Confederate Blockade Runner 1861-65 (New Vanguard) [Paperback]

Angus Konstam (Author), Tony Bryan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: New Vanguard | Publication Date: January 22, 2004

The lifeblood of the Confederacy, the blockade runners of the Civil War usually began life as regular fast steam-powered merchant ships. They were adapted for the high-speed dashes through the Union blockade which closed off all the major Southern ports, and for much of the war they brought much-needed food, clothing and weaponry to the Confederacy.
This book traces their operational history, including the development of purpose-built blockade running ships, and examines their engines, crews and tactics. It describes their wartime exploits, demonstrating their operational and mechanical performance, whilst examining what life was like on these vessels through accounts of conditions on board when they sailed into action.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The unrivalled illustrated reference on fighting vehicles, transport and artillery through the ages. Each volume is illustrated throughout, making these books uniquely accessible to history enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Angus Konstam hails from the Orkney Islands of Scotland, and is the author of over 40 books, many of which are published by Osprey. His work for the New Vanguard series to date includes volumes 41: ‘Confederate Ironclad 1861-65’, 45: ‘Union Monitor 1861-65’, 64: ‘Confederate Raider 1861-65’ and 92: ‘Confederate Blockade Runner 1861-65’. Formerly the Curator of Weapons in the Royal Armouries at the Tower of London, he also served as the Chief Curator of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida. He is currently based in Edinburgh, where he pursues a full-time career as a historian.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (January 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841766364
• ISBN-13: 978-1841766362
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With over 50 history books in print, Angus is a widely recognised and much-published historian. While he specialises in military and naval history he has also written numerous more general history books, designed to make the subject more accessible to a wider audience. Uniquely he has been able to draw on his expertise as a senior museum curator who has worked on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as on his academic training as a historian and as a maritime archaeologist.

His latest book is a full-length biography: Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate, which is published by Wiley & Sons. of New York (June 2006)

Angus is also just finished writing a history of the Allied landings at Salerno in September 1943 for the British publisher Pen & Sword, and he is currently working on a new project, with the working title of Supership: The Quest for the Renaissance Battleship.

Angus lives in Edinburgh, in Scotland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book, April 8, 2008

By 

James D. Crabtree "Doc Crabtree" (Fort Leavenworth, Kansas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Confederate Blockade Runner 1861-65 (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

This is a must-have if you are interested in Civil War maritime history, the Blockade, or the Confederacy in general. Blockade runners rapidly evolved into a very specialized type of ship, capable of running their cargos at high-speed while adopting what would become known as stealth characteristics. This book, like most in the Osprey series, has a lot of information crammed into a small space, including information on early runners adopted from packet steamer designs, the evolution of naval technology at the time and even a little on the tactics employed by the small boats. The illustrations are what really makes the book though... beautifully done and technically accurate they make this book a unique resource.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Book Provides and Excellent Introduction to this Little Written About Subject, March 29, 2009

By 

Yoda (Hadera, Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confederate Blockade Runner 1861-65 (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

The book starts by providing an short but very good introduction showing the importance of blockage running to the South's war effort and economy and hence the importance of the blockade runners. Considering this importance, it is definitely not covered well enough in existing literature.

After this, the book discusses the history of blockade running from the start of the war to end. One sees how the ships and tactics, very well, evolved during this period. At first, just about anything was used as a blockade runner. As the war went on the ships became more and more specialized and developed certain characteristics (i.e., 1 to 8 width by hull length, metal hulls, low bridges, funnels and masts that had the ability to fold down, etc.).

In addition there is a discussion as to the types of cargoes carried, crews, routes used, where the ships were acquired, how built and, possibly most important of all, the impact of the ships on ship design and development after the war. The latter, especially, has rarely been written about.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book / Confederate Blockade Runner 1861-65, April 25, 2008

By 

L. D. Sulewski (Ludington, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Confederate Blockade Runner 1861-65 (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

Excellent historical content and outstanding images and art work. Great addition to Civil War library.