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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the finest history books I have read, December 17, 2004
James L. Nelson put his considerable writing skills of naval fiction into creating this outstanding historical work. Most history is dry reading, but this book reads like an excellent novel. Nelson covers the political turmoil and indecision at the outset of the Civil War and the failure of the incompetent commander of the Norfolk/Gosport naval facilities to destroy military stores and the Merrimack. The Confederates captured large numbers of cannon and tons of ordinance as well as the repairable Merrimack and a good dry-dock. When it was discovered that the Merrimack had been raised and the Confederates were converting it to an iron-clad, the Union panic began. It was hard to get the Monitor built because the old-school naval commanders did not like to innovate. Finally, the design of Swede John Ericsson was accepted, but to get the ship built, Ericsson mostly financed the construction with his own money.
In early March 1862 the Monitor was completed and sent to deal with the Merrimack (CSS Virginia), but she almost sank in rough seas and was barely saved. Meanwhile, a day before the Monitor arrived, the Merrimack had destroyed to Union frigates, the Cumberland and the Congress. It was a fierce battle but the wooden ships in the area could do nothing but run or be destroyed. The only thing keeping the Merrimack from escaping were large caliber cannon on forts in the area that could deliver plunging fire. On the 9th of March, the Monitor and Merrimack dueled for several hours with little damage to each other, few casualties, and no clear winner, but the Monitor and the forts were enough to keep the Merrimack bottled-up. The Confederates wanted to move the Merrimack to Richmond, but the waterways were too shallow, so they blew her up. The Monitor remained on station for several weeks before being sent to Charleston. On the trip, she again encountered heavy seas and sank. What a stupid waste.
What I found most interesting about this famous engagement was the weapons used by the ships. At times the ships were almost touching and a point-blank range, neither ship could deliver a crippling blow. Nelson reveals that the Merrimack was using explosive shells, which are very destructive when hitting wooden ships, but of no penetrating power when exploding against armor. The Monitor had large caliber cannon firing solid shot which should have been able to penetrate the sloping armor of the Merrimack. But the Monitor's cannon were restricted to using half powder charges. Using full charges would have enabled the Monitor's solid shot to penetrate the Merrimack's armor. One would think that after seeing the shots bouncing off the Monitor, someone would have had enough sense to increase the powder charges.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Monitor & the Merrimack ignite the imagination, May 7, 2008
James L. Nelson brings their famous conflict to the fore in Reign of Iron, a historical study of the events leading up to and proceeding after the battle. The book begins with the Merrimack, newly recommissioned Virginia, steaming into its first battle and decimating the Union navy's proud wooden ships blockading Hampden Roads, and the Monitor, after struggling through rough seas down the coast, arriving on the scene at the end of a hard day's fighting. But Nelson, a master tactician himself, tears readers away before the two ironclads meet, taking us back to the beginning of the war and the race by North and South to develop ironclad vessels for battle.
Nelson carries readers quickly but thoroughly through the process, switching perspectives from North to South as each ship takes shape. Before you know it, you'll find yourself back at Hampden Roads on March 8, 1862 -- Virginia has ruled the day, leaving the pride of the Union's fleet -- the Congress and the Cumberland -- as smoking ruins, and the Minnesota aground in the shallow waters and waiting only for sunrise on March 9 for Virginia to finish the job.
But the Monitor, with timing worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, arrived late on the 8th. Its diminutive size didn't inspire much confidence among sailors of the massive frigates who'd been bested that day, but the plucky iron "cheese box," as it was called, placed herself at Minnesota's side and defended her admirably. For hours, the two iron ships pounded each other with their big guns -- ultimately doing little real damage to each other, but stalemating in a spectacular fashion.
Nelson, a practiced novelist, shows his storytelling skills here by keeping history from being dry despite the long list of characters who appear in the narrative and the lengthy technical explanations that the story requires. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book that will appeal to history buffs, particularly those who enjoy Civil War or battles at sea.
by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(net) editor
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating history which you can read as a novel, May 24, 2004
By A Customer
I'm a huge fan of James Nelson's novels, so I jumped at the chance to finally read a non-fiction book from this author. While I'm not a huge history buff, I was relieved that Nelson used his abiity as a novelist to make this book on the ironclads read like one of his novels -- fast paced action with fascinating characters. I took it with me on vacation, and couldn't put it down. For anyone remotely interested in the Civil War, or for anyone who just wants a fun read (with the added bonus of impressing your friends with trivia that no one on earth should rightly know), I can't recommend this book highly enough.
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