Customer Reviews

Wolf of the Deep: Raphael Semmes and the Notorious Confederate Raider CSS Alabama

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"Wolf of the Deep" is about the most successful commerce raider (read 'privateer') in the history of war at sea. The fact that Raphael Semmes was a captain in the Confederate Navy just adds more to the emotional appeal.

It turns out the Confederacy might have won after all, if it had done more commerce raiding. Semmes' raids alone were enough to cause hundreds of shipowners to sell their cargoes at a loss, or even the ships themselves, to avoid losing them as United States vessels. Semmes caused consternation out of all proportion to being one captain with one ship.

Stephen Fox tells the story with gusto, including lots of pictures, quotes from newspapers of the time, and different perspectives including pro-confederacy and anti-confederacy Brits as well as Americans. The Civil War is where Americans learned to fight with modern technology and transportation logistics - sadly, using each other; but learn they did.

For romance, for military adventure, for political buffoonery, for history: Wolf of the Deep appeals on all levels while telling a right good story. Amazingly, Captain Semmes retired and died in bed after all this brouhaha. You can see a statue dedicated in his honor in Mobile, Alabama.

first off...it bugs me to no end that official and customer reviews refer to both Semmes and the CSS Alabama as "privateers." The Alabama was a ship built and comissioned in England by the Confederate States of America, and Semmes, her captain, was a Confederate Naval Officer. What she did, and did quite well, was commercial raiding, which was to destroy the enemy's commerce whenever possible. The Union ships did the same when they found Confederate blockade runners, and one can say they were performing the nautical version of what Sherman and others were doing on land.

That said, this is one outstanding book. I'm not partial to historical biographies, and even less to military ones, but I tore through this one in two days. Military, political, and sexual intrigue--a real flair for characterization---Fox has all of the ingredients for an old-fashioned potboiler--and this is all a true account of an overlooked Civil War navy commander of whom little was thought until late in his career.

Semmes and the Alabama are both fascinating characters--but the supporting roles of the crew--and those that love them--and those that plot aginst them--and the exotic ports of call the lovely Lady Alabama finds herself in and her many harrowing escapes until her final battle--all make for a book you can't put down.

Most historical tomes by Brown history professors aren't devoured like the latest beach novel. For me, this one was, but it was a far more satisfying experience.

Raphael Semmes is/was my great great grandfather. It is a matter of pride, if of no other significance, that I share a birth date of September 27th with him. An appreciable amount of my 78 years has been consumed in correcting error and wrongful expressions relative to Raphael Semmes, often by authors who borrowed liberally from his memoirs. For example the use of the words "notorious" instead of "famous"; the term "pirate" by authors better deserving the term; "rebel" by persons purporting to be historians. Fox appears, at times, to have used the philosophy of no proof to the contrary in his conclusions, especially his conjecture that one of Semmes's children had been born out of wedlock. This musing was based upon his time at sea and the unlikelihood of a 10 month pregnancy. Had one read all the error in the advertising of the book, this would come as no surprise. Semmes's character is best described in the words of Warren F. Spencer who wrote a factual book about Semmes during the Mexican War and the War between the States: "One other person inspired me to complete this writing:Raphael Semmes. His personality comes through all of his writings; his strong intellect constantly challenged me. I have learned from him the meaning of honor and the value of sacrificing one's self for the sake of one's convictions. My travel through Raphael Semmes's life has, in the sunset of my career, given me a new meaning to this period of my own existence. And for that, I thank Raphael Semmes". Spencer provided an accurate recounting of the life of a good man. The value of Spencer's thoughtful approach is well expressed through words of John Paul II: "People have always needed models to imitate, and that need is all the greater today, amid such a welter of confusing and conflicting ideas".

I just can't stress enough how interesting, well-written and -researched, and entertaining this book is. WOLF OF THE DEEP nicely balances a character-driven narrative, plunging deeply into Semmes's personality, whims, family life, and work, with illuminating historical backdrop. There is much to learn, even for Civil War buffs, I think, about the importance of the naval side of this war and its implications; as well about Anglo-American relations and Semmes's crucial impact upon them. I'd had no idea, for instance, that the Brits. were largely behind the Rebel South, looking upon it as an underdog agst. the big bully of the North -- until Lincoln was bold enough to hinge the War around slavery, as Fox points out. Meanwhile, the book reads like an adventure novel, filled with backstabbers, pirates, love interests, scheming politicians, and the like. If you're looking for an entertaining, insightful, probing history of the Civil War and one of its most important yet forgotten players, do yourself a favor and get Stephen Fox's WOLF OF THE DEEP.

This book is an outstanding account of the little known actions of the Confederate Navy during the war between the states. The book is very well written and offers a "Southern Perspective" of Captain Semmes actions during this tragic time. I found the book riveting and highly recommend it to history buffs.

~Wolf of the Deep: Raphael Semmes and the Notorious Confederate Raider CSS Alabama~ is a fluid and captivating tale of the Confederate Raider helmed by the Confederate Admiral Raphael Semmes. This book, in particular, focuses on his almost two-year stint as captain of the infamous Confederate privateer, the Alabama.

In 1860, the Union strategist Winfield Scott devised a shrewd plan to strangle southern commerce with a naval blockade. The Confederates answered by building up their tiny Navy, though they never really could effectively counter the formidable power of New England shipbuilders. The South lacked the shipyards and iron foundries to build great ships, and had to turn to England for naval implements of war. One such ship was the CSS Alabama that set sail from Birkenhead, England in 1862 after being built by John Laird Sons and Company.

At the onset of the war, Semmes was first placed in command of CSS Sumter. That tour would last six short months. He raided commercial shipping while eluding pursuing Union warships. In January 1862, the Sumter required a major overhaul. Semmes attempted to have her repaired at Gibraltar, but the arrival of U.S. warships ended her career, and Semmes narrowly escaped to England, where he was promoted to captain. There he acquired a sizable commercial vessel. He then went to the Portuguese island of Madeira in the Atlantic and had that vessel converted into a formidable warship that became world-famous as CSS Alabama.

The CSS Alabama was a screw sloop-of-war built for the Confederate States Navy at Birkenhead, England in 1862. At capacity, it had a crew of some 145 officers and sailors. All told, the Alabama sunk 62 vessels, mostly merchant ships. Its captain was the illustrious Raphael Semmes. Stephen Fox gives a nice background to Semmes' life leading up to the war. Semmes had spent his early years in the U.S. Navy, and was married to an northern woman. A native of Maryland, Semmes practiced law in Alabama. When Alabama seceded in 1861, he served the Confederacy as a blockade runner and had great success raiding Union merchant vessels in the Caribbean and Atlantic. Playing cat-and-mouse games in the vast gulf of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Alabama preyed upon Union commercial shipping. The ship bounced around ports from the Caribbean to England to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

On 11 June 1864, Alabama arrived in Cherbourg, France. There Semmes requested permission to dock and overhaul his ship. Pursuing the raider, the American sloop-of-war USS Kearsarge lied in wait. Eventually the two met, and though the Alabama fired more shots at the Kearsarge, the Union ship plowed a deadly shot at a section of the Alabama's waterline sending the ship hurling to the bottom. The Union ship received the vacating crew of the Alabama.

All things considered, this is an intriguing and fascinating account of Raphael Semmes and the notorious Confederate Raider CSS Alabama. The book is engaging and it has some nice pictures and illustrations, which enliven the narrative.

The American Civil War is a subject that has tomes devoted to the events, people, and places that were involved. One subject that is often overlooked is the role that the Navies played in the war. This book fills an important gap by discussing one of the most feared and celebrated Confederate Naval Officers, Raphael Semmes and the ship he commanded, the CSS Alabama.

Wolf of the Deep tells the tale of the confederate captain, his ship, his crew, and their adventures during the Civil War. Starting with a short discussion of Semmes' early life and start of his naval career, it quickly focuses on his arrival on the CSS Alabama and the day to day operations of the ship. It covers the range of emotions brought by the excitement of raids and captures to the monotony and aggravation of the times when nothing happens. Traveling around the world, visiting a wide array of land and people, the Alabama made a large mark during the Civil War.

The story of the ship and her captain is nicely woven together with descriptions of world wide events of the time, putting the significance of the Alabama's actions into context.

Going beyond just the ship, the author spends a significant amount of time discussing Semmes' personal life, covering his family and the effect the war had on their lives. This helps the reader understand the long range impact of the war and gives Semmes a personal side that can get lost in the day-to-day grind of naval life during war.

The book is also peppered with photos and illustrations that add a fabulous touch to the story, giving a physical glimpse into the stature of the individuals involved.

Tackling a subject that is unique and detailed, the author weaves an interesting and well-told tale.

Armchair Interviews says: American history buffs, take note. Wolf of the Deep is a book for you.

Stephen Fox (who, I assume, is either a Yankee or has Yankee sympathies) has written a superb, sympathetic and pretty well true (I have read with interest the review by O.J. Semmes and I respect it) thriller based on the exploits of Captain Raphael Semmes (O.J. Semmes's great great grandfather) and that of his principal and most important command, the C.S.S. Alabama, the extraordinary Confederate raider that wrought havoc amongst Yankee shipping during the War for Southern Independence. It's the sort of book that's almost impossible to put down as, though one knows how the ship's story ends - sunk off Cherbourg, France, by the U.S.S. Kearsarge, on Sunday, the 19th of June, 1864 - the Alabama's creation at Liverpool and her career at sea makes for endless fascination, as does the life of Captain Semmes himself. For this Britisher, however, one of the most interesting aspects of the book is the careful cataloguing of the Confederacy's many supporters who were 'over here,' some of whom I knew of but about some of whom I knew next to nothing. Any present-day supporter of the cause of the Confederate States of America should remember with pleasure the parts played on 'our' side of 'the pond' by such as (in alphabetical order) James Dunwoody Bulloch (an uncle of Theodore Roosevelt), William Ewart Gladstone, M.P., Henry Hotze, the Laird ship-building brothers of Liverpool, William Schaw Lindsay, M.P., Senator James Murray Mason, Matthew Fontaine Maury, Senator John Slidell, James Spence, and, of course, the Revd. Francis William Tremlett and his sister, Louisa. These fine folk played their parts in the great drama and I am proud of all of them, British and American, but it was Semmes and his ship that nearly turned the tide of history and, despite losing the last battle, had lasting effects on both Great Britain and the United States. Read this well-written book: you'll love it like I did!

Although spread out through the book, reminds you that the root cause of American Civil War was not slavery, but different economical models between North and South, and actions of congress mistrust different opinions, and gives a description of who/where and when during the war the shift to it beign a war about Slavery. As previous reviewer points out- book does a god job and interweaver a biography of the Captain intothe book, but primary focus is the ship. Book does have a nice few pages about difference between a Commerce Raider and a Privateer. Interesting point other reviewer omits is that most of the ship crew was not "Confederate", but British, and book does include good coverage on the British origin of the ship. Highly recommended for Naval History buffs of any nationality, as it covers voyage, consider fact this ship and era of hybrid propulsion both sail and steam.

A very interesting account of the history of the CSS Alabama, and its captai, Raphael Semmes, covering a part of the Civil War largely forgotten today and little covered. Raphael Semmes, a US Naval Academy graduate was not highly regarded within the US Navy, but he became the most successful raider in history, leading his Confederate officers and British crew in a series of attacks against the US merchant fleet from Newfoundland to Singapore over several years before finally being sunk by the USS Kearsarge off Cherboug in 1864.

The author does a fine job discussing why the Alabama was so successful, as in most respects this British built ship was one of the fastest and most technologically advanced warships of its day. Northern newspapers found on captured ships provided timely intelligence over and over. However, Captain Semmes remains the most significant element in all this. For me, one of the most interesting aspects of the campaign was just how bloodless it really was, as the Alabama did not sink its merchant prey until after each ship had struck, usually without ever being fired on directly.
One of the more colorful aspects of the Union efforts to counter the Alabama center on the efforts to outfit Commodore Vanderbuilt's personal yacht to hunt for the Alabama. In the end, the Alabama was the Confederacy's most successful venture.