Civil War Navies, 1855-1883 (U.S. Navy Warship Series) - Hardcover

Silverstone, Paul H.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1557508941 ISBN 13: 9781557508942

Publisher: Naval Inst Pr, 2000

Synopsis

This is the second in a five-volume series by the author on US warships, listing the ships of the US Navy and the Confederate Navy during the war Civil War and the years immediately following the war, a significant period in the evolution of warships, the use of steam propulsion, and the development of ordnance. Entires on each ship list size and time and place of construction along with particulars of naval service. There are also details on actions fought, ships sunk, damage sustained, and dates in and out of commission, as well as information about when the ship left the navy, names used in other services, and its ultimate fate. Includes 140 b&w photos of ships. Silverstone is an internationally recognized naval authority who has written many books and articles on warships. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

About this title

About the Author:

Paul Silverstone is an internationally recognized naval authority known for his many books and articles on warships. He is author of US Warships of WWII and editor of the naval notes column of Warship International, the quarterly journal of the international Naval Research Organization.

From Booklist:

Silverstone is a prolific author of several books on U.S. naval history and also an editor of Warship International, a quarterly journal. These two books are the first in a five- volume chronological series on U.S. warships.

Both references begin with a contents page, a short article on U.S. naval ordnance for the relevant period, an explanation of data, and a list of abbreviations. Aside from this general similarity, the books are organized in differing ways. Civil War Navies is broken down in two parts: "United States Navy Warships" and "Confederate States Navy." Material in The Sailing Navy is organized under "The Continental Navy, 1775-1783," "State Navies, 1775-1783," "The United States Navy, 1797-1854," "United States Revenue Cutter Service," and "Texas Navy." Within the chapters of both volumes there are further subdivisions. Ships in Civil Warare generally categorized by propulsion and vessel size, as well as duties; for the most part, ships in Sailing are listed by type. Within these divisions, ships are listed alphabetically by name in a letter-by-letter arrangement (e.g., Emma Henry, Eolus, Fort Donelson). A typical entry has a chart showing the name of the ship, builder, date laid down, date launched, and date commissioned. Entries also also provide information on tonnage, dimensions, machinery, crew complement, armament, and armor. Notes add data such as designer; service record, including engagements; ships captured; and later history.

Each volume also has a short bibliography and an index of ship names. A random survey determined the bibliographies to be current and the indexes accurate. Scattered throughout the two volumes and appropriately placed are many black-and-white illustrations, mostly photographs and paintings, of the ships listed. Many of these illustrations were difficult to locate and represent a significant research effort. There is also a list of ships captured. Sailing has an appendix listing "Royal Navy Losses in North American Waters," and Civil War has an appendix that lists shipbuilders.

There is only one comparable reference to these two volumes. The eight-volume Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (GPO, 1959-80) is arranged alphabetically by ship name and has detailed histories of each ship that are sometimes several pages long. The chronological arrangement of the titles under review makes it easier for users to compare classes of ships from a particular time period, and the chart format and indexes facilitate use. These easy-to-use references will be valuable complements to the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and popular items in all military collections. REVWR
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About this edition

• Publisher: Naval Inst Pr
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1557508941
• ISBN 13: 9781557508942
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 218