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Summary
Summary
From acclaimed popular historian Richard Snow, who "writes with verve and a keen eye" ( The New York Times Book Review ), the thrilling story of the naval battle that not only changed the Civil War but the future of all sea power.
No single sea battle has had more far-reaching consequences than the one fought in the harbor at Hampton Roads, Virginia, in March 1862. The Confederacy, with no fleet of its own, built an iron fort containing ten heavy guns on the hull of a captured Union frigate named the Merrimack . The North got word of the project when it was already well along, and, in desperation, commissioned an eccentric inventor named John Ericsson to build the Monitor , an entirely revolutionary iron warship--at the time, the single most complicated machine ever made. Abraham Lincoln himself was closely involved with the ship's design. Rushed through to completion in just 100 days, it mounted only two guns, but they were housed in a shot-proof revolving turret. The ship hurried south from Brooklyn (and nearly sank twice on the voyage), only to arrive to find the Merrimack had arrived blazing that morning, destroyed half the Union fleet, and would be back to finish the job the next day. When she returned, the Monitor was there. She fought the Merrimack to a standstill, and saved the Union cause. As soon as word of the battle spread, Great Britain--the foremost sea power of the day--ceased work on all wooden ships. A thousand-year-old tradition ended, and the path to the naval future opened.
Richly illustrated with photos, maps, and engravings, Iron Dawn is the irresistible story of these incredible, intimidating war machines. Historian Richard Snow brings to vivid life the tensions of the time, explaining how wooden and ironclad ships worked, maneuvered, battled, and sank. This full account of the Merrimack and Monitor has never been told in such immediate, compelling detail.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Historian Snow (I Invented the Modern Age) captures the drama of the most well-known naval confrontation of the Civil War in this swift-moving narrative. Snow argues that the creation and immediate deployment of ironclad vessels symbolized the modernity of the war. The idea for these new ships evolved with South Carolina's secession in December 1860. After Maj. Robert Anderson of the U.S. Army opted to hold Fort Sumter in defiance of South Carolina's demands, enterprising Charleston carpenters built an iron-reinforced floatable gun platform to blast away at Sumter. Then the race was on for both sides to create a steam-powered, metal-clad ship that would be nearly indestructible. Snow neatly sets the scene for these events, ratcheting up the tension of this early arms race that resulted in the March 1862 confrontation between the Monitor and the Merrimack at Hampton Roads. Crisp characterizations bring immediacy to the story, especially thanks to the affecting letters between Monitor paymaster William Keeler and his wife, Anna. Though Snow's conclusions about the importance of the battle aren't novel and his historical lens is narrowly focused, this is an accessible and enjoyable account. Illus. Agent: Emma Sweeney, Emma Sweeney Agency. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
The former editor-in-chief of American Heritage revisits an epochal battle in naval history.To some, the Monitor appeared a mere speck, a hat upon the water, but she was the most complicated machine that had ever been built, a combination of steam and iron whose revolutionary design so confounded naval architects that many doubted she would even float. Instead, when she appeared at Virginias Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the day after the Confederacys iron-plated Merrimack had already sunk two Union wooden ships, she preserved the Union blockade and immediately rendered every navy in the world obsolete. Popular historian Snow (I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford, 2013, etc.) builds toward these days of savage battle (thousands watched from shore), telling each ironclads story through the men who conceived, financed, sponsored, captained, and sailed it. Especially memorable are the authors tightly focused profiles of the desperate Confederate Naval Secretary Stephen Mallory and his harried counterpart, Gideon Welles; indefatigable Connecticut entrepreneur and lobbyist Cornelius Bushnell, who championed the Monitors innovative designer, the brilliant, prickly John Ericsson; John Dahlgren, the father of naval ordnance; and the Merrimacks squabbling co-creators, John Brooke and John Porter; Franklin Buchanan, the Merrimacks aggressive, first-day captain, and the Monitors skipper, John Worden, who emerged from the four-hour battle sightless in one eye. Snows energetic account encompasses issues large and small, including discussions of arms and armament; the origin of the word splinter; the battles inconclusive end; a Southern joke of the day (Iron-plated? Sir, our navy is barely contem-plated); Lincolns special interest in the Unions ironclad; the difference between shells and solid shot, the mystery of the Merrimacks name; and the enthusiastic Monitor fever that swept the relieved, almost giddy North. A few notable naval battles changed the course of wars, even history, but the clash at Hampton Roads transformed the nature of warfare itself and offered a glimpse of the grim modernity Snow vividly captures. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In Civil War history, the Monitor versus the Merrimack always attracts high interest, and the extensive bibliography about the famous duel of ironclads proves to be no deterrent to writers revisiting the story. Snow's version achieves appealing immediacy (no surprise from the longtime editor of American Heritage magazine) by extensively quoting the parties who built the vessels and sailed them to their 1862 battle. The quoted range from Union and Confederate naval secretaries down to dock workers and crew members, yielding a conversational narrative that flows through the race of construction. Snow's approach renders a tactile impression of the hot, sweaty conditions aboard the Monitor and the Virginia, as the Confederates rechristened their captured Union frigate, followed by the noise and smoke of their encounter. Tactically a draw, it was a strategic defeat for the South, as the Monitor thwarted the Merrimack's purpose of breaking the North's blockade. The short-lived ships neither lasted past 1862 also became naval celebrities for tolling the knell for wooden warships. A thorough and enthusiastic treatment, Snow's account will capture the naval-history and Civil War readership.--Taylor, Gilbert Copyright 2016 Booklist
Choice Review
On March 8-9, 1862, two unique vessels clad in iron fought an engagement near Norfolk, VA, that changed the nature of naval warfare forever. The fight between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (ex-USS Merrimack) was the outstanding and subsequently best-known naval event of the Civil War. When the inconclusive two-ship duel was over, the reign of wooden fighting ships, which had ruled the world's waves for a millennium, was over. This tale of technological innovation, political intrigue, and bravery under fire has been told and retold many times. Author Snow, the former editor in chief of American Heritage and author of I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford (2013), offers no new insights in his overview, but presents his portraits of inventors, captains, politicians, naval architecture, and combat and the aftermath in a vivid accounting vigorously told, in the manner of Winston Groom's Vicksburg, 1863 (CH, Jul'09, 46-6398). The work is not documented, contains a seven-page bibliography, and employs good charts but rather faintly reproduced photos and illustrations. Summing Up: Recommended. For general, public, and lower-level undergraduate collections. --Myron J. Smith, Tusculum College
Library Journal Review
In this history of the 1862 confrontation of the ironclads USS Monitor and USS Merrimack, a pivotal naval battle of the Civil War, Snow (I Invented the Modern Age) attempts to present a synthesis without shorting details about the battle, ships, and crews. The result is a parallel examination of the two vessels, from their conception in the early 19th century to their demise after the fatal encounter. The author brings his paired narratives together in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads, VA. With sometimes florid and intricate narrative, Snow incorporates stories of heartbreak and humor, especially as the vessels are hurried toward combat. Snow devotes more than half of his book to the development and building of the ships, including engineering, business, and political interests as well as military exigencies. In the process, the account is occasionally bogged down by mind-numbing details. VERDICt Not always easy to read, this overview of an important confrontation doesn't advance understanding of the battle beyond other recent contributions but offers an adequate introduction for general readers and may be useful for libraries adding works on the Battle of Hampton Roads to their collections. [See Prepub Alert, 5/2/16.]-Charles K. Piehl, Minnesota State Univ., Mankato © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
| Chapter 1 Terrible Havoc: March 1862 | p. 1 |
| Chapter 2 Augury | p. 7 |
| Chapter 3 Disgrace | p. 15 |
| Chapter 4 The First Necessity | p. 27 |
| Chapter 5 Old Father Neptune | p. 35 |
| Chapter 6 The Once and Future Merrimack | p. 45 |
| Chapter 7 Guns | p. 61 |
| Chapter 8 The Power of Alliteration | p. 73 |
| Chapter 9 The Entrepreneur | p. 77 |
| Chapter 10 The Inventor | p. 85 |
| Chapter 11 The Peacemaker | p. 93 |
| Chapter 12 Perfect Protection | p. 103 |
| Chapter 13 Something in It | p. 109 |
| Chapter 14 No Battle, No Money | p. 129 |
| Chapter 15 The Tardy Patriot | p. 141 |
| Chapter 16 Trial Run | p. 149 |
| Chapter 17 The Prisoner Takes Command | p. 165 |
| Chapter 18 Paymaster Keeler Comes East | p. 175 |
| Chapter 19 Like a Duck | p. 183 |
| Chapter 20 A Visit to Lincoln | p. 195 |
| Chapter 21 March 8: Iron Against Wood | p. 201 |
| Chapter 22 Frightful News | p. 241 |
| Chapter 23 The Short, Bad Voyage | p. 247 |
| Chapter 24 March 9: Iron Against Iron | p. 265 |
| Chapter 25 Victors | p. 291 |
| Chapter 26 Echoes | p. 297 |
| Chapter 27 Hawthorne Visits the Future | p. 309 |
| Chapter 28 Tattnall's Turn | p. 317 |
| Chapter 29 Lincoln in the Field | p. 329 |
| Chapter 30 Not the Way to Richmond | p. 335 |
| Chapter 31 Doldrums | p. 343 |
| Chapter 32 Hatteras | p. 351 |
| Chapter 33 Landfall | p. 357 |
| A Note on Sources, and Acknowledgments | p. 363 |
| Bibliography | p. 369 |
| Index | p. 377 |
