Introduction of the Ironclad Warship, The

Introduction by Donald L. Canney.

James Phinney Baxter's landmark study, originally published in 1933, was the first complete, fully researched history of the ascendance of the ironclads. Some of the more notable ships highlighted in this text are the USS Princeton, USS Monitor, USS Merrimack, the HMS Warrior, HMS Achilles and the CSS Virginia. Using U.S. and British sources, the author broke new ground by relating the entire development of these unique ships, including revolutions in naval ordnance, propulsion technology, and ship construction. Despite the passage of nearly seventy years, this volume remains the standard text on the subject. Commenting that Baxter's work has stood the test of time, historian Donald Canney introduces the book by pointing out that no serious study on ironclads can proceed without Baxter as an authoritative underpinning.