Duel of the Ironclads

Children's Literature

In an age when metal is used to build so much, it is hard to imagine how revolutionary and unique the first iron ships were. Wooden ships were all the world had previously known in shipbuilding. It was, in fact, the lack of resources that drove ship-builders to try the new ideas. In the American Civil War, the South did not have the means to build as many wooden ships as the North. People of the South decided to try to build something different, something that would last, and that would be able to sink the North's wooden ships without itself being as vulnerable as the wooden ships. Ironically, the Southern ship-builders used the hull of a Northern ship, the Merrimack, on which to build their very first ironclad. They renamed her the Virginia. Northern spies alerted the generals in Washington about this new threat and the alarmed Northerners got to work building their own ironclad. This extraordinary vessel, the Monitor, had a revolving turret, something that had never been seen on a ship. For a brief time, the Virginia was able to attack some Union ships., until the Monitor arrived on the scene. What followed was an epic battle between these two remarkable vessels. Patrick O'Brien is an exceptional storyteller, showing us through his narrative both the times and the two ships. Navies would never again think about iron ships in the same way. The author also tells us about the people who played an important role in this change. His exceptional watercolor-and-gouache illustrations bring to life the action of the battles, showing us how the ships were built and revealing the significance of the famous duel between the Virginia and the Monitor. An Afterword at the end of the book describeswhere the remains of the Monitor can be found. 2003, Walker and Company, Ages 6 to 10.
— Marya Jansen-Gruber

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-The author/illustrator of The Hindenburg (Holt, 2000) and The Great Ships (Walker, 2001) spins a tale for young people of dueling military machines. The Monitor and the Virginia got a single-page treatment in The Great Ships; here O'Brien explicates the technological and political circumstances that brought these ironclads on the scene and changed the course of naval history. His succinct text should hold the attention of readers with an interest in naval history. The historical sections drag a bit, but the author cleverly switches back and forth between the political histories of these vessels and their more-fascinating technical aspects. A varying layout, offering several drawings and diagrams clearly linked to small sections of text as well as broader panoramic scenes accompanied by narrative text, allows readers to browse. Sadly, the design is cramped in places, and though obviously modeled after the layout in The Hindenburg, lacks the clarity and dramatic impact of that title. Readers not drawn to this subject matter will likely pass on this title, and those interested in follow-up material are on their own, as there's no bibliography. Still, this is a solid work for readers with a special interest.-Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A picture-book history illustrates the beginning of a new era in naval warfare. The age of wooden warships had come to an end. The Confederacy captured the shipyards of Portsmouth, Virginia, resurrected the Merrimack, and turned it into an ironclad fighting ship, intending to destroy Union ships in Norfolk and steam up the Potomac River to bomb Washington, D.C. Northern spies knew the plans, and an arms race began. "All the navies of the world were suddenly out-of-date." Union leaders hired inventor John Ericsson to create a new fighting machine. In 100 days, the Monitor was designed and created, towed to Hampton Roads, Virginia, and led into one of the greatest naval battles of all time. On March 9, 1862, with thousands of people watching from the shore, the two ships fought to a draw, never to meet again. Confederate forces later burned the Merrimack, or Virginia to avoid having it captured by Union forces, and the Monitor sank in a storm. O'Brien's clear and lively writing, dramatic watercolor and gouache illustrations, maps, and handsome, large-format design combine to make an appealing volume. An afterword explains how marine archaeologists found the Monitor off of Cape Hatteras in 1973, and the U.S. government has made the site of the wreck a national marine sanctuary. A sure-fire winner for young Civil War buffs. (Nonfiction. 6-10)