Iron Dawn: The Monitor, the Merrimack, and the Civil War Sea Battle That Changed History

In this history of the 1862 confrontation of the ironclads USS Monitor and USS Merrimack, a pivotal naval battle of the Civil War, Snow (I Invented the Modern Age) attempts to present a synthesis without shorting details about the battle, ships, and crews. The result is a parallel examination of the two vessels, from their conception in the early 19th century to their demise after the fatal encounter. The author brings his paired narratives together in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads, VA. With sometimes florid and intricate narrative, Snow incorporates stories of heartbreak and humor, especially as the vessels are hurried toward combat. Snow devotes more than half of his book to the development and building of the ships, including engineering, business, and political interests as well as military exigencies. In the process, the account is occasionally bogged down by mind-numbing details.