Reign of Iron by James L. Nelson

Reign of Iron

The Story of the First Battling Ironclads, the Monitor and the Merrimack

James L. Nelson

HarperCollins · Print & ebook · March 29, 2005

At the outbreak of the Civil War, North and South quickly saw the need to develop the latest technology in naval warfare, the ironclad ship.

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Who it’s for
Readers interested in Civil War naval warfare and ironclad ships
Themes
Civil War naval warfare, Ironclad ship technology, Historic naval battle
Genres
Civil War Era, Naval History, Maritime History

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About this book

At the outbreak of the Civil War, North and South quickly saw the need to develop the latest technology in naval warfare, the ironclad ship. After a year-long scramble to finish first, in a race filled with intrigue and second guessing, blundering and genius, the two ships -- the Monitor and the Merrimack -- after a four-hour battle, ended the three-thousand-year tradition of wooden men-of-war and ushered in "the reign of iron."

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In the first major work on the subject in thirty-five years, novelist, historian, and tall-ship sailor James L. Nelson, acclaimed author of the Brethren of the Coast trilogy, brilliantly recounts the story of these magnificent ships, the men who built and fought them, and the extraordinary battle that made them legend.

Who it’s for

  • Readers interested in Civil War naval warfare and ironclad ships
  • Readers interested in the people and events behind a historic naval battle

Where it sits

Civil War Era69%
Naval History69%
Maritime History40%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Military History
  • Nuclear Warfare
  • U.S. Military History
  • Naval History
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Civil Wars
  • Guerrilla Warfare
  • North American History
  • Colonial America (to 1775)
Authors
James L. Nelson
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
March 29, 2005
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Civil War naval warfare · Ironclad ship technology · Historic naval battle
Reading lane
Military History