From Sail to Steam: Four Centuries of Texas Maritime History, 1500-1900 [Hardcover]

Richard Y. Francaviglia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1998

Based on recent discoveries in nautical archaeology, Francaviglia tells the stories of the ill-fated Spanish flotilla that wrecked off Padre Island in 1554 and of French explorer La Salle's flagship Belle, which sank in 1687. He explores the role of the Texas Navy in the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836 and during the years of the Texas Republic, and also describes the Civil War battles at Galveston and Sabine Pass - battles that humiliated the Union Navy and helped keep Texas in the hands of the Confederacy. Finally, he recounts major developments of the nineteenth-century - the erecting of lighthouses, the dredging of channels, and the development of steam-powered liners of the Morgan and Mallory lines - concluding with the disastrous Galveston Hurricane of 1900.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The maritime history of Texas is a critical but overlooked topic. This book is a significant contribution, a very nice new synthesis. It will be very useful for a general audience." oJ. Barto Arnold III, State Marine Archaeologist, Texas Historical Commission --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

The maritime history of Texas is a critical but overlooked topic. This book is a significant contribution, a very nice new synthesis. It will be very useful for a general audience. (J. Barto Arnold III, State Marine Archeologist, Texas Historical Commission )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1st edition (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292725035
• ISBN-13: 978-0292725034
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,449,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable addition to both Texas and maritime history., February 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: From Sail to Steam: Four Centuries of Texas Maritime History, 1500-1900 (Hardcover)

I had the pleasure of reviewing this manuscript while it was under consideration by the University of Texas Press. From Sail to Steam: Four Centuries of Texas Maritime History, 1500-1900 makes a valuable and much-needed addition to both the study of the American Southwest and maritime history in general. Francaviglia weaves together both earlier work and new, original research to present, for the first time, a single, flowing narrative of the development of Texas' ties to the sea.

The volume is heavily illustrated, which is an advantage in a work which chronicles technological development as well as social and economic change. The author also makes good use of interdisciplinary studies; he draws heavily, for example, on recent archaeological work to build a more complete picture of the past than would be possible using only limited archival sources.