William Watson and the Rob Roy - by Walter E Wilson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Rob Roy may be the American Civil War's most famous blockade running schooner. Its fame stems from the spellbinding wartime memoir of its owner and captain, William Watson. This obscure but articulate Scotsman's rollicking tale is a standard maritime reference for scholars and students of America's most tragic conflict. However, his sea story is only partly true. It blends verifiable facts with liberal doses of exaggeration and omission. It was his story after all, and he saw no harm in making himself its hero.

This first-ever critical examination of William Watson's "eyewitness" account relies on widely dispersed contemporary accounts and official reports. The narrative fills in the gaps that Watson left untold and exposes the true history of the people and events surrounding his blockade running adventures. In some cases, the truth is even more remarkable than Watson's fictional version. The resulting saga captures the excitement of this inherently dangerous business with long-deserved historical accuracy.

Review Quotes

"William Watson and the Rob Roy: The Adventures of a Civil War-Blockade Runner assigns itself the difficult task of correcting mistakes, filling in gaps and omissions, and addressing the various half-truths and embellishments that together seriously challenge the truthfulness of Watson's story... Wilson's research uncovers in-depth information on a great many of the historically obscure characters that figure large and small in Watson's story... demonstrably affirms that Watson's celebrated yet controversial memoir does indeed possess considerable value as a historical document... impressive new critical evaluation... indispensable."--Civil War Books and Authors

"The first effort to deconstruct Watson's memoir and dissect fact from fiction... Wilson's research skills were up to the task... a book that sets much of the record straight regarding William Watson's blockade-running efforts, as well as the largely unknown history of the schooner Rob Roy... Wilson does a good job... demonstrates that deep scholarship and excellent research can be conducted on Civil War vessels, even those whose records are generally considered lost... useful."--Emerging Civil War

"William Watson and the Rob Roy: The Adventures of a Civil War Blockade Runner is a work of historical non-fiction that examines the role of small, shallow-draft, sailing schooners used for blockade running during the American Civil War.... William Watson was the owner and captain of Rob Roy--one of those diminutive schooners which eluded the Union blockade on numerous occasions. Some thirty years after the event, having returned to his homeland of Scotland, the articulate Mr. Watson wrote his memoirs in a book, published in 1892, entitled Adventures of a Blockade Runner. Over time, his book has become something of a staple for students of the Civil War at sea. In this long-overdue study, Walter E. Wilson has critically evaluated the voyages, vessels, associates and events described by Watson in his rollicking tale, and has found them to be either completely true, or almost true in parts, and complete fairy-tale fabrications in others.... Stylistically, the prose is clear and restrained, reflecting the conventions of historical scholarship. The author avoids speculation, grounding interpretations firmly in available evidence. The book succeeds as an informative and well-researched study. Its careful use of primary sources, and attention to maritime detail, make it particularly valuable for students of Civil War history and naval studies. It will make a worthwhile and enjoyable read for both academic and general audiences interested in the naval dimensions of the Civil War."--Robert Thorp, Civil War Navy Magazine

"The Civil War archives contain endless 'rabbit trails' on the subjects of blockade running and the Union navy's work to thwart safe arrival of those imports so vital to the Confederacy. I love to really get 'down in the weeds' to discover and appreciate the human dimensions of daily life of the participants. Walt Wilson has taken this task to a whole new level in his investigation of the ripping yarns of the classic memoir, Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner. Capt. Wilson has produced a massive contribution with this new book concentrating on the small sailing craft that ran the blockade in the Gulf of Mexico."--J. Barto Arnold III, Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University

About the Author

Walter E. Wilson, a retired Navy Captain and former head of U.S. Naval Intelligence operations in Europe, is the author of four books. His numerous articles and reviews have appeared in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Civil War Navy Magazine, Louisiana History Journal, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's history series.