A famous rebel naval captain tells his storyThe author of this book; Captain Semmes; was one of the most renowned American seamen of his time-particularly among the sailors of the Confederacy. Whilst it was essential that every nation have its own naval force; for the Southern states this was doubly important because the new 'nation' was heavily reliant on agriculture and its exports; had a paucity of essential manufacturing and was subjected to rigorous blockade by the Federal government to ensure there would be no free or uncontested passage of either. This book covers the activities of two notable and famous ships of the C. S. N-the steamers Alabama and Sumter; and no one was in a better position to report the activities of the Confederate Navy at sea and at war than Captain Semmes who commanded these ships. This essential source work on this subject is available in soft back and cloth bound collectors' hard back with dust wrapper; head and tail bands and gold foil lettering to the spine.
#798889 in Books Field; Ron 2008-11-18 2008-11-18Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.68 x .16 x 7.22l; .57 #File Name: 184603232680 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An excellent book!By KevinI am an Ohioan by birth; live in Middle Tennessee and am married to a true "Southern belle.". There is a lot of Civil War history to be found in this area of the country and quite a lot related to naval operations on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Being a Civil War nut and ex Navy (NFO); I found this book to be well written and very informative. I especially liked the author's telling of the action the various vessels saw. While the battle between the Monitor and the Virginia was the main story; the author also included the identifying of many other ironclads that were built by the Union and Confederacy and told about their exploits. While the development of ironclad ships was a major turning point in naval armor and armament; and their use and prestige skyrocketed; their longevity as the primo ships-of-the-line was rather short once the aircraft carrier arrived on the scene less than 100 years later.I have often wondered how much of a difference could have been made in that Civil War if either the North or the South (or both; for that matter) had launched a few manned balloons from a barge and had the men in the balloons float over an enemy ironclad and drop a few fused cannonballs onto the tops of the enemy ironclads or even down the stack of the ironclad. But; that's another story.....0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Ironclad InfoBy RammThis is one of several slim volumes devoted to the history of the earliest American iron-clad warships; the Monitor and the Merrimack/Virginia. The book is full of interesting information on all aspects of the development of both the Northern Confederate vessels as well as the famous sea battle at Hampton Roads. The illustrations are particularly nice featuring rare archival photos; period engravings; cut-a-way drawings of the iron clads; and specially commissioned paintings that re-create the excitment of the pivotal sea battle. Highly recommended for those interested in these unusual fighting ships.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Three StarsBy Feldmar TwomblebeeOsprey has added another useful book to its series.
