War on the Waters - (Littlefield History of the Civil War Era) by James M McPherson (Paperback)

About the Book

McPherson recounts how the Union navy's blockade of the Confederate coast, leaky as a sieve in the war's early months, became increasingly effective as it choked off vital imports and exports. Meanwhile, the Confederate navy, dwarfed by its giant adversary, demonstrated daring and military innovation.

Book Synopsis

Although previously undervalued for their strategic impact because they represented only a small percentage of total forces, the Union and Confederate navies were crucial to the outcome of the Civil War. In War on the Waters, James M. McPherson has crafted an enlightening, at times harrowing, and ultimately thrilling account of the war's naval campaigns and their military leaders.
McPherson recounts how the Union navy's blockade of the Confederate coast, leaky as a sieve in the war's early months, became increasingly effective as it choked off vital imports and exports. Meanwhile, the Confederate navy, dwarfed by its giant adversary, demonstrated daring and military innovation. Commerce raiders sank Union ships and drove the American merchant marine from the high seas. Southern ironclads sent several Union warships to the bottom, naval mines sank many more, and the Confederates deployed the world's first submarine to sink an enemy vessel. But in the end, it was the Union navy that won some of the war's most important strategic victories -- as an essential partner to the army on the ground at Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Port Hudson, Mobile Bay, and Fort Fisher, and all by itself at Port Royal, Fort Henry, New Orleans, and Memphis.

Review Quotes

"[James McPherson is] the dean of Civil War historians." -- Publishers Weekly

"[McPherson] uses impeccable scholarship in the service of narratives that have appeal for the general reader." -- Howell Raines, Washington Post

"A sound collection-development investment." -- Booklist

"A tremendous addition to Civil War literature, and McPherson has demonstrated his mastery of a new subject." -- Sea History

"Anyone wishing to acquire an immediate grasp on the main narrative points of the Civil War at sea, while enjoying a masterful summation of past and current historical thinking, should read this book." -- Daybook

"As definitive as it is economical, [War on the Waters] establishes beyond question the decisive contributions of maritime power to Union victory." -- Publishers Weekly starred review

"McPherson displays his massive knowledge of the Civil War. . . . A solid contribution to Civil War scholarship." -- Kirkus Reviews

"McPherson's accounts of set-piece battles -- Farragut's assault on Mobile Bay, the duel between the Monitor and the Merrimack -- are vivid. Much of this briny story is provided through the words of the participants, and the maps are excellent throughout." -- Wall Street Journal Gift Guide 2012

"Readers of Battle Cry of Freedom well may wish to add this sequel to their bookshelf." -- The Washington Times

"Well-researched. . . . This important addition to scholarship on the naval aspects of the Civil War is recommended for academic audiences. With maps of several key battle sites clearly depicting ship and fort locations." -- Library Journal