Monitor : The Story of the Legendary Civil War Ironclad and the Man Whose Invention Changed the Course of History by James Tertius Dekay
Review by: Morrigan

As the title suggests, "Monitor" is a fantastically written book dealing with the Civil War ironclad Monitor, and to a lesser (but nonetheless important) extent, the Merrimac. The story begins with the visionary idea of one engineer, Ericsson, and follows it from the drawing board all the way to the climatic confrontation between the Monitor and the Merrimac. Along the way, the book is filled with fascinating accounts of the ship's construction, and the politics that came into play (as well as a hilarious account of the USA's first aerial spy mission in a hot air ballon).

I have to say that this book is absolutely great. Prior to reading this book, I had never really given military history, naval history, or naval ship construction a second thought. I can't even remember what made me pick up this book in the first place, because it was nothing like what I usually read. But once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It is short and sweet, with enough intrigue and backstabbing to make a first-rate soap opera, and yet it is twice as interesting when you know these events actually occured. It has just the right blend of historical and naval background coupled with one man's struggle to see his dream realized, caught between the epic struggle of two nations for naval supremecy in the War. This book was definitely written for the layperson, and sustains interest in the subject matter the whole way through. I think everyone, man or woman, young or old, will find it interesting, no matter what genre of book they normally read. For a great short read about a fascinating sliver of American history, this book is the way to go!

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