.
December 22, 2024
For most people, North Carolina doesn’t readily come to mind when considering the locales of major Civil War engagements. But by late 1864, the Confederate-held Fort Fisher, downriver from Wilmington, was “almost as important as Richmond,” Gragg writes. His well-written, compelling book rescues the battle from relative obscurity, giving the event its due as not just another falling domino on the way to Appomattox, but a notable event in its own right.
As the vise tightened on the Confederacy, Wilmington was its last remaining seaport that blockade runners were able to use to supply the South. Holding onto it was crucial for the Confederacy; losing it would be devastating. Seeing the writing on the wall at this stage of the war, “few intelligent observers, North or South, doubted that the end was near,” Gragg notes.
Gragg first writes of the initial, unsuccessful Union attempt to take the fort in December 1864, describing the infighting, the bad luck and a harebrained scheme involving a floating powder boat bomb, all of which contributed to the mission’s failure. In describing the tensions between Union Army Gen. Butler and Navy Adm. Porter, Gragg observes dryly that “thousands of men and dozens of ships had come hundreds of miles to launch a combined attack on the Confederacy's great fortress, and the joint commanders were not even speaking to each other.”
Bad weather ultimately led to a Union withdrawal, which led to Butler’s dismissal, which led to overconfidence among Confederates, which led to a follow-up battle a few weeks later, with decidedly different results.
Gragg offers a dramatic and detailed depiction of the second, complicated land-and-sea effort to take the fort, with its brutal close-quarter fighting, which ultimately turned into a costly but decisive Union victory.
The famous Hampton Roads Peace Conference - the last, desperate attempt by Confederate representatives to negotiate a settlement to the war - occurred just two weeks later. With the fall of Fort Fisher and the stranglehold on the South tightened, the Union held all the cards, so anything short of full surrender was a non-starter. Instead, the war continued, Union forces pushed on to capture Wilmington, and their hard-fought victories were quickly eclipsed by Lee’s surrender just six weeks later.
As many books about Civil War battles do, after describing the battle, its impact and aftermath, the book concludes with a “whatever-happened-to-everyone” epilogue. But rather than a series of perfunctory mini-biographies, Gragg aims to show how “the chaotic, bloody drama at Fort Fisher would forever affect the men who fought there,” describing how each of the principal participants memorialized the battle, refought old fights, lived with and sometimes succumbed to old battle wounds and, in the case of the fort’s Confederate commander Col. William Lamb and Union Gen. Newton Martin Curtis, old enemies sometimes became close friends.
The last “whatever happened to” entry is reserved for Fort Fisher itself, as Gragg describes failed efforts to preserve the site before most of it ultimately washed away into the sea. I’m not sure what the state of the site was when this book was first published in 1991, but it sounded almost like there’s absolutely nothing there anymore, when today there are still preserved earthworks, some reconstructions and a brand-new visitors center and museum.
I can’t say that I knew much about Fort Fisher before reading this book. So it’s a very good thing that the book, and the site, exist today to ensure that the story of what happened there endures.
As the vise tightened on the Confederacy, Wilmington was its last remaining seaport that blockade runners were able to use to supply the South. Holding onto it was crucial for the Confederacy; losing it would be devastating. Seeing the writing on the wall at this stage of the war, “few intelligent observers, North or South, doubted that the end was near,” Gragg notes.
Gragg first writes of the initial, unsuccessful Union attempt to take the fort in December 1864, describing the infighting, the bad luck and a harebrained scheme involving a floating powder boat bomb, all of which contributed to the mission’s failure. In describing the tensions between Union Army Gen. Butler and Navy Adm. Porter, Gragg observes dryly that “thousands of men and dozens of ships had come hundreds of miles to launch a combined attack on the Confederacy's great fortress, and the joint commanders were not even speaking to each other.”
Bad weather ultimately led to a Union withdrawal, which led to Butler’s dismissal, which led to overconfidence among Confederates, which led to a follow-up battle a few weeks later, with decidedly different results.
Gragg offers a dramatic and detailed depiction of the second, complicated land-and-sea effort to take the fort, with its brutal close-quarter fighting, which ultimately turned into a costly but decisive Union victory.
The famous Hampton Roads Peace Conference - the last, desperate attempt by Confederate representatives to negotiate a settlement to the war - occurred just two weeks later. With the fall of Fort Fisher and the stranglehold on the South tightened, the Union held all the cards, so anything short of full surrender was a non-starter. Instead, the war continued, Union forces pushed on to capture Wilmington, and their hard-fought victories were quickly eclipsed by Lee’s surrender just six weeks later.
As many books about Civil War battles do, after describing the battle, its impact and aftermath, the book concludes with a “whatever-happened-to-everyone” epilogue. But rather than a series of perfunctory mini-biographies, Gragg aims to show how “the chaotic, bloody drama at Fort Fisher would forever affect the men who fought there,” describing how each of the principal participants memorialized the battle, refought old fights, lived with and sometimes succumbed to old battle wounds and, in the case of the fort’s Confederate commander Col. William Lamb and Union Gen. Newton Martin Curtis, old enemies sometimes became close friends.
The last “whatever happened to” entry is reserved for Fort Fisher itself, as Gragg describes failed efforts to preserve the site before most of it ultimately washed away into the sea. I’m not sure what the state of the site was when this book was first published in 1991, but it sounded almost like there’s absolutely nothing there anymore, when today there are still preserved earthworks, some reconstructions and a brand-new visitors center and museum.
I can’t say that I knew much about Fort Fisher before reading this book. So it’s a very good thing that the book, and the site, exist today to ensure that the story of what happened there endures.
November 11, 2018
Despite growing up about an hour and a half from Wilmington, NC, I was unaware of the existence or significance of nearby Fort Fisher until a trip to the area about a year ago. I toured the museum and remaining ruins, now a state historic site. Intrigued, I put it on my list of history topics to explore later. This book is the one I chose for further study, and it was a good choice. It tells the story of the Union assault and eventual overrunning of the Confederate-held fort near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. The fort was the centerpiece of series of coastal artillery batteries surrounding the mouth of the Cape Fear that guarded the river approach to Wilmington. At the time of the battle, Wilmington was the last open Confederate port capable of receiving supplies from overseas, making it a significant military target. The fall of Fort Fisher, and ultimately Wilmington, had a direct effect on Lee's decision to surrender at Appomattox a few months later. The author uses many primary-source documents to give an engaging account of the battle sequence as well as the players involved on both sides. Having walked the battlefield previously also helped bring the story to life. i recommend this to anyone interested in a largely-overlooked but significant event in Civil War history.
January 15, 2022
Mr. Gragg has written a detailed account of the battle of Fort Fisher. His details tell us much about the time and seasons of the last year of the Confederacy. Although long, the end pages of the personages who were there in person made this book a treasure trove of information, as well as his lengthy bibliography. Mr. Gragg is to be commended for his in-depth detail to this last stronghold of the Confederacy. Although at times the details were gory, it needs to be told. He writes on pg 267 "Amid such twentieth-century event, or even on a Florida golf course, words and deeds at a North Carolina fort in 1865 must have seemed far, far away." That statement tells much because today we sadly do not read nor share much about the Civil War and its participants.
June 26, 2017
The history of the battles held on the coast of NC for Fort Fisher and the waterway to Wilmington, the last open port of the Confederacy. Reads like a novel, yet appears to be well researched with lot's of citations for the sources. If you are a North Carolinian, you should read this to know more about your state's history!
February 5, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book on one of the pivotal battles at the end of the war. As I continue learning the history of the state we have called home for the last 28 years, I did not thoroughly appreciate the significance of the battler of Fort Fisher until reading this volume. Gragg does a great job of telling the story of the people, the battle itself, and its repercussions without making it a dry recitation of facts and dates. I look forward to visiting the fort later this summer.
December 13, 2022
A well researched depiction of the capture of Fort Fisher, it resonated with me because I have been to the fort.
December 10, 2025
Extremely well written, great information. Really displays the brutality of the civil war
December 22, 2025
Wonderful book that is engaging and informative. Could not put it down.
February 1, 2022
Finished and agree that this is a great book.
May 23, 2013
I was on vacation recently with family in Carolina Beach and we went fishing at Fort Fisher. Standing out there on the jetties that were over 100 years old, seeing the huge earthen battlements rising up out of the flat landscape like so many mountains piqued my interest, and so I took the tour of what is left of Fort Fisher. Afterwards, I bought this book in the Parks gift shop, and started reading it when we got back to our beach house.
If every history book was written like this, kids would almost across the board agree that history is a great class in High School. The story telling is gripping and personal, it gives you insight that you probably never had into the Civil War, and within the first two pages, has you marveling at the state of things in the Confederacy and how truly bad they were becoming at the end of the war.
To be honest, when I finish this book, I will go visit the park again, and walk the entirety of the fort (whats left anyway)with this book in hand.
If you truly want to add to the experience of this book, use the official Fort Fisher website as a compliment to the book.
http://www.nchistoricsites.org/fisher/
If every history book was written like this, kids would almost across the board agree that history is a great class in High School. The story telling is gripping and personal, it gives you insight that you probably never had into the Civil War, and within the first two pages, has you marveling at the state of things in the Confederacy and how truly bad they were becoming at the end of the war.
To be honest, when I finish this book, I will go visit the park again, and walk the entirety of the fort (whats left anyway)with this book in hand.
If you truly want to add to the experience of this book, use the official Fort Fisher website as a compliment to the book.
http://www.nchistoricsites.org/fisher/
August 2, 2009
A truly fascinating book about an important, but little known, battle of the Civil War. Read it after visiting Fort Fisher. Mr. Gragg's book is popular history at its best, informative, well-written, exciting and personal. I will not say that someone having no interest in the Civil War will find it interesting, because that may be asking too much. However, anyone who is a buff, or interested in North Carolina history should read the book. The thing I was struck by, as I often am in reading about the War, is how YOUNG everyone was, even senior officers. All the brigade commanders at Fort Fisher, with the rank of colonel, were in their 20s. The youngest WAS 20. And Galusha Pennypacker had been fighting since he was 16. The Union commanding general, Alfred Terry, was only 38. Fascinating book. Highly recommended.
December 29, 2015
Fort Fisher was a monsterous earthwork fort near the mouth of the Cape Fear River that kept open the lifeline of the Confederacy - the port of Wilmington - the last place where blockade runners could supply the South with the necessities of life and war. Those who ran it, knew the day would come where they would be forced to defend it. In December of 1864, the Union would make their first effort.
This book chronicles the story of that time, adding in details of the construction of Fort Fisher, the backgrounds of the principles in the battles and the fate of these men. It's a gripping story of courage, ingenuity, power and fear. It's a piece of the Civil War that often gets overlooked, but is well worth investigating.
I recommend this to all my Civil War friends, encouraging them to step outside their norms and read an incredible true story.
This book chronicles the story of that time, adding in details of the construction of Fort Fisher, the backgrounds of the principles in the battles and the fate of these men. It's a gripping story of courage, ingenuity, power and fear. It's a piece of the Civil War that often gets overlooked, but is well worth investigating.
I recommend this to all my Civil War friends, encouraging them to step outside their norms and read an incredible true story.
April 30, 2013
Exhaustive study of a lost chapter in Am. Civil War annals: about the defeat of the last harbor fort of the Confereacy (which was a "final" turning point in the war)---Fort Fisher in Wilmington, NC. Once Fort Fisher was taken by Union during January 1865, the days of the Confederacy were truly numbered! Gragg does excellent job in giving details of the fierce battles as well as individual heroics of those men in battle, which led to the defeat. (RI Gov. Lincoln Chaffee's relative, Daisy Chaffee, was married to Fort Fisher commander, William Lamb!)
May 21, 2012
I lived in Kure Beach N.C. Growing up I played in the woods around Ft. fisher. In my teens I discovered this book. It was mind blowing. To think I've tread that bloody ground a 1000 times. Confederate Goliath has you rooting for the South the whole time even though you know the outcome. All the research in this book is excellent. I know all these places mentioned in the book. Still re-read it every few years.
July 19, 2009
Vacationing at Carolina Beach, heard about this nearby Civil War fort that, when it fell, spelled doom for the Confederacy. Well, had to visit it and read more about it. Gragg's book is an exhaustively researched, riveting read. Makes me want to read more on the subject, but there is little, if anything, that Gragg didn't cover in this incredibly interesting book.
October 15, 2013
absolutely wonderful. Well-researched, scholarly, thorough, reads like a novel and written with the visual flair of a feature hollywood movie. That combined with my interest in and personal connection to this important battle in my home state made this an excellent read-through.
May 18, 2024
Compelling and informative narrative. Almost written with the pace of a novel, if memory serves. Likely the best history of Fort Fisher that has been written. It would have been very smart if I had read this before visiting though.
December 21, 2008
toured Fort Fisher (North Carolina)on 13 July 1994
Want to read
February 9, 2010Bought this in the Fort Fisher gift shop on Walt's third grade field trip.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews