Seth Ledyard Phelps was of the Old Navy and the New. As a midshipman and junior officer he served under sail off West Africa; in the War with Mexico; and in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. As a senior office in the river squadrons of the Civil War he saw combat at its closest. Phelps; a native of Chardon; Ohio; was a prolific and observant correspondent. His private letters; to his wife; his father; and to political patrons and other naval officers; are among the most compelling and descriptive extant. The heart of Ironclad Captain are these letters; which Jay Slagle has set in context through the judicious use of published documents; memoirs; and scholarly histories of the navy. The result is a small history of the navy and its officer corps for the middle third of the nineteenth century. Phelp's self-confidence fueled a driving ambition. He was one of the severest critics of the navy's seniority system; which seemed to thwart those ambitions. After long and often heroic service on the Western Rivers; he left the navy in 1864 to pursue a less exciting career in commerce and diplomacy. Unfortunately for historians; his correspondence ends at that time as well. Notwithstanding his bitter leave-taking Seth Phelps loved his country and his service. His letters are a permanent and invaluable legacy to both.
#392583 in Books Hackett Publishing Co. 2008-09-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.25 x 5.25 x .75l; 1.00 #File Name: 0872209377380 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great Man. Unexpected endingBy Patrick F.Great Man. Unexpected ending!3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. I really enjoyed it.By Mohammad AkhlaghiI have not finished the book yet. But in general; I have not found any thing worth complaining about other than my own lack of time in completing it. The book also doesn't really need finishing in a linear manner! It is not one complete entity; it is a collection of the major parts of the separate books Galileo has written. They can be read independently.Reading this book (and other original historical books) is invaluable for anyone wanting to enjoy how our understanding of the universe has evolved over the centuries. It is fascinating to read the same words Galileo wrote (an English translation though!) now that more than 400 years have passed from those nights that he made his observations. We learn so much in hindsight. As the introduction says; Galileo was also an exceptional Italian writer; if only I knew Italian to enjoy the actual words he used and benefit as he would have wanted me (a reader) to benefit from it.6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Excellent readBy Tom Brooksi have been searching for the perfect book containing the works of galileo and now i found it. if you've always wanted to read galileos works this is the book for you.
