Under Two Flags: The American Navy in the Civil War

Examines the role of the Union and Confederate navies during the Civil War and discusses the technological and strategic evolution of the Navy during the period

By the author of Jack Tars and Commodores , this is a lively popular account of Union and Confederate naval operations during the War Between the States. Fowler describes how the Union blockade of Southern ports isolated the Confederacy and the subsequent struggle for inland waterways as control of the Mississippi became a crucial strategic factor. He reveals how Confederate naval secretary Stephen Mallory squandered the South's slender resources on the impractical raiding of Federal merchant shipping on the high seas. He explains why both sides were slow to recognize the usefulness of the ironclad warship which, with the appearance of John Ericsson's Monitor , revolutionized naval warfare. The narrative hangs on a series of vivid accounts of naval campaigns and battles, including David Farragut's victories at New Orleans and Mobile Bay and David Porter's contribution to Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg campaign. Without a powerful navy, Fowler argues, the North could not have won the war. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is a very readable history of action on the seas during the Civil War. More than a mere military account, it provides a vivid picture of how, out of the chaos of war, the U.S. Navy emerged as one of the most powerful seaborne forces in the world; and then, just as quickly, how it lapsed into decline and neglect. Beyond policy, there are also the personalities: Union Naval Secretary Gideon Welles and his Confederate counterpart Stephen Mallory as they engage in a deadly duel of strategies; Welles and Secretary of State William Seward competing for Lincoln's attention; and more. Much is included here, from the Union ironclads to the Rebel privateers, from primitive gunboats, aging steamers, and paddleboats to effective fighting machines at war's end. Recommended for buffs as well as public and academic libraries with holdings in Civil War history.
- Jason H. Silverman, Winthrop Coll., Rock Hill, S.C.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.