On June 19, 1864, just off the coast of France, one of the most dramatic naval battles in history took place. On a clear day with windswept skies, the dreaded Confederate raider Alabama faced the Union warship Kearsarge in an all-or-nothing fight to the finish, the outcome of which would effectively end the threat of the Confederacy on the high seas. Phil Keith and Tom Clavin introduce some of the crucial but historically overlooked players, including John Winslow, captain of the USS Kearsarge, as well as Raphael Semmes, captain of the CSS Alabama.
Despite its clunky, unfortunate title, To the Uttermost Ends of the Earth is a stellar retelling of Civil War naval history, focusing not on the blockade or the showier Monitor-Virginia duel, but on the lonely shadow war fought by the Alabama on American shipping ... Keith and Clavin have righted a great slight and thrown the efforts of the two great ships and their crew into the spotlight. This is a masterwork of historical recovery and will be a proud addition to anyone’s Civil War library.
After establishing backstories for the captains, their ships and key officers, Messrs. Keith and Clavin turn to the hunt. In a piece of detective work out of a Patrick O’Brian novel, Winslow narrows down the likely routes Semmes could take ... The battle plays out in a rousing shot-by-shot narrative that covers the book’s final quarter ... The book’s prose is highly accessible ... To the Uttermost Ends of the Earth, completed after Phil Keith died last year, is entertaining from beginning to end, though its pace is slowed at times when delving into the backstories of other ships and characters ... It is a welcome addition to the lore of navies whose sailors braved storms and shrapnel in a war for America’s destiny.
[A] dramatic account ... Keith and Clavin spin a spirited tale of high-seas adventure and bring both Semmes and Winslow to vivid life. Naval history buffs will be enthralled.
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