Raising the Hunley: The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Brian Hicks (Author), Schuyler Kropf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2002 | Series: Highbridge Distribution

On a brutally cold night in February 1864, all seemed calm off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. But beneath the placid surface of the sea, a Confederate submarine named the H. L. Hunley was about to attack the USS Housatonic, the Union Navy's largest warship. The sub plunged a 135-pound torpedo into the Houstonic's stern, sinking it within three minutes, and becoming the first submarine to sink a ship in battle. Lieutenant George Dixon and his crew signaled their victory to their Rebel compatriots on Sullivan's Island and steamed toward shore and a heroes' welcome. Sadly, their triumph was short-lived: For reasons that remain mysterious, the H. L. Hunley abruptly disappeared.

But not, it turns out, forever. Though treasure-hunters had searched for the sub since the Civil War, it remained undisturbed for 136 years. Aided with newly-developed technologies, a team of divers bankrolled by novelist Clive Cussler found the Hunley in 1995.

Two price-winning journalists, Brian Hicks and Schulyer Kropf, have chronicled this fascinating story of military daring, momentary victory, sudden death, buried secrets, persistence, and ultimate payoff. As described by the authors of The H. L. Hunley, its discovery and subsequent recovery have revealed a veritable treasure trove of human-interest anecdotes and solutions to decades-old mysteries.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Civil War MiscellanyThe legendary Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley was the first successful underwater warship that is, the first to sink an enemy ship. As chronicled in Raising the Hunley: The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine, the sub disappeared without a trace in 1864, crippled by a Union ship, and finding it became something of an obsession for many Americans until the vessel was finally brought to shore in 2000. Based on interviews with scientists and historians who studied the Hunley's remains, Charleston, S.C., Post and Courier journalists Brian Hicks and Schuyler Kropf reconstruct the sub's final voyage in this dramatic slice of Civil War history.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-The Hunley was all but forgotten until its retrieval in August, 2000. Resembling a fictional adventure tale, the book takes readers back to federally blockaded Charleston, SC. Without access to goods brought in by ships to the formerly bustling harbor, the South feared certain defeat. An idea to develop a small underwater ship that could evade detection as it delivered a torpedo to a Union blockade ship was offered as a wisp of hope by New Orleans lawyer Horace Lawson Hunley. Its development, however, was fraught with danger, and the first two test runs resulted in the deaths of 13 crew members. Finally, the sub was sent for its maiden voyage on February 17, 1864, whereupon it accomplished its task: it sank the Housatonic. Shortly after signaling the shore that it was about to return, it disappeared. The struggles to locate and retrieve the ship, spearheaded by author Clive Cussler, and the efforts to preserve it as a historical treasure trove, are nearly as fascinating as the story of its construction. The description of the Hunley's reentry into Charleston Harbor on August 8, 2000, before a cheering, saluting crowd of more than 20,000, is quite an emotional moment. Photos are mostly from the salvage and raising operation, with a few portraits of the crew included. Diagrams give readers a feel for the confines of the limited space within the submarine and the frightening conditions in which these men died. This exciting, well-done slice of history should have broad appeal.
Carol DeAngelo, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Highbridge Audio; Abridged edition (March 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565115341
• ISBN-13: 978-1565115347
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,163,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the Hunley histories, April 17, 2002

By 

Timothy M. Smalley (Apple Valley, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raising the Hunley: The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine (Hardcover)

I first heard about the Confederate submersible H.L. Hunley 46 years ago when I was a scared five year old in St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth, MN. I had an unheard crippling disease (everyone thought it was polio) and wasn't doing very well. There was no TV in our area of the hospital and I couldn't read more than a few words, but my Dad brought me a book about submarines. He and I used to stay up past my bedtime to watch "The Silent Service" WW II docu-dramas about the submarine service and he knew I was nuts about subs. On page three, was a painting of the "Huntley" (sic) getting ready to ram her torpedo into the hull of the USS Housatonic. I made my Dad and the nurses and the bigger kids in the childrens' ward read those pages over and over to me. Even then I wondered what could have happened to the sub and the brave sailors on board. Later I was able to talk to my great grandma who remembered a little of the civil war and told me what she knew about the Hunley. I've been hooked ever since. (By the way, the disease turned out to be septic arthritis and thanks to antibiotics I made a full recovery.)

I have been an email correspondent with Brian Hicks and Schuyler Kropf, award-winning journalists of the Charleston (SC) Post and Courier newspaper for several years now. They have been on the Hunley "beat" ever since it's discovery in 1995 and I'm sure they have become really tired of my pestering them for measurements and modeling details for the RC model I am building of the Confederate sub. But ever since Mr. Hicks told me about their project I have been bursting at the seams to get my hands on a copy of their brand new book about the famous rebel "fishboat". I received my copy on a Friday and pretty much spent the whole weekend reading and relishing every word.

First off, if you are expecting lots of new technical details and a myriad of new photos of the submarine, you might be a little disappointed. Mark K. Ragan's two books* still have more of the technical particulars about the H.L. Hunley and it's forbears. But if you are interested in new insights into the design, construction and recovery of the sub and a glimpse into the mind of wealthy New Orleans lawyer, former legislator, plantation owner and deputy chief customs collector Horace Lawson Hunley, this book is for you.

An important and often overlooked aspect in the study of history is not just what happened but why it happened. The authors do a splendid job of delving into possible motives for what made Hunley the man he was and why he may have taken his boat on that fateful practice run that took his and his crews' lives. A driven man, Hunley kept copious notes to himself: points to drive home in letters, legal briefs, and motivational quotes worthy of a Dale Carnegie or Tony Robbins. He was also very curious as to what made great men great and made a note to himself to get a book on the subject of the deaths of "Great Men".

Part two of the book begins with self-described adventurer Dr. Lee Spence's claim to have originally found the sub and his long quest to be recognized as the discoverer of the long lost rebel "murdering machine". Hicks and Kropf describe novelist Clive Cussler's involvement with the search and his team's eventual finding and the recovery of the lost vessel. The writers do a fine job of not taking sides in the controversy of just who discovered the Hunley, letting the reader make up his or her own mind.

From there we almost are immersed in politics as agency battles agency for final control of the destiny of the Hunley. It makes for fascinating reading. Hicks' and Kropf's style of writing is much easier to read than any of the other books I have read about the Hunley (just about all of them). These guys are professional writers and it shows.

I can't recommend this book highly enough.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A marvelous book!, May 2, 2002

By 

T. E. Vaughn (Chattanooga, Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raising the Hunley: The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine (Hardcover)

On 17 February 1864, the Confederate privateer submarine HUNLEY, then called a "fish-boat" or "torpedo boat," crewed by eight volunteers successfully attacked and sank a Union blockade ship off Charleston... and disappeared. This marvelous book recounts not only the history of the first successful attack submarine, but the mystery surrounding it. The story of the search for the ship, its discovery and its astounding recovery is documented, along with introducing the reader to a fascinating cast of characters involved in this real-life drama.

Even if you have little interest in history, this is still a book well worth your time. It is frequently, and often not accurately, said of non-fiction that "it reads like a novel." This book really does. The story is not only well told, but the pacing of the story and character development is strong. That journalists, who are known for dry prose, could produce a book like this is refreshing. One thing I particularly liked were the brief biographies of the main characters that appear at the end, a sort of "what happened to them after this story."

I won't belabor the facts revealed about the submarine (many), the attack (requiring incredible courage), or the people (combatants, searchers, and archaeologists) or the possible solutions to the mysteries surrounding this fabled ship. It is so rare to find a book today that is well-written, informative, compulsively readable. This book is all that, plus just down right entertaining. This book is a treasure. Read it!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on the Hunley., May 15, 2002

By 

Michael D. Muth (Lowell, In. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raising the Hunley: The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine (Hardcover)

Brian Hicks and Schuyler Kropf have lived and breathed the Hunley since 1995 and it shows with this book.If you are unfamillar with the story of the Hunley,this is the book that will bring you up to speed.From the concept,to the attack,to the raising,to the excavation,Hicks and Kropf makes you feel like your right there.This book is a must read.