The Washington Post
The aim of this compact book is to prove to modern students of the war that naval superiority throughout the conflict—on the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern river systems—was an indispensable ingredient of Union military victory. Like his Pulitzer Prize-winning Battle Cry of Freedom, War on the Waters displays the technique that has become something of a trademark for the Princeton historian. He uses impeccable scholarship in the service of narratives that have appeal for the general reader…McPherson has spiced his book with lots of true but largely unexploited facts and vignettes.
—Howell Raines
Publishers Weekly
McPherson, professor emeritus of Princeton and dean of Civil War historians, enhances our knowledge with this history of the conflict’s naval aspects. As definitive as it is economical, the work establishes beyond question the decisive contributions of maritime power to Union victory. The Confederate Navy, though materially outnumbered tenfold, was technologically advanced in such fields as mines and ironclads. Its commerce raiders devastated Union merchant shipping. Nevertheless, on the sea, along the coasts, and on the inland river systems, the North’s warships and landing parties independently achieved politically and strategically important victories: Port Royal, S.C., and Fort Henry, Tenn., Memphis and New Orleans. The fleet synergized with the army in combined operations from North Carolina to the Mississippi River and Texas. The Union Navy established and sustained a blockade without which “the Confederacy might well have prevailed,” These achievements were above all a product of pragmatism. From Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, through admirals like David Farragut and D.D. Porter, to the seamen and rivermen who joined for the duration, the Union Navy designed ships and developed doctrines to fit circumstances. Not everything worked. But as McPherson indisputably shows, the Civil War’s outcome was in good part shaped by Northern naval power A Main Selection of the History Book Club and a selection of the Military Book Club, BOMC, and BOMC2 online, (Sept.)
From the Publisher
As definitive as it is economical, [War on the Waters] establishes beyond question the decisive contributions of maritime power to Union victory.—Publishers Weekly starred review
Well-researched. . . . This important addition to scholarship on the naval aspects of the Civil War is recommended for academic audiences. With maps of several key battle sites clearly depicting ship and fort locations.—Library Journal
McPherson's accounts of set-piece battles—Farragut's assault on Mobile Bay, the duel between the Monitor and the Merrimack—are vivid. Much of this briny story is provided through the words of the participants, and the maps are excellent throughout.—Wall Street Journal Gift Guide 2012
A sound collection-development investment.—Booklist
McPherson displays his massive knowledge of the Civil War. . . . A solid contribution to Civil War scholarship.—Kirkus Reviews
[McPherson] uses impeccable scholarship in the service of narratives that have appeal for the general reader.—Howell Raines, Washington Post
Readers of Battle Cry of Freedom well may wish to add this sequel to their bookshelf.—The Washington Times
[James McPherson is] the dean of Civil War historians.—Publishers Weekly
A tremendous addition to Civil War literature, and McPherson has demonstrated his mastery of a new subject.—Sea History
Anyone wishing to acquire an immediate grasp on the main narrative points of the Civil War at sea, while enjoying a masterful summation of past and current historical thinking, should read this book.—Daybook
Library Journal - Audio
Beyond the history surrounding the Monitor and the Merrimack, most people other than historians and history buffs are clueless as to the importance and impact of the naval war between the Federal and Confederate navies during the American Civil War. McPherson has written a popular history that is both approachable and fairly thorough. Joe Barrett, who is well known to audio aficionados, gives yet another laudable reading. His voice is steady, clear, and consistent, and his deep, resonant baritone does well in reading quotes—usually affecting a credible accent. His narration is appropriately expressive throughout. VERDICT Military and public libraries may wish to consider. ["McPherson's well-researched book is too dense and detailed for general readers…[but as an] important addition to scholarship on the naval aspects of the Civil War is recommended for academic audiences," read the review of the Univ. of North Carolina hc, LJ 9/1/12.—Ed.]—Michael T. Fein, Central Virginia Community Coll., Lynchburg
Library Journal
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian McPherson (history, emeritus, Princeton Univ.; Battle Cry of Freedom), who has written extensively on various aspects of the American Civil War, now turns his authoritative attention to the naval campaigns that played a crucial but underappreciated role in the war's outcome. He provides thorough analyses of Union and Confederate strategies and detailed descriptions of pivotal battles in Memphis, New Orleans, Charleston, and elsewhere. His concise but comprehensive account includes explanations of how the Union navy and army cooperated, sometimes reluctantly and clumsily, to win the war's most critical sea battles, while the undermanned Confederates used torpedoes and tenacity to try to thwart their opponent's mostly successful attempts at blockading Southern ports. VERDICT McPherson's well-researched book is too dense and detailed for general readers, who would benefit from William Fowler's more accessible Under Two Flags: The American Navy in the Civil War, but this important addition to scholarship on the naval aspects of the Civil War is recommended for academic audiences. With maps of several key battle sites clearly depicting ship and fort locations.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia
FEBRUARY 2013 - AudioFile
McPherson gives a straightforward but often exciting history of the naval side of the Civil War. Joe Barrett’s delivery is soft-spoken and a little melancholy sounding, but his voice is likable and engaging, even over long periods. His pacing is good, his intonations fit the material well, and he’s expressive without being showy—not accentuating, for instance, the sometimes horrific details of battle. While his choice of voices in which to render quotations can seem arbitrary and his accents are sometimes weak, they do help indicate who is speaking; his Southern is better than his British. As with most audio military history, one feels the lack of maps, a problem of the medium. Still, this is an interesting, informative program. W.M. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
Pulitzer and Lincoln Prize winner McPherson (Abraham Lincoln, 2009, etc.) displays his massive knowledge of the Civil War, this time specifically concerning the naval battles. The Union Navy far outnumbered the Confederate, but it was still much too small to effectively blockade the coastline from Chesapeake Bay to Texas. In addition, the forces were required to patrol in the rivers, which were so vital to transportation. Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles was lucky in that Congress quickly eliminated the requirement to promote according to seniority of service before older leaders did too much damage. Cooperation with the Army was another hurdle, as traditional rivalry between forces made teamwork difficult. Samuel Francis Du Pont managed to take Port Royal in South Carolina without help from the Army, and other actions at Hatteras Inlet, New Orleans and Memphis proved the Navy's value. Actions in North Carolina in 1862 and on the Southern coast, especially Mobile Bay, were examples of the most successful combined operations. David Farragut's success in taking New Orleans enabled his push up the Mississippi in order to connect with Andrew Foote's Western Flotilla. These two navies opened the Mississippi and aided Grant's attack on Vicksburg. The use of ironclads, timberclads and even tinclads proved to be of more use in defending the Union ships and ramming the Confederates. However, when they met up with each other, it was usually a draw. While the navies may not be on the top of the list for most Civil War enthusiasts, this is a solid contribution to Civil War scholarship.
