Customer Reviews

Last Flag Down: The Epic Journey of the Last Confederate Warship

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was stranded in Houston Hobby airport at the beginning of Memorial Day Weekend due to bad weather so bought something just to occupy my time until they could finally put me on a plane. Wow, I could not walk away from this book over the holiday weekend. The farther in I got the better it was...and the fascinating thing was that this is a true story. Whittle is one of the absolute best real life hero's you'll ever read about and you find yourself pulling hard for him. I can't recommend this book enough for a host of reasons. You will actually learn some valuable life lessons about effectively dealing with adversity, dealing with others, etc. while going on this truly exciting adventure.

The vessel had begun life as "Sea King". That would all change in the fall of 1864 when a wealthy British industrialist named Richard Wright purchased the sleek three-masted racing clipper with a very specific purpose in mind. You see Richard Wright had made his fortune in the textile business in England. Like so many other businessmen of his day his success depended on an uninterrupted flow of the cotton that was grown in what was at that time the fledgling Confederate States of America. Prospects for a Confederate victory in the Civil War had dimmed considerably by this time and Wright concocted a plan in a desperate attempt to turn the tide in favor of the Confederacy. And so it was that on October 8, 1864 the good ship "Sea King" slipped out of London. Within days the vessel would be turned over to the Confederate Navy and renamed "Shenandoah". Her mission: to wreak havoc with Yankee shipping interests all over the world. "Last Flag Down: The Epic Journey of the Last Confederate Warship" is the compelling account of the journey of "Shenandoah" that would take her all the way around the world and last for an entire year. It is a book that I could simply not put down.

Much of the source material for "Last Flag Down" comes from the meticulously written journals of the Executive Officer of the "Shenandoah" Conway Whittle. At just 24 years of age Whittle was already a seasoned veteran having served with distinction on the CSS "Nashville". His journal entries reveal the exact nature of the mission of the "Shenandoah" as well as the hardships and triumphs that the officers and crew would experience over the next twelve months. To me this is absolutely the best kind of history. I would compare it most favorably to a pair of very important books from the past few years. David McCullough's sensational "John Adams" was based largely on the copious letters written by John and Abigail Adams. Likewise Charles Rappleye's splendid "Sons of Providence" features the letters between the brothers John and Moses Brown. Such source material is really invaluable because it not only reveals what went on but also helps to explain why things happened the way they did.

Prior to reading "Last Flag Down" I had never even heard of the "Shenandoah". I am not quite sure if this is simply ignorance on my part or if there has not been all that much written about this incredible ship. In any event, I found "Last Flag Down" to be absolutely spellbinding. John Baldwin and Ron Powers have certainly done an admirable job of bringing to life an important piece of American history here. This is a book that history buffs will relish and general audiences will enjoy. Very highly recommended!

Last Flag Down: The Epic Journey of the Last Confederate Warship may be one of the best historical books I read in 2007. The authors, John Baldwin and Ron Powers, using primary sources, manage to spin a great story about one of histories here-to-fore unknown episodes.

The CSS Shenandoah was purchased in London in 1864 by the confederacy. Converted out to a warship while at sea, the Shenandoah managed to sail around the world while picking off American ships on the high seas. Nabbing 38 vessels, mostly whaling ships and nearly 1000 prisoners, the Shenandoahs Captain, James Waddell and his crew managed to significantly impact Americas merchant fleet. Though having virtually no impact on the ultimate outcome of the war, the story of the CSS Shenandoah is one worth reading.

Eventually the ship returned to England where it was surrendered to English authorities and ultimately to the American government.

Well researched (Baldwin is distantly related to Lt. Conway Whittle, the Shenandoah's executive officer), and written for the general reader, Last Flag Down is certain to be one of your favorite reads of the year.

As I read Last Flag Down I kept wondering why this story never made it to the silver screen. Perhaps a movie might eventually be made.

A terrific read.

The US Civil War raider CSS Shenandoah was a remarkable ship with a remarkable crew, and its 15,000 mile voyage was nothing short of amazing for its time. Built with the latest technology, skills and methods by the world's preeminent industrial powerhouse of the day, the sail and steam hybrid was in a class of its own, and a sharp instrument of national policy. A larger story within was the leadership of young officers from a dying plantation class, and their international crew, many from the ships she took as prizes. The story both begins and ends in Liverpool, England, where she was furtively built, and some sixteen months later openly surrendered. Whether they were pirates or patriots will have to be explored elsewhere; this book is about their story, as individuals and crewmembers, their amazing feats of seamanship, courage and persistence during their cruise, and how they accepted the end. Well written, very readable, and hard to put down once started.

When I was a young boy my father taught me to sail. We sailed together for many years along the east coast of the US and in the great lakes. Frequently we would talk of maritime adventures. He would tell me stories of journeys and battles and such. He passed away ten years ago. Reading this book brought back memories of our times together and the images I still had in my mind from those days. I think it is extremely well written and weaves this journey together in a masterful way. I highly recommend it to everyone, especially all sailors.

Having just finished the book I am amazed that this story was not told sooner. Baldwin & Powers have written a true Civil War classic. The Shenandoah and its epic journey are filled with adversity and the challenges of a single naval vessel looking to change the tide of history. Lt.Conway Whittel, an unsung hero in the Civil War upholds the honor and dignity of the southern naval officer while leading the Shenandoah and her crew into Harms Way. This book is a must read for anyone who follows Civil War history and should be recommended reading at the Naval Academy and the War College.

Last Flag Down is one of those books that on first glance appears to be interesting...and ends up being amazing. On one level, it is the story of a Confederate ship that sailed around the world believing that it was fighting a war that was, in reality, long over. That alone is enough to make it an engaging tale...one of those books that compel you to keep reading because you're deeply into the story. The tale is seasoned with political intigue, unexpected historical perspective, and, of course, a major helping of high-seas nautical lore. But the most extraordinary aspect of the book is its hero, Conway Whittle. He is a minor charatcer in Civil War history, but he is easily one of the most principled men I've ever read about. At age 24, he operates on an ethical and moral level high above those of any of the popular Civil War historical figures. His actions in the face of the extreme adversity of this adventure show amazing character. And when the odyssey is finally over, his actions show an even higher level of purely unselfish principle.
For me this book was a delight and a surprise. I epxected the nrrative to be about a Civil War curiosity; what I got was a riveting adventure, steeped in totally unexpected historical perspective...with a main character who is remarkable for his adherence to ideals and principles...far beyond blind allegiance to the Confederacy.
I liked this book a lot. I liked Conway Whittle a lot. And I got an entirely new take on a very interesting aspect of the Civil War. Last Flag Down is a great story.

Last Flag Down is a story of CSS Shenandoah's epic voyage seen through the eyes of its first officer, Conway Whittle, a young 24 years old Confederate naval officer. The book much from the diaries and other accounts written by Whittle and take the situation at hand from his perception. From this approach, you get a ground eye view of the working of this Confederate naval raider that wrecked havoc among Union shipping during the last year of the war and little bit beyond.

Since one of the two authors is related to Whittle, the book is pretty sympathetic toward this character and that of course, create an obvious biased that the reader would have to look out for. Capt. James Waddle and many other of the crew often does not come out looking very good in the eyes of this young Confederate officer and that reflects in the book.

But the book gives an excellent understanding of how Shenandoah came to be, how it was crewed and how the ship conducted it business. The honorable behavior of the crew toward the captured proves to be a godsend toward the end then possiblities of piracy charges might be heading toward their direction. They neither harmed their captives or were harmed by them. For a raider, their voyage was relatively bloodless.

One major weakness of this book lies in the fact that there is no photographs what so ever. There is a detail blueprint of the ship but no drawing of anything of what the ship looks like under sail. This oversight is unexplainable and I took a star away from otherwise excellent narrative.

The book come highly recommended to anyone who have an interest in this area of the American Civil War. The book proves to be well written, well researched and quite interesting to those who have interest. Its far superior to the one other book I read on this subject, The Last Shot, and worthy addition to anyone's Civil War library.

I recently spent a week's vacation on the Outerbanks in North Carolina, known as the ship graveyard of the Atlantic. The sea air and surf provided a wonderful backdrop for reading this book. The dramatic odyssey of the last Confederate warship, the Shenandoah, is a powerfully told high seas adventure. By incorporating sections of the logbook of Lietuenant Conway Whittle, one of the ships officers, the reader is drawn into the story on a very personal level. The heroic actions of Whittle and his crew are absorbing and made this a pleasure to read. If you are looking for the perfect book to bring to the beach, this is it..Enjoy!

My father, who came of age in Richmond VA in the 1920's and 30's, said the only kind of books he really hated were books about the Civil War. He said they went on and on about the glorious Confederacy, her valient fighting men and their doomed cause. If ever a cause deserved to be doomed in his view, it was the Confederacy. But Dad, a journalist, would have loved this book. Unlike so much historical fact and fiction covering America's bloody fratricide, "Last Flag down" does not romanticize anything. What it does is tell a gripping story about a little-known theater of the war, the Confederacy's last-ditch attempt to offset the Union's successful naval blockade by waging war on Union maritime commerce. It does this by following the career of a young officer on the CSS Shenandoah, the South's most tenacious commerce raider. Lt. Whittle left a stunning personal diary, whose observations and ruminations form much of the material for "Last Flag Down". Coauthor John Baldwin is a descendant of Whittle's, and he and coauthor Ron Powers have done a masterful job of balancing personal narrative with historically pertinent material about naval policy both North and South, diplomatic and political objectives, and economics. The book is so gripping, you almost don't realize how much you are learning about one of the most complex periods of American history until you are done. Whittle himself is a charming and sympathetic protagonist, not above deceiving himself about the South's chances, nor about his own hopeless suit for the heart of a young Southern lady he corresponded with. Whether or not you love historical narrative, this book works wonders on so many different levels that you owe it to yourself to try it. Prediction: somebody is going to make a great movie out of this.