Mississippi River Gunboats of the American Civil War 1861-65

At the start of the American Civil War, neither side had warships on the Mississippi River and in the first few months both sides scrambled to gather a flotilla, converting existing riverboats for naval use.
These ships were transformed into powerful naval weapons despite a lack of resources, trained manpower and suitable vessels. The creation of a river fleet was a miracle of ingenuity, improvisation and logistics, particularly for the South. This illustrated history describes their design, development and operation throughout the American Civil War.

Angus Konstam is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has written widely on naval history, with well over a hundred books in print. He is a former Royal Navy officer, maritime archaeologist and museum curator. Now a full-time author and historian, he lives in Orkney.
Tony Bryan is a freelance illustrator of many years' experience. He worked for a number of years in Military Research and Development, and has a keen interest in military hardware. Tony has produced many illustrations for partworks, magazines and books, including a number of titles in the New Vanguard series.

Introduction
The Mississippi Theater
The Union River Fleet
The Confederate River Fleet
The Role of Gunboats
Ship List - Union
Ship List - Confederate
Further Reading
Color Plate Commentary
Index