audiobook Success Is All That Was Expected: The South Atlantic Blockading Squadron During the Civil War by Robert M. Browning in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book about an overlooked part of the war.By Bob SudduthThorough telling of the operations of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron from Ft. Sumter until the close of the war.Charleston is the centerpiece of the drama of the book. The author discusses the operations of the squadron before and after the attack on Charleston as well as the nuts and bolts of the blockade but the U.S. efforts to take the cradle of secession.While the squadron and U.S. Army forces generally had success in the area they couldn't take Charleston. How it's situated makes it ideal for defense; compounding that the rebels did a thorough job of making defensive preparations for the harbor. In addition the Army and Navy didn't do well at coordinating their operations. All these factors led to frustration after frustration for the Union war effort in this campaign.Charleston fell once Sherman's Army turned north from Savannah; accomplishing the goal to avenge Sumter; by this time a battered pile of rubble in the harbor.The author uses many good primary sources and has a smooth writing style to uncover a more overlooked facet of the war.10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Second in a SeriesBy John MatlockOne of the first measures imposed by the North on the South during the War was to establish a blockade. The United States Navy was ill prepared to enforce such a blockade. Officially the U.S. Navy consisted of ninety vessels. Only forty-two of these were in commission; the rest were in moth balls; or as it was called then 'in ordinary;' or they were on foreign station; or patrolling the Gulf coast. Nor were the ships that were available suited for blockade use. The Navy primarily had ships designed for deep water operations; not the shallow coastal areas typical of the southern coast.As the title says; success was expected. The blockade of course lasted throughout the war. By the end the Navy was not only prepared; but was indeed able to effectively blockade these ports.The particular area covered by the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron covered from Cape Fear to Cape Canaveral. This book joins the authors previous bookon the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and presumably there is at least one more book to come in the series.