Guns, Glory, and Naval Power: The U.S. Navy’s Pivotal Role in the Civil War, 1861–1865

The war was fought on land. It was won on water.

The American Civil War is usually told through its great armies, generals, and battlefields. But beneath that familiar story was another war, fought along rivers, coastlines, and waterways that proved essential to the Union’s survival and eventual victory. In Guns, Glory, and Naval Power, acclaimed narrative forensic historian Alan Strauss-Schom brings the U.S. Navy to the center of the Civil War story, revealing how naval strategy, technology, intelligence, and combat shaped the conflict from 1861 to 1865.

Drawing on the complete 24,000-page Official Records of the Navy Department, including orders, battle reports, ship logs, and the correspondence of Navy Secretary Gideon Welles, Strauss-Schom uncovers a wealth of previously overlooked evidence. These extraordinary primary sources allow him to revisit major battles, challenge long-accepted interpretations, and illuminate the decisions that determined the course of the war at sea.

From the blockade and control of the Mississippi to the battles for key ports and naval bases, Strauss-Schom demonstrates that the Union Navy was not merely supporting the armies. It was a central instrument of strategy and victory. He also examines the rapid development of ironclads, naval artillery, steam power, and other technologies that transformed warfare and pointed toward the modern age of naval combat.

• The first comprehensive naval history of the American Civil War based on the complete Official Records of the Navy Department
• Draws on an extraordinary 24,000 pages of previously unpublished orders, reports, logs, and correspondence
• Reexamines major battles, commanders, strategies, naval bases, and technological breakthroughs
• Challenges long-standing interpretations of the Civil War and restores the U.S. Navy to its rightful place in the conflict’s history
• Reveals how naval power helped secure Union victories and reshape the future of warfare

Available in multiple formats:

Paperback — Elegant print edition presenting the complete text.
Hardcover — Premium edition designed for collectors and serious students of history.
EPUB — DRM-free and compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and major e-readers.
Audiobook — Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged.

Guns, Glory, and Naval Power is more than a history of ships and battles. It is a fundamental reassessment of the Civil War itself, showing how control of the waterways, the development of new weapons, and the decisions of naval commanders helped determine the fate of the Union. Meticulously researched and vividly told, it gives readers a fresh understanding of one of the defining conflicts in American history.

About the Author

Alan Strauss-Schom is an acclaimed narrative forensic historian and the author of eight major works exploring war, politics, military leadership, and the forces that shape history. His books include Napoleon Bonaparte (HarperCollins), Trafalgar, Countdown to Battle, 1803–1805 (Penguin, Oxford University Press), The Eagle and the Rising Sun: The Japanese-American War, 1941–1943 (W. W. Norton), and Lyautey in Morocco: Protectorate Administration, 1912–1925. Known for combining meticulous archival research with compelling narrative, Strauss-Schom brings overlooked evidence and fresh perspectives to some of history’s most consequential conflicts.