Monitor Boys, The: The Crew of the Union's First Ironclad

by John V. Quarstein

The United States Navy's first ironclad warship rose to glory during the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, but there's much more to know about the USS Monitor. Historian John Quarstein has painstakingly compiled bits of historical data gathered through years of research to present the first comprehensive picture of the lives of the officers and crew who served faithfully in an iron ship unlike any vessel previously known. "The Monitor Boys," a moniker the men gave themselves, is a reflection of how these hundred-odd souls were bound together through storms, battles, boredom and disaster. Just living aboard the ironclad took uncommon effort and fortitude. Their perseverance through the heat, stress and un-seaworthiness that defined life on the ship makes the study of those who dared it a worthy endeavor. Many recognized that they were part of history. Moreover, the Monitor Boys were agents in the change of naval warfare. Following Quarstein's compelling narrative is a detailed chronology as well as appendices including crew member biographies, casualties and statistics and dimensions of the ship. Readers can dive into the world of the Monitor and meet William Flye, George Geer and the rest of the men who risked everything by going to sea in the celebrated "cheesebox on a raft" and became the hope of a nation wracked by war.

Genres: History

352 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2010

Reviews

[Curmudgeon]

A good reference resource, if not necessarily a great read. (The first and last chapters of the narrative are dry reading, but it’s more interesting in the middle.) Contains almost everything you could want to know about the Monitor, its making, its exploits, and the men who served on it. A little under half the book is appendices, including a day by day chronology and biographies of the individual “Monitor Boys”.

[Joe W Boyd]

Excellent reference

A very thorough history of the development, and creation of the ironclad, with detailed description of the engagements, problems, and strengths of the ship. Extensive biographies of the crewmen are included.

[J.K. Brandau]

A definitive history by the undisputed authority on the U.S.S. Monitor.

[P]

Well researched and informative!

[Sandra Ianuzi]

I enjoyed this book about the crew of the Union's first ironclad - The Monitor Boys. I was surprised at how easy it was to read, the author, John V. Quarstein, did a great job making a dry subject interesting and easy to read. This author does "Here and Then" on our local PBS station (WHRO) that is also worth watching:

"Here and Then is an award winning series of fast paced, information packed features hosted by local historian John Quarstein. Through this series of one-minute vignettes, viewers gain a perspective about the rich history of Hampton Roads through visits to Isle of Wight County and St. Lukes Church, Jamestown and the first settlers, Lincolns visit to Ft. Monroe and the first landing at Cape Henry and more."

I highly recommend "The Monitor Boys: The Crew of the Union's First Ironclad" to anyone who loves history and/or who is interested in learning more about the Civil War.

[Jon Bradley]

I purchased my copy of this book at the gift shop in the CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center located in Kinston, NC while I was visiting the area in November 2021. This is one of many books about the USS Monitor that I have read over the years and it is a middling effort. The book covers the entire history of the development, service, combat, and loss of the famous warship with its main focus being on the various crew members and their experiences. About half the book's pages are taken up with various appendices and notes, which to be honest I did not read. The material I found to be unique to this book was the postwar biographies of various crew members, and how their retellings of their experiences on the Monitor grew more and more embellished with the passing years. Three out of five stars.

[Karen Hunt]

This book is so good