Iron Dawn

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

By: Richard Snow

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

From acclaimed popular historian Richard Snow comes the thrilling story of the naval battle that changed the Civil War and the future of all sea power.

No single sea battle has had more far-reaching consequences than the one fought in the harbor at Hampton Roads, Virginia, in March 1862. The Confederacy, with no fleet of its own, built an iron fort containing 10 heavy guns on the hull of a captured Union frigate named the Merrimack. The North got word of the project when it was already well along, and, in desperation, commissioned an eccentric inventor named John Ericsson to build the Monitor, an entirely revolutionary iron warship - at the time, the single most complicated machine ever made. Abraham Lincoln himself was closely involved with the ship's design. Rushed through to completion in just 100 days, it mounted only two guns, but they were housed in a shot-proof revolving turret.

The ship hurried south from Brooklyn (and nearly sank twice on the voyage), only to arrive to find the Merrimack had destroyed half the Union fleet and would be back to finish the job the next day. When she returned, the Monitor was there. She fought the Merrimack to a standstill and saved the Union cause. As soon as word of the battle spread, Great Britain - the foremost sea power of the day - ceased work on all wooden ships. A thousand-year-old tradition ended, and the path to the naval future opened.

Iron Dawn is the irresistible story of these incredible, intimidating war machines. Historian Richard Snow brings to vivid life the tensions of the time, explaining how wooden and ironclad ships worked, maneuvered, battled, and sank. This full account of the Merrimack and Monitor has never been told in such immediate, compelling detail.

©2016 Richard Snow (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Lots of details

good recall of past details from history class, paints a greater picture of the time.

Important events often ignored

Engaging writing with great narration. Covers events usually glossed over with passing mentions. Loved it

Great background on Two famous ships!

For history enthusiasts, especially on naval warfare, this is a great listen on the development of the two famous ironclads, the Monitor and the Merrimack.

Iron ships

This book is a fantastic history of men who built and fought the first steam powered iron ships. A superb narrator brings this true story to life. Brilliant

Excellent

More than worthwhile. Exceedingly well-written and not surprisingly expertly narrated.

Grover Gardner is a national treasure.

Detailed tale of technology and personalities

Many thanks to Audible for making this title available free of charge.

Snow tells an engaging story of the technology and personalities that imagined, built, operated, and fought the two first and most famous ironclad warships. From Lincoln down to the most humble sailors, the tale is well-read and easy to get included with. Recommended.

Wonderful in Every Way!

I’ve been reading Civil War history all my life (I’m 72), and so I thought I knew something about ironclads. But author Richard Snow, aided by the excellent narrator Grover Gardner, not only provided encyclopedic facts of the ships but of the military and civilian culture that created them, and the lives of the many individuals involved. This book is a magnificent accomplishment, and the author and narrator and everyone at Audible should be proud to have played a part in bringing such wonderful history to our ears.

Hard to get better...

than Grover Gardner set at 1.5 x narration speed on my IPhone, some rousing history and an author who can turn a phrase with the best of them! Almost everyone knows about the epic naval battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack, so it is no small accomplishment to keep the reader mesmerized not only with events preceding, but the personalities leading "with a novelist's timing" to Iron Dawn and three hours that changed the entire world. Excellent!

Great Read

Loved It would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about history or historical battles.

Accurate History, Fascinating Personalities

Richard Snow's 2016 account of the history-changing battle between the CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor brings a double boat-load (pun intended) of background regarding the circumstances and personalities that culminated in the first ever belligerent encounter between two iron steamships. The only thing that would have made this story better would have been the inclusion of more details about the battle itself. Well read by Grover Gardner.