A Confederate Biography

"""Dwight Hughes's first book connects this tale of the sea with a general audience that does not get the reader lost in shipboard jargon. This volume is well worth the read, and this reviewer looks forward to the author's next book."" - History: Reviews of New Books ""Dwight Hughes, a Naval Academy graduate and a retired naval officer, has well told this compelling story of men against the sea and against tremendous odds of success. He takes his title from Adm. Raphael Semmes's assertion that 'The cruise of a ship is a biography.' Hughes's text is sparingly annotated, but thorough research and his use of the journals of officers and crew of the ship requires little amplification. The author recounts the highs and lows of their experiences, as well as details of their daily routines. Battling gales in the South Atlantic or North Pacific, getting stuck in Arctic ice, swooping down on unsuspecting victims, or conducting the humdrum but inherently dangerous activities of a ship under sail, the men of the Shenandoah put it all in writing, and Hughes has faithfully reproduced it here. The Shenandoah's story has been presented in print several times before but never better than in this Naval Institute publication.""-JAMP: The Journal of America's Military Past ""As the 'last stand' of the Confederacy, the exploits of the CSS Shenandoah have been the subject of several books. In this latest study of the vessel, independent scholar and career naval officer Hughes is very adept at describing the workings of the ship, and clearly explains nautical terms perhaps not familiar to the typical reader. His descriptions of shipboard life and the pros and cons of such a close living and working relationship are both thorough and vivid. Hughes also provides a thorough account of the entire life of the ship, giving equal weight to her secretive construction through her postwar surrender, whereas other studies tend to emphasize the latter part of the ship's career, when her actions could possibly be interpreted as piracy. Although well written and fully researched, the book contains but a single map, a strange oversight for a work that so thoroughly charts a voyage and describes a multitude of locales. General readers will enjoy the book, but the general lack of footnotes makes it less useful as an academic resource.""-Choice ""A Confederate Biography is a good read for naval historians, American Civil War and armchair admirals alike.""-The Northern Mariner ""Dwight Hughes provides an excellent account of CSS Shenandoah that is easily understood by historians and lay audiences alike. Relying on primary sources, especially personal journals of the officers and the annotated log of the captain, the book provides a great insight into the men who commanded the vessel showing their various moods that ranged from delighted at hearing about the Confederate battle victories to sadness at missing their loved ones at home. Hughes easily blended explanations of the various ships' designs and nautical terms into his story with no difficulty making the book available to readers of all backgrounds. A Confederate Biography is an excellent look at an interesting slice of the Civil War.""-Naval Historical Foundation"