Ironclads Worked
Written: Nov 11 '02 (Updated Feb 17 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Concise. Well written. Covers many important topics besides the famous battle.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: A concise history of the Civil War ironclad Monitor.
And much more All packed into a book slightly
longer than an extended essay.
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| szz's Full Review: Monitor Books |
Monitor: The Story of the Legendary Civil War Ironclad & the Man Whose Invention Changed the Course of History is, naturally, the story of the Civil War ironclad Monitor. In a book as concise as the title is long: Fit into a package only slightly longer than an extended essay.
The famous battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac takes up just one chapter and 20 pages.
Topics covered include:
1) The background of John Ericsson, the designer, inventor, builder of the Monitor, and his engineering and maritime construction background. His concept for the Monitor had a long history, going back at least a decade before the American Civil War. By 1861 the man had a bad "history" with the United States Navy establishment which stood in the way of this particular ship being built.
2) The development of ironclad warships, which long proceeded the development of the Monitor. Heck, at the start of the American Civil War the United States Army was more inclined towards ironclads for work on the western rivers than the Navy for their use at sea.
3) The industrial complex in the Middle Atlantic states which made it possible to subcontract out the building of so many of the parts of the Monitor. I had no idea how important this part of the construction process was. Yet the sheet metal for the turret came from Maryland, the ....
4) The political struggle within the United States Navy _against_ the radical monitor design. The final contract for the construction of the ship demanded sails! President Lincoln himself had a part in making the Monitor happen.
5) Lincoln's part, though small, points out the importance of political connections within Congress in getting the Monitor built. The military-industrial complex existed
long before Eisenhower coined that term.
6) The bravery and patriotism of Ericsson's business partners who were willing to go ahead under a difficult business model. The leadership of the Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy was also important.
7) The parallel story of the construction of the Confederate warship Virginia, known to all as Merrimac, the name of the U. S. Navy warship burned to keep her out of Southern hands and refloated and rebuilt as an ironclad. The desire of the Confederate government to build an ironclad was influenced by the visionary leadership of its Secretary of the Navy.
I strongly recommend Monitor: The Story of the Legendary Civil War Ironclad & the Man Whose Invention Changed the Course of History to anyone who wants the story of the Monitor in a well-written book. [Hopefully you can get away with identifying it as Monitor: The Story of the Legendary Civil War Ironclad". Or maybe just Monitor? :-)]
Now, about the battle. The Merrimac had a very deep draft. And with a low freeboard was vulnerable to boarding. I asked myself after reading this book why the United States Navy did not sink blockships to keep her bottled up. And why they did not try cutting out expeditions. I don't blame the author for not telling me why, that wasn't the purpose of this book. In fact, a book that leaves me both satisfied and asking questions is a good book. If anyone knows the answers, I would appreciate hearing them.
By the way, hardly anyone in either the Merrimac or the Monitor got hurt during the famous clash between the two ships. In 1862, ironclads worked. The Monitor worked better.
Steven Zoraster
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
szz
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Member: Steven Zoraster
Location: Austin
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 2 members
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