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Book Review: Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War by Thomas B. Allen & Rodger MacBride

 

Thomas B. Allen & Rodger MacBride

Long title and a bit of a misnomer because this book also deals with the use of technology by the Confederate States of America. Granted, the Confederacy was limited by its scarce industrial capability, but it focused what it had on its navy, including the first ironclad in combat and the first submarine. Both were effective when let out of the barn, but neither lasted much beyond their first engagement. That’s the way it goes with military innovation; failures often precede a workable design.

Most people view the American Civil War as a series of bloody battles fought with muskets and cannons. It all looks so backward from a modern perspective. In truth, the American Civil War changed warfare dramatically through technological advances. Before the Civil War, Napoleon defined combat strategy, and almost every senior officer in the Civil War received their education at West Point, which was steeped in the Napoleonic principles of warfare. These principles did not last long into the war. Dahlberg cannons, rifled cannon, rifled shoulder weapons, repeating rifles, repeating pistols, trench warfare, instant telegraph communication, railroads, steam-powered warships, ironclads, turret-mounted cannons, submarines, primitive but effective stealth techniques, and advances in ammunition made Napoleonic strategies as obsolete as battleships in WWII. These advances in technology were so crucial that every world power sent military observers to watch how both the Union and Confederate military adjusted to the new weapons.

Technology changed strategy. For centuries, naval warships focused on positioning the ship to deliver a broadside, so that all the cannons on one side could be brought to bear. Usually, the ship dropped its sails to stay in position, offering a static target. With stream power, warships could circle, thus presenting a moving target and allowing cannons on both sides of the ship to fire. A steam engine doubles the number of usable cannons while defensively making the ship harder to hit.

Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War is a short, fast-moving book that concentrates on a single aspect of the war. It is filled with illustrations and sidebars that keep the reader’s interest and help the narrative flow smoothly. This National Geographic book is well written and has high production values. Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War is supposedly targeted at middle-school age children, but anyone interested in the Civil War or the technology of warfare will find it informative.


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