The Confederate Ironclads

by Maurice Melton

Thomas Yoseloff [Published 1968]. Hardcover, 319 pp. Black and white illustrations, bibliography, index. [from jacket flaps] Naval warfare during the War Between the States was a destructive, horrifying experience to many who were directly involved in its actions. But there were none more horrified or dismayed than those who witnessed the death and destruction inflicted by the never-before-seen Confederate ironclad C.S.S. Virginia - formerly the Merrimac - upon its wooden adversaries. Here indeed was Satan himself, disguised as an armor-plated, fire-breathing, seemingly indestructible floating weapon that could destroy unmolested. The Confederate Ironclads is the story not only of that first ironclad, the Virginia, but of the entire Confederate iron fleet. This will prove to be the definitive work on these "iron maidens." Included in this fascinating history are the stories of the ships themselves (why and how they were built); of their officers and men; of the battles in which they fought; and of the Northern ships - both ironclad and wooden - which bravely, but sometimes futilely, set out to challenge them. Here in one volume is an undertaking of monumental proportions, for the author has recreated the exploits of every Confederate armored ship ever put afloat. Maurice Melton has taken the four years of the Civil War and has brought all the panorama and sweep of naval warfare within the discernible range of the Civil War buff; those years that marked the turning point in naval design, when the entire world, following the lead of the Union and Confederate navies, made the transition from vessels of wood to vessels of iron. To illustrate and clarify his text, Mr. Melton has included scores of reproductions of photographs and line drawings of naval personnel and ships, both wooden and ironclad. There can be no historian or, at least, no Civil War enthusiast who would not relish the thought of owning this book. It is as magnificent in scope as the era that covers its pages. The "hell and glory" that reverberates throughout The Confederate Ironclads lends an excitement and authority that makes this a must for bookshelf or library.

319 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of information and great facts! The first ironclad to cross the Atlantic was the Stonewall. If you like old warships and learning about them, then this book is for you.