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Ironclad: The Monitor & the Merrimack
With a novelist's eye and the historian's devotion to research, Arthur Mokin recreates the early years of the Civil War, immersing the reader in this place and time. Readers will witness the birth of technology that revolutionized navies around the world--proven in the historic battle of the Merrimack and the Monitor. Ironclad is immensely readable--popular history at its best.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 27, 2010
Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, was Lincoln's "Father Neptune," despite never being a sailor or seafaring type. But he did have an absolute dedication to his work. As he got into his new job, he realized what a chore he had cut out for himself. Many of their most experienced officers were Southerners. Most of the ships themselves were in the South. And the department was out of date, underfunded, and spread much too thin. It was his job to come up with something, anything, that could be crafted into a navy and prevent the Europeans from sending aid to the Confederacy.
The ships themselves were a huge part of this story. The Merrimack had been badly damaged and was awaiting repairs in Roanoke. If the South could get her fixed up, she was going to be the biggest threat to the blockade. So the North better come up with something to fight with and fast. They found Captain Ericsson. Ericsson, a native Swede, had designed a revolutionary ship, but he had a difficult reputation and prickly manner. Many were convinced this ship would never even float, much less win a battle. Lifelong sailors had a huge trouble making the shift first from sail to steam, and now they needed to shift from wood to steel. It was a huge gamble, and one the North had to win or the war would be lost and soon.
I really enjoyed this story. The only part I didn't love was that there was a little too much speculation in parts, which was distracting. I also wish there had been pictures. The only pictures were the ones on the cover. I had to go online to see what the ships had looked like.
If you are interested in naval history or the Civil War, I recommend this one. There are several books on the subject, but this was one even I, a complete landlubber, could enjoy. 4 stars.
The ships themselves were a huge part of this story. The Merrimack had been badly damaged and was awaiting repairs in Roanoke. If the South could get her fixed up, she was going to be the biggest threat to the blockade. So the North better come up with something to fight with and fast. They found Captain Ericsson. Ericsson, a native Swede, had designed a revolutionary ship, but he had a difficult reputation and prickly manner. Many were convinced this ship would never even float, much less win a battle. Lifelong sailors had a huge trouble making the shift first from sail to steam, and now they needed to shift from wood to steel. It was a huge gamble, and one the North had to win or the war would be lost and soon.
I really enjoyed this story. The only part I didn't love was that there was a little too much speculation in parts, which was distracting. I also wish there had been pictures. The only pictures were the ones on the cover. I had to go online to see what the ships had looked like.
If you are interested in naval history or the Civil War, I recommend this one. There are several books on the subject, but this was one even I, a complete landlubber, could enjoy. 4 stars.
December 24, 2015
Reliving history.
I rarely pass up a book written about the civil war. And not a lot written on the naval side of the war. And political incite of cabinet is a plus. Of what went on the political issues with the war.
I rarely pass up a book written about the civil war. And not a lot written on the naval side of the war. And political incite of cabinet is a plus. Of what went on the political issues with the war.
February 15, 2016
Terrific book, really immerses you in the time and the struggle. Although this story played out only an hour's drive from my birthplace I never realized how exciting and important it was. It seems that the Confederacy could have ended the war outright if the North hadn't completed their own ironclad just in the nick of time.
This is history written almost as a novel, so the reader has to accept reconstruction of certain scenes, conversations, and thought processes. Personally I found that gave me a better sense of the characters and drama than I usually get from history; of course the risk is that it is a wrong sense, but my impression is that this book is really reasonably accurate.
My only complaint is that it ends suddenly, with virtually no discussion of aftermath or consequences. Among other things I would have liked to learn why no further ironclads were built by either side; presumably the south lacked the resources, while the north had no further need for them, but that's just my guess.
This is history written almost as a novel, so the reader has to accept reconstruction of certain scenes, conversations, and thought processes. Personally I found that gave me a better sense of the characters and drama than I usually get from history; of course the risk is that it is a wrong sense, but my impression is that this book is really reasonably accurate.
My only complaint is that it ends suddenly, with virtually no discussion of aftermath or consequences. Among other things I would have liked to learn why no further ironclads were built by either side; presumably the south lacked the resources, while the north had no further need for them, but that's just my guess.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews