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Cassell History of Warfare
War at Sea in the Ironclad Age
The nineteenth century saw several major innovations in naval warfare. Reliable steam engines made it so that ships no longer depended on the wind and could maneuver more freely. At the same time, new explosive shells were developed, replacing cannonballs, and no wooden ship could withstand them. In response to these shells, a new class of self-propelled, armored "ironclads" was invented and quickly revolutionized naval warfare.
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 13, 2021
In the introduction to this book, Richard Hill notes that it was a temptation to respond to the invitation to write a history of naval warfare in the second half of the 19th century with the pithy response “there wasn’t much.” And it’s true that there were none of the extended conflicts at sea that characterized the preceding and succeeding eras in ways familiar to students of military history. As Hill goes on to acknowledge, however, to say that there weren’t many battles at sea is different from saying that it wasn’t an important era. Indeed, the half-century of the “ironclad age” – a period extending from roughly 1855 to the launching of the HMS Dreadnought in 1906 – was one of important developments that changed the nature of naval warfare.
These developments form the heart of Hill’s book. For the most part they were technological, with the key development being the introduction of steam propulsion. Though steam engines predated the ironclad era by half a century, their inefficiency and high rate of coal consumption initially made them impractical for ocean-going travel. By the middle of the 19th century, however, improvements in design and metallurgy made it possible to develop engines capable of propelling heavy ships for extended distances against the natural elements. This made possible warships of greater size and weight, with iron hulls and cannon of increased range and penetrative power. While this gave nations such as France and Russia an opportunity to steal a march on the British through innovative designs, Hill notes that Britain’s superior industrial capacity allowed them to respond quickly to any threat to their naval dominance.
It was not just the ships that were changing during this period, either. Service aboard the ships was transforming with the changes, most notably with the rise of the engineering officer and the enlisted stokers, whose roles disrupted the traditional hierarchies aboard naval vessels. The growing importance of navies to theories of global power also increased the prestige of naval service in many Western countries, with gleaming fleets of warships seen as the ultimate sign of national stature.
Hill concludes his book with two chapters that examines the wars in which these navies were engaged. While conflicts between navies were few, sailors often found themselves seconded to expeditions designed to expand imperial control. The naval wars that were waged – between the United States and the secessionist Confederacy, the Italians and the Austrians, the United States and Spain, and the Japanese and first China and then Russia – often did as much to send naval development down blind alleys rather than confirm the prevailing ideas of the era. No event better exemplified this than the battle of Tsushima, which became like Trafalgar the epitome of the decisive clash between opposing fleets, creating a model that became an aspirational goal in the naval wars of the 20th century but one the achievement of which proved elusive.
Hill’s book provides a good overview of naval developments during an iconic era of transformation. His text is aided by an excellent selection of illustrations, as well as colorful maps that highlight the key battles of the era. Yet it is also a frustrating book in a number of respects. While Hill bases his work on secondary sources, his guide to further reading suggests that he overlooked some of the key studies of the navies of the era. His coverage of the American Civil War is especially disappointing in its superficiality, especially given all of the excellent books available about it. And he even recycles the old canard about the construction of warships with full sailing rig reflecting the innate conservatism of naval leaders, ignoring his own point later on that coal consumption and fuel storage were concerns for naval officers throughout much of the era – for all of the advantages of steam, sail still had some merit.
These issues weaken the utility of Hill’s book. While in many ways an effective introduction to an interesting era of naval development, it’s a work that is best treated as just that – an introduction only, and a somewhat flawed one at that. It’s especially advisable to look elsewhere for guidance as to further books on the subject, both for what is unaccountably missing from Hill’s bibliography (such as David Evans's and Mark Peattie's Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941), and for the fine work that has been done about the era since his book was published two decades ago.
These developments form the heart of Hill’s book. For the most part they were technological, with the key development being the introduction of steam propulsion. Though steam engines predated the ironclad era by half a century, their inefficiency and high rate of coal consumption initially made them impractical for ocean-going travel. By the middle of the 19th century, however, improvements in design and metallurgy made it possible to develop engines capable of propelling heavy ships for extended distances against the natural elements. This made possible warships of greater size and weight, with iron hulls and cannon of increased range and penetrative power. While this gave nations such as France and Russia an opportunity to steal a march on the British through innovative designs, Hill notes that Britain’s superior industrial capacity allowed them to respond quickly to any threat to their naval dominance.
It was not just the ships that were changing during this period, either. Service aboard the ships was transforming with the changes, most notably with the rise of the engineering officer and the enlisted stokers, whose roles disrupted the traditional hierarchies aboard naval vessels. The growing importance of navies to theories of global power also increased the prestige of naval service in many Western countries, with gleaming fleets of warships seen as the ultimate sign of national stature.
Hill concludes his book with two chapters that examines the wars in which these navies were engaged. While conflicts between navies were few, sailors often found themselves seconded to expeditions designed to expand imperial control. The naval wars that were waged – between the United States and the secessionist Confederacy, the Italians and the Austrians, the United States and Spain, and the Japanese and first China and then Russia – often did as much to send naval development down blind alleys rather than confirm the prevailing ideas of the era. No event better exemplified this than the battle of Tsushima, which became like Trafalgar the epitome of the decisive clash between opposing fleets, creating a model that became an aspirational goal in the naval wars of the 20th century but one the achievement of which proved elusive.
Hill’s book provides a good overview of naval developments during an iconic era of transformation. His text is aided by an excellent selection of illustrations, as well as colorful maps that highlight the key battles of the era. Yet it is also a frustrating book in a number of respects. While Hill bases his work on secondary sources, his guide to further reading suggests that he overlooked some of the key studies of the navies of the era. His coverage of the American Civil War is especially disappointing in its superficiality, especially given all of the excellent books available about it. And he even recycles the old canard about the construction of warships with full sailing rig reflecting the innate conservatism of naval leaders, ignoring his own point later on that coal consumption and fuel storage were concerns for naval officers throughout much of the era – for all of the advantages of steam, sail still had some merit.
These issues weaken the utility of Hill’s book. While in many ways an effective introduction to an interesting era of naval development, it’s a work that is best treated as just that – an introduction only, and a somewhat flawed one at that. It’s especially advisable to look elsewhere for guidance as to further books on the subject, both for what is unaccountably missing from Hill’s bibliography (such as David Evans's and Mark Peattie's Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941), and for the fine work that has been done about the era since his book was published two decades ago.
November 9, 2012
The best book on the ironclad ships and their age.
June 30, 2020
Hill writes a broad overview of a key transitory era in Naval warfare driven by technological advancements as much as strategic challenges. Although he makes an attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the major challenges and thinking at the time, the book demonstrates a strong western and British bias. Hill could be better served either acknowledging this outright or seeking to explore other perspectives beyond the review of them from sources with a western or British lense.
April 2, 2018
A nice, brief analysis of naval warfare and science from the mid-19th century to the Dreadnought era. Hill does a nice job of looking at technology, strategy and personnel in the shaping of naval doctrine during this era.
January 22, 2019
This book is definitely a great intro to war at sea pre World War 1 and I think you’d need to read this to get a better understanding of navies around the world and their status before the outbreak of that war.
September 29, 2021
Good history, few details on specific ship designs.
October 31, 2018
An excellent read for anyone wanting to learn more about naval affairs and history generally in in the half-century proceeding the commissioning of HMS Dreadnought and the buildup to the Great War.
Covers naval tactics, provides overviews of the various campaigns waged involving ironclads, institutions and personnel and technological advancements. Very comprehensive with only a very few dull points. I presently have zero interest here in refitted naval cannon and naval brigades serving in land campaigns in South Africa and India - maybe that is more interesting to you, but it seems questionably related to "War at Sea".
Makes an excellent lead-in/preamble for reading any naval history which picks up with WWI or the naval arms race of which, of course, there are many. Also serves very well as context for any naval histories of WWII.
Covers naval tactics, provides overviews of the various campaigns waged involving ironclads, institutions and personnel and technological advancements. Very comprehensive with only a very few dull points. I presently have zero interest here in refitted naval cannon and naval brigades serving in land campaigns in South Africa and India - maybe that is more interesting to you, but it seems questionably related to "War at Sea".
Makes an excellent lead-in/preamble for reading any naval history which picks up with WWI or the naval arms race of which, of course, there are many. Also serves very well as context for any naval histories of WWII.
April 18, 2011
Mr. Hill gave a great introduction to the era of ironclads beginning with the painful development of ironclads and continuing on through our Civil War. From there he moved on through the years to other battles that included the ironclad. There are well-drawned maps to help the reader. Overall, for a historical book the price is right and you get a fairly good understanding of the ironclads. Highly recommend.
November 8, 2013
A wonderfully clear and concise discussion of the Age of the Ironclads, marking the transition from the Age of Sail to time of the dreadnaught. There are certainly works of greater depth, but a remarkable effort to summarize and consolidate a complex period. Valuable in providing clarity and context for other more specific works.
August 20, 2012
A wonderfully clear and concise discussion of the Age of the Ironclads, marking the transition from the Age of Sail to time of the dreadnaught. There are certainly works of greater depth, but a remarkable effort to summarize and consolidate a complex period. Valuable in providing clarity and context for other more specific works.
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January 7, 2017Two copies
January 23, 2016
Extremely readable discussion of an era of naval history that isn't much covered. Well written organized, it provides a fascinating look at this dynamic stage in the evolution of naval design.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews