Capital Navy: The Men, Ships And Operations Of The James River Squadron

Hardcover Cloth 344 pages. Condition Very Good Dust Jacket Very Good. Presumed First edition second printing 1996. Handsome grey boards and gilt embossing shows off this Clean, tight, square copy with no marks, highlights or bookplates. Book Well kept and carefully stored in unread condition. Slight shelf wear. An unclipped dust jacket smooth, clean and brilliant with slight shelf wear - a few wrinkles and chips. Not an ex-library, book club or remainder copy.

"Capital Navy: The Men, Ships, and Operations of the James River Squadron" delves into the Confederate naval operations on the James River during the American Civil War. The book thoroughly examines this aspect of the war, highlighting its significant yet often overlooked impact on the conflict in Virginia.

The book covers nearly every facet of the Confederate naval presence, from the construction of early war ironclad ships to the lesser-known wooden vessels that fought alongside their iron-plated counterparts. Coski's research is based on primary sources such as diaries, letters, journals, log books, and official records, which allows him to vividly portray the personalities and naval engagements involved, including battles like Drewry's Bluff and Trent's Reach.

The James River led to Richmond and the improvised Confederate flotilla played a role in many Civil War battles in the region. Under the command of the daring John Randolph Tucker, the sailors fought to the bitter end as infantrymen in the Appomattox campaign.