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Mark K. Ragan
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The Hunley Paperback – November 2, 2006

by Mark K. Ragan (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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After more than a decade of research at the National Archives and other repositories in the South and Mid Atlantic, Mark Ragan has put together an exhaustive work on the CSS H. L. Hunley. The narrative begins in the small machine shop in Mobile, Alabama, where the Hunley was conceived. The last chapter includes a detailed account of the recovery and excavation of the vessel. Ragan s personal accounts of his research and related activity enhance the overall reading experience. It ends with the vessel's recovery from her century-old gravesite on the ocean floor and the return to land of her final crew.
This volume contains photographs and documents gathered from private and public archives around the United States and brings the reader up to date on the history of the vessel, as it has evolved since the publication of Mark Ragan's first book in 1995, The Hunley: Submarines, Sacrifice, & Success in the Civil War. The new work adds an index and includes expanded endnotes, increasing its value as reference tool.
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  1. Print length
    360 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Sandlapper Pub Co
  4. Publication date
    November 2, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    7 x 1 x 10 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0878441778
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0878441778
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark K. Ragan served as Hunley project historian during the recovery and excavation of this history-making Civil War submarine. He dove with the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology during the 1999 investigation of the Hunley's victim the USS Housatonic, and worked as a diver on the night shift when the submarine was being retrieved from its watery bed. He occasionally assisted the archaeologists assigned the task of excavating the interior of the little torpedo boat. He holds a degree in archeology/anthropology and has published three previous volumes on the Civil War submarines. Mark Ragan lives with his wife in Maryland, where he owns Chesapeake Submarine Service, Inc

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sandlapper Pub Co; First Edition (November 2, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0878441778
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0878441778
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 1 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

About the author

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Mark K. Ragan

Mark K. Ragan

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Mark K. Ragan is an author and historian specializing in submarines and the civil war, who also owns and operates his own K-250 submarine in Maryland. His work on the the CSS Hunley submarine has been lauded as the definitive effort on the history of the world's first successful submarine used in naval warfare. The Hunley also brought to the public's attention the story of the twenty-dollar gold piece, which reputedly saved Lieutenant Dixon's life at the battle of Shiloh, and introduced Miss Queenie Bennett, Dixon's Alabama sweetheart. The fabled coin was recovered from the Hunley's interior during excavation.

Ragan is the former Hunley Project Historian and has served as consultant for TNT's movie The Hunley and has appeared in numerous documentaries related to The Hunley, the Civil War and submarines. He current work involves Civil War flying machines and is the subject of the upcoming National Geographic documentary Confederate Flying Machines premiering May 10th.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
9 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Michael Crisafulli
5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the best reference on the Confederate submarine Hunley
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2006
Verified Purchase
This is a new, updated version of "The Hunley: Submarines, Sacrifice, & Success in the Civil War", now simply renamed. Like the original, this slightly smaller format trade paperback edition is illustrated with period drawings, photos, and copies of documents. The richly informed and annotated text of the first five chapters is nearly identical to the early edition, but laid out for easier reading and reference. The expanded sixth and last chapter includes a detailed account of the recovery and excavation of the vessel, which happened since the original publication, and in which Ragan participated. As in the original, Ragan's personal accounts of his research and related activity enhances the overall reading experience. The new work adds an index and includes expanded endnotes, increasing its value as reference tool.
6 people found this helpful
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John Trussell
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book , amazing story!
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
Very good book, highly recommend for anyone interested in civil war. If you get to Charleston, go by the Hunley Museum and see this amazing vessel!
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Gene F. Ostrom
5.0 out of 5 stars Mark K. Ragan on "The Hunley"
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2010
Verified Purchase
Anyone remotely interested in this topic would do themselves a favor to read it. It was well researched, has exhaustive detail, and is highly readable. I can't imagine another book on the subject coming close to equalling it.
One person found this helpful
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G. Cottrell
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the real deal!
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2011
This is the original ground breaking work done on the Hunley. At the time when Ragan wrote this book, many people (and some historians) thought that the Hunley was just a low draft "David" type torpedo boat and that it blew itself up in a "kamakazi" style attack. Ragan's book provided evidence that (1) it was a fully funtioning submarine and that (2) it got away before sinking.
Ragan was proven to be correct when the sub was discovered intact hundreds of yards away form the vessel it had destroyed. Ragan also correctly predicted that a gold coin would be found with the remains of the submarines captain, Lt. George Dixon. More than a few people scoffed at this- until the coin was also found! Bravo!
I would highly recommend reading this book- it was the first and, in my opinion, still the best work done on the subject.
One person found this helpful
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Chris
4.0 out of 5 stars Outdated information on the fabled "blue light"
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2011
So much new information has come to light since this book was written. A prime example is the author's treatment of the fabled and iconic "blue light" which he states is crucial to understanding what happenened to the sub after her torpedo exploded. He clings to the claim that the "blue light" was a blue lantern, despite recent research proving that the blue light was a pyrotechnic, hand-held flare in common use by the world's military forces. A blue lantern has been shown to be impractical for signaling over the four mile distance between the site of the Housatonic's sinking and the sub's shore base. The nail in the coffin of the blue lantern myth is the signal lantern recovered from the Hunley: it has a clear glass lens, not a blue one. Check out the Winter 2012 edition of "Civil War Navy" magazine to learn about the blue light signal used by the vessels of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. YouTube videos also show the blue light in use: "Burning Blue Light" and "Making Civil War-Era Blue Light" demonstrate manufacture and use of the pyrotechnic signal.
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