Capital Navy: The Men, Ships, and Operations of the James River Squadron

Capital Navy is the first book to examine the importance of Confederate naval operations on the James River, and their significant (and yet largely ignored) impact on the war in Virginia.

Dr. Coski’s study explores virtually every aspect of the Confederate naval presence, from the early war construction of the ironclad behemoths to the under appreciated wooden ships that fought alongside their more famous iron-plated sister ships--and every engagement and action in between. Coski’s research is grounded in primary sources, including diaries, letters, journals, log books, and official records.

His deep research allows him to paint a lively portrait of the men and ships that plied the twisting, muddy coils of the James River. His descriptions of the many fascinating personalities involved in this drama are richly drawn and deeply crafted, as are his renditions of the naval engagements (including Drewry’s Bluff and Trent’s Reach).

It is impossible to fully understand how and why the war unfolded as it did in Virginia (and indeed, the Eastern Theater) without reading this book.

John M. Coski spent 33 years as historian and director of research and publications at The Museum of the Confederacy (subsequently the American Civil War Museum) in Richmond, Virginia. He earned his B.A. from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in American History from the College of William and Mary. His publications include Capital Navy: The Men, Ships, and Operations of the James River Squadron (Savas Beatie, 1996, 2005) and The Confederate Battle Flag: America’s Most Embattled Emblem (Harvard, 2005). He received the Emerging Civil War Award for Service in Civil War Public History.