Trial by Fire: Science, Technology and the Civil War [Hardcover]

Charles D. Ross (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 215 pages
• Publisher: White Mane Publishing Company (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157249185X
• ISBN-13: 978-1572491854
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #695,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for science or Civil War buffs, April 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Trial by Fire: Science, Technology and the Civil War (Hardcover)

In this reference, Charles Ross excellently explains the applications of scientific knowledge during the Civil War and the effects thereof. Through an impartial presentation of the historical solutions to very real obstacles, Ross brings to life an often overlooked aspect of the war while concurrently describing the simple scientific principles that govern those solutions. Answered in this book are the following questions: "How did the Confederates produce the world's purest gunpowder despite their poor manufacturing base?", "What role did the telegraph play in the war?", "What is the story of the submarine CSS Hunley?", and "What was the significance of mines, dams, and balloons?" This book is bound to impress the historian and the scientist.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mistaken review from 2004, May 8, 2006

By 

Charles D. Ross - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trial by Fire: Science, Technology and the Civil War (Hardcover)

Greetings. I am the author (Charles Ross) of the book featured on this page. The March 30, 2004 review by "A Reader" appears to be a review of Sinews of War: How Technology, Industry and Transportation Won the Civil War NOT my book. My book is the result of years of research and is properly annotated with primary sources. Note: Amazon requires that I give my book a rating for this correction to appear...I hope you'll forgive me for giving it 5 stars!

4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Weak Account of the Sinews of War, March 30, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Trial by Fire: Science, Technology and the Civil War (Hardcover)

A very disappointing book. For starters, the subtitle How Technology, Industry, and Transportation Won the Civil War is misleading, as the author really does not focus on these aspects, and when he does, he manages to avoid detail. For example, the Red River debacle is one of Bacon's chapters. The technology LTC Bailey used to build dams to allow the Union boats to avoid being stranded takes less than two pages. Essentially the book is nothing more than a reworking of some of the major episodes of the war with a few remarks about the logistical aspects thrown in. The author does not appear to have done any significant research. There are no citations of source material and the bibliography is limited to fairly recent secondary works.