I found "War on the Waters" informative, focusing on an area of the Civil War which is often overlooked, e.g., the Navies of both sides. McPherson corrected some misinformation I'd received in my earlier history classes regarding the use and extent of the Ironclad navies of both the Union and Confederate forces. I'd venture to say there's a lot of new information here, even for fairly well informed Civil War buffs. ( )

A few years ago I decided I wanted to read a naval history of the Civil War. To my surprise, I learned that, for all that has been written about the conflict, there are relatively few books about its naval aspects and the ones I found (Musicant's [b:Divided Waters|548898|Divided Waters The Naval History of the Civil War|Ivan Musicant|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1175713278s/548898.jpg|536146], Tucker's [b:Blue and Gray Navies|1279545|Blue and Gray Navies The Civil War Afloat|Spencer C. Tucker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348926213s/1279545.jpg|1268537]) proved disappointing. Had I waited a little longer I would have discovered that this book was a perfect fit for my needs, as James McPherson brings his expertise as the nation's foremost Civil War historian to the study of its naval aspects. Drawing upon both primary sources and secondary studies he surveys the various components of the naval war, from the Union blockade that was a critical dimension of the conflict to the revolutionary development of steam-powered ironclads, all of which he describes in his clear and assured prose. If there is a complaint to be made about this book it is that the apparent parameters of the Littlefield series for which he wrote it limited the amount of depth in which he can explore his subject, yet within its confines he has provided the best single-volume history of the Civil War at sea there is or is likely to be for some time to come. ( )

A very good book about a little known area of the Civil war, the war on the seas and more importantly, the rivers. This covers all the major naval engagements, which were few, as well as much of the assistance given by the Union navy in land battles. The blockade and capture of Southern ports and the control of the Mississippi were vital to the Union's success. Not overly wordy, so it covers a lot of territory in a short book. ( )

McPherson delivers a cogent history of US and CS Navies during the Civil War. His themes: that the Union Navy did a pretty good job, despite low funding a few bungles. It's primary task was blockade of Southern ports, which it did to the best of it's ability and though 5 of 6 blockade runners got through, it was still not enough to supply the South's needs. Lots of good stuff in one small book, some of it pretty detailed. The reader came away with an idea about the life of a sailor in those times. ( )

The author does narrative history very well. He brings quite a few stories and biographical sketches to life. His conclusion is pretty simple. The naval blockade was a great achievement and was a strategic necessity to union victory. He manages to tell his story without a graph or chart to illustrate the impact of the blockade on imports and exports. I guess he presumes this is an old story and needs no data but I would like to in dollars and cents and tonnage the loss to income and restrictions on cotton export and war material imports. This is a short essay on salt and inflation that is told as part of the story of some of the missions that the union navy accomplished. Well worth reading to remember the anguished choices that many faced in their military service - state or country. ( )