With the exception of the Monitor vs. Merrimack (CSS
Virginia), naval battles get short shrift in Civil War books. McPherson
certainly fills that gap with War on the Waters, The Union and ConfederateNavies, 1861-1865. Land battles were certainly decisive, but the Union may have
lost the war without Gideon Welles and the Navy Department. McPherson even
makes a strong argument that Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut deserves to be
ranked with generals Grant and Sherman when giving credit for the Union
victory.
Inventions and innovations by both the Confederate States and the United States revolutionized naval warfare. Steam-powered ships, screw propeller driven ships, ironclads, submarines, weaponry, and naval tactics all made major advancement during those four years. By Appomattox, the United States owned the largest navy in the world, and arguably the most technologically advanced.
War on the Waters does an admirable job of describing blue
water and brown water (river) battles and in explaining the significance of
each clash. I found the battles that required cooperation between the Army and
Navy of particular interest. As an added bonus, International law on blockades
is more fully described than in other history books.
McPherson’s no nonsense writing style can sometimes verge on
dull, but he always pulls the reader back to the narrative in the nick of time.
I recommend this book to all those who have an interest in
the Civil War, naval battles, technology advancement, or military politics. War
on the Waters is informational and a good read.
(This is a research book for Maelstrom, a sequel to Tempest at Dawn.)
