Confederate Ironclad 1861-65 (New Vanguard) [Paperback]

Angus Konstam (Author), Tony Bryan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2001 | Series: New Vanguard (Book 41)

The creation of a Confederate ironclad fleet was a miracle of ingenuity, improvisation and logistics. Surrounded by a superior enemy fleet, Confederate designers adapted existing vessels or created new ones from the keel up with the sole purpose of breaking the naval stranglehold on the nascent country. Her ironclads were build in remote cornfields, on small inland rivers or in naval yards within sight of the enemy. The result was an unorthodox but remarkable collection of vessels, which were able to contest the rivers and coastal waters of the South for five years. This title explains how these vessels worked, how they were constructed, how they were manned and how they fought.

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 is an experienced Osprey author with over 10 titles in print. He has long been associated with the sea, having served in the Royal Navy, practised underwater archaeology and curated a maritime museum. His understanding of the subject is based on years of study of maritime history, and intimate knowledge of the leading maritime museums on both sides of the Atlantic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (August 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841763071
• ISBN-13: 978-1841763071
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #590,468 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

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful, May 20, 2002

By A Customer

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

This short book packs a maximum of information into a minimum of pages. Without wasted words, every aspect of Confederate ironclads is covered: design, construction, armor, armament, life on board, strategy, tactics, and actual combat actions. Nor is analysis lacking. The author contends that the casemate ironclad was the best design possible given the Confederate resources available, and after switching doctrine from one of expecting the ironclads to break the blockade to one of having them defend vital ports, they performed their function well. As is usual with Osprey, the book contains many diagrams, photographs, and color artwork, including a cutaway drawing of CSS Virginia. Information about the 22 ironclads actually comissioned is assembled in an appendix, but any put under construction are mentioned somewhere, including CSS Stonewall, a non-casemate ironclad built in France. The only misprint I noticed was in the appendix where CSS Huntsville is spelt "Husville". The book is suitable for those just starting to learn about Confederate ironclads, and old hands who want a quick reference available.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent account of some much overlooked ships., July 29, 2009

By 

Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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

Any mention of the American Civil War will immediately conjure up images of soldiers dressed in the distinctive dark blue or light grey uniforms worn by the opposing sides. Perhaps, outside of the USA, few people might be aware that both sides also had their own formal Navy because the resultant naval engagements are rarely mentioned at all. At that particular time of internal strife within the USA, shipbuilders elsewhere in the world, were moving away from wooden vessels in favour of steel ships and the speed of change in warship design would result in fleets of unimaginable super dreadnought battleships within 50 years.

Such development in any country at war with itself, however, is virtually impossible if only because all resources are channelled towards winning that conflict. Nevertheless, both sides within the USA produced some amazing warships during this time and this book covers those which served the Confederate Navy.

Providing the reader with one of the finest potted histories I have ever read, author Angus Konstam is equally well supported by the artwork of Tony Bryan who has produced profile and aerial images of those vessels which played a key part in the various battles - some of which have become enshrined in folk-lore. There are also a number of historic photographs.

It was the innovative, indeed revolutionary, design of the main superstructure which made many of the Confederate Ironclad vessels seemingly impregnable. Above-deck accommodation - called casemates, was built of wood which was 3 feet thick and covered in two layers of 2 inch steel plate - hence the name "Ironclad." The sides of these casemates sloped backwards at a 35 degree angle so that when they were struck by enemy shot, the incoming projectile glanced off the armour causing barely a scratch. Ports, which could be opened and closed from inside the ship, allowed the ship's own guns to be run out. By comparison, European warship design of the period still retained vertical sides and suffered maximum damage from incoming shot.

This is a fascinating and informative book. It is one which sits very well amongst the remainder of the works in this series and is fully recommended.

NM

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Civil War Naval Review Part 2, April 27, 2009

By 

John R. Tenopir (Lincoln, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

This fills in some of the gaps in my library on the American Civil War Navies, in particular, the Confederate Navy . This book does help with the background information that I was looking for. I would have like to see more technical drawings, with dimensions, for building models of these ships. Otherwise, a good book to read and work with.