Review of The Book Duel Between The First Ironclads by William C. Davis

Duel Between the First Ironclads is perhaps the most valid work of naval history that I have personally read. Davis presents an extensive “Documentation by Chapter” at the end of his work, which essentially serves as a sixteen-page fact-checking source. Rather than cluttering the bottom of every page with longwinded footnotes and references to other works, William C. Davis instead opted to end the book with his bibliography. His references showcase an incredible amount of valid resources that he used to construct Duel Between the First Ironclads. He used both secondary and primary resources, with several coming from 1861 as the boats were first being thought of. While technical terms weren’t brought up, several intriguing (and cited) photographs are inserted in the center of the book.

Duel Between the First Ironclads essentially describes the epic battle between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (once the USS Merrimack, and oftentimes referred to as such even after her confederate remodeling), the first two ‘American’ iron steamships. Rather than droning on about the necessary (and more advanced) naval history, Davis creates a sort of pseudo-narrative that supports the historical background of the topic. In a sense, he brings these historical figures to life within the pages of his book, and it does wonders when it comes to making such a considerably “boring” topic that tends to be marketed wrong throughout recorded history. The topic of the two ships quickly builds up to the Battle of Hampton Roads, perhaps one of the most important and ‘unavoidable’ naval battles between the infant Confederacy and the industrialist Union. On March 9th, 1862, the two unique ships met off modern-day Norfolk, Virginia. The background behind this battle was discussed thoroughly throughout the entire work, and we as readers seem to see an inside perspective towards the more ‘desperate’ Confederate navy and the more ‘ahead of its wallet’ Union navy. While the Confederate Secretary of the Navy (and former Florida Senator) Stephen Mallory scrambled for resources by raising the sunken remains of a Union ship, the Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles fought tooth and nail in a wartime Congress to fund prototypes and, eventually, the first fully crafted American ironclad ship. He portrays the ingenuity of a poorer south, the industrious north, and a battle of wits that ultimately goes down in history as one of the most riveting naval battles in American history.

What personally interested me throughout the introductory pages was just how intriguing the history of so-called ‘iron’ ships as they were throughout all of history – not just within the American states. Davis openly admits that using iron in navy warfare was nothing original, and traced the roots of such materialized fighting to both the Scandinavian and Mediterranean naval advances centuries before. What made the ironclad ‘race’ between the waring states unique was the advancement that it attempted to make: from simple plating to actual construction – or, in the Confederacy’s case, reconstruction. As the piece goes on, Davis describes the battle in great detail. He goes from discussing the overall background story on both sides.

My final assessment of Duel Between the First Ironclads by William C. to heavily describing the actual events of the battle. The two ironclad warships met off Sewell’s Point and the Union blockade prevailed over the Confederacy’s attempt to break through the line. If one was to wonder what the ‘peak’ of Duel Between the First Ironclads is, it would have to be when the two ships finally meet on the water within Chapter 7. The longest, and perhaps most informative chapter, is a measly seventy pages long. Professional reviews tend to agree that this book heightens what most non-historians would see as ‘bland’ or ‘boring’ into an intriguing narrative. One review published only a year after the original publication of Duel Between the First Ironclads recognizes the importance of making the history of these two ships more accessible to those who don’t consider themselves academic or historical scholars. Alvin A. Fahrner, a contributor to The Journal of Southern History, had this to say about Davis’s written work: “All the campaigns have been written about many times before. Yet, here between two covers, a reader may rapidly compare the skills and luck of the Civil War’s most famous mounted warriors. This makes the book a valuable contribution to the shelves of buffs and scholars alike. ” I personally agree with Fahrner’s statement. Duel Between the First Ironclads does a fantastic job at opening the eyes of individuals who may be interested in naval history or history in general. Davis would be positive.

I would recommend this book to anyone – whether they be interested in the topic of history or not. I feel as if this book is enough to be a gateway into the U. S. Civil War for anyone, and the way it is written gives any upper-leveled reader a chance to understand not only the Battle of Hampton Roads but also the society that existed during the height of the Civil War through an intriguing account that pairs necessary details with a well-researched plot. This piece is a fantastic addition to our naval history; and although Battle of Hampton Roads may have already been high-ranking on my own personal favorite points during the Civil War, I finished reading this book with more knowledge and information on the subject than ever before.