A good history book about something that is really not talked about in school. I remember we talked about a little when I was growing up but here the author really goes into the history of the battle and the back story as well. Well researched and at times a little slow but that is a history book, overall a good book.

This is an interesting part of history that we never talked about in school. I would have thought it much more interesting if we'd had these true tales (although I recognize that there are time constraints on how much teachers can fit in).

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and Scribner, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my history book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as I am an avid reader of american history and the civil war. I also have never read a detailed history of the development and battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack. This is the first book by Richard Snow that I have read.

This is a well written and researched book on the subject. The author's writing style lifts it from a dry read of historical facts to an engaging narrative of the events leading to the development of the first "ironclads" in the United States, their battle and the aftermath. While a very enjoyable book, it may be too detailed for the casual reader.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has a deep interest in the american civil war.