Trial by Fire: Science, Technology and the Civil War

by Charles D. Ross

In this fascinating book, a physicist looks at the details of some of the unusual and creative uses of science and technology during the Civil War.

Genres: Civil War, Military History

215 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1999

Reviews

[David Kent]

An intriguing book that does a good job of noting some aspects of the science and technology used in the Civil War. Part 1 looks at three individuals who played important roles in three areas: the mine at Petersburg (aka, the Crater), the Red River dams, and on the Confederate side, creating adequate gunpowder in a technology-lacking society. Part 2 focuses on the technology used under the sea (submarines), in the sky (balloons), and on the wires (telegraph). Ross does a very nice job personalizing the technology of these areas. Three appendices take a closer look at buoyancy (the author is a physics professor) and the history of submarines and balloons pre-dating the Civil War.