Confederate Blockade Runner 1861-65

by KONSTAM, ANGUSBRYAN, TONY

• ISBN13: 9781841766362
• ISBN10: 1841766364
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2004-01-22
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

The lifeblood of the Confederacy, the blockade runners of the Civil War usually began life as regular fast steam-powered merchant ships. They were adapted for the high-speed dashes through the Union blockade which closed off all the major Southern ports, and for much of the war they brought much-needed food, clothing and weaponry to the Confederacy. This book traces their operational history, including the development of purpose-built blockade running ships, and examines their engines, crews and tactics. It describes their wartime exploits, demonstrating their operational and mechanical performance, whilst examining what life was like on these vessels through accounts of conditions on board when they sailed into action.

Author Biography

Angus Konstam hails from the Orkney Islands of Scotland, and is the author of over 40 books, many of which are published by Osprey. His work for the New Vanguard series to date includes volumes 41: ‘Confederate Ironclad 1861-65’, 45: ‘Union Monitor 1861-65’, 64: ‘Confederate Raider 1861-65’ and 92: ‘Confederate Blockade Runner 1861-65’. Formerly the Curator of Weapons in the Royal Armouries at the Tower of London, he also served as the Chief Curator of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida. He is currently based in Edinburgh, where he pursues a full-time career as a historian.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 3
Background: the blockade
Development	p. 7
Early blockade runners
Specialized blockade runners
Design and Construction	p. 20
Propulsion
The Operation of Blockade Runners	p. 35
The blockade-running ports
Blockade runners in action
Bibliography	p. 43
Color Plate Commentary	p. 44
Index	p. 48
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.