Blue Gray Navies The Civil War Afloat Author:Spencer C. Tucker Though the land war dominates the Civil War historic literature and imagination, the war at sea was equally dramatic and a vital contributor to the Union victory. Drawing on recent scholarship, official records, and the memoirs of participants, Spencer Tucker looks at the important roles played by the Union and Confederate navies during the C... more »ivil War. Tucker opens with an overview of the U.S. Navy's history to 1861 and then closely examines the two navies at the beginning of the war, including the senior leadership, officers and personnel, organization, recruitment practices, training, facilities, and manufacturing resources. He discusses the acquisition of ships and the design and construction of new types, as well as their armament and the development of naval ordnance, and Northern and Southern naval strategies. Tucker then takes a close look at the war itself, including the Union blockade of the Confederate Atlantic and Gulf coasts, riverine warfare in the Western theater, Confederate blockade running and commerce raiders on the high seas, and the Union campaigns against New Orleans, Charleston, Vicksburg, and on the Red River. Tucker covers the major battles and technological innovations, and he evaluates the significance of the Union blockade.« less