Duel Between the First Ironclads is perhaps the most valuable work of naval history that I have personally read. Davis presents an extensive “Chapter Material” at the end of his book, which essentially serves as a sixteen-page fact-checking source. Rather than cluttering the bottom of each page with lengthy footnotes and references to other works, William C. Davis chose instead to end the book with his bibliography. His references present an incredible amount of valid resources that he used to build Duel Between the First Ironclads. He used both secondary and primary resources, several coming from 1861, when boats were first thought of. Although technical terms have not been discussed, several intriguing (and cited) photographs are included in the center of the book. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original EssayDuel Between the First Ironclads essentially describes the epic battle between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack, and often called such even after its Confederate transformation), the first two "American" iron steamboats. Rather than drone on about necessary (and more advanced) naval history, Davis creates a sort of pseudo-narrative that supports the historical context of the subject. In a sense, he brings these historical figures to life in the pages of his book, and that works wonders when dealing with such a "boring" subject that tends to be poorly marketed throughout. recorded history. The subject of the two ships quickly leads to the Battle of Hampton Roads, perhaps one of the most important and "inevitable" naval battles between the nascent Confederacy and the Industrial Union. On March 9, 1862, the two unique ships met off the coast of what is now Norfolk, Virginia. The context behind this battle has been discussed in depth throughout the work, and we, as readers, seem to see an inside perspective toward the more "desperate" Confederate Navy and the more "desperate" Union Navy. advances on his portfolio. While Confederate Secretary of the Navy (and former Florida Senator) Stephen Mallory searched for resources by lifting the sunken remains of a Union ship, Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles struggled bec and nails at a wartime congress to fund prototypes and, ultimately, the first fully designed American ironclad ship. It depicts the ingenuity of a poorer South, the industrious North, and a battle of wits that will ultimately go down in history as one of the most gripping naval battles in American history. What interested me personally throughout the introductory pages was how intriguing the story is. so-called “iron” ships, as they have been throughout history – and not just in the American states. Davis openly admits that there is nothing original about the use of iron in naval warfare and traces the roots of such materialized combat to Scandinavian and Mediterranean naval advances centuries before. What made the battleship "race" between the Warring States unique was the progress it attempted to achieve: from simple armoring to actual construction – or, in the case of the Confederacy, reconstruction . As the article progresses, Davis describes the battle in great detail. It moves from discussing the overall history of both sides, to my final assessment of William C.'s Duel Between the First Ironclads, to describing in depth the actual events of the battle. Both.