Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley

Riveting account of the H.L. Hunley, the first submarine ever to sink an enemy ship during the Civil War. The first part covers its early triumphant but tragic history. The submarine's design and inner workings are clearly described. After 130 years and many efforts the Hunley was located buried in Charleston Harbor and raised in 2000. The author describes the painstaking and delicate efforts archaeologists used to uncover the mysteries and victims of the Hunley. Other sciences involved in unlocking its story included geology, forensic genealogy, DNA testing, and forensic art. There are still questions about what happened and how the submarine was built; work continues today on the Hunley.

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is fascinating tale of a submarine that was successfully used one time during the Civil War, but then entirely disappeared with the entire crew on board. Scientists searched for the remains of the ship for over 100 years before finding it and bringing it up from the bottom of the ocean. The story tells how the ship was made, the tragedies and lives lost during the test periods and the mission that was successful before the sub disappeared. It is a mysterious tale about some Civil War history that really keeps you on the edge of your seat as scientists attempt to unfold the mystery of what caused the sub to sink and never resurface.

This is a fascinating book about the Civil War-era loss and modern finding of the first submarine. Detailed science writing in conjunction with cliff-hanging chapter endings kept this reader up past her bedtime. The illustrations include original letters about the Hunley, drawings of the submarine, and photographs of her recovery along with recreations of those who perished inside. However, at times the book was text-heavy, though the writing seemed aimed at an appropriate reading level. Overall, an informative and interesting read.

This is a terrific account of the discovery of the Hunley submarine. The book takes you through all the steps taken to preserve the submarine and its contents when it was brought to the surface. The author takes you through each concern and challenge the archeologists face and the decisions they made to successfully remove artifacts. The book ends with the science of discovering the human remains, figuring out who they were and depicting what they looked like and their past.

A really interesting book on an relatively unknown topic - a Civil War submarine. Well written, well researched and very interesting. Great for middle school and upper elementary.

4th to 12th grade. Winner of the 2006 Robert F. Sibert Medal and a 2006 ALA Notable Book, Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is a gripping nonfiction picture book that will appeal to a wide range of audience. In it Sally M. Walker provides a complete account of the Confederate submarine the H.L. Hunley- why it was made, its battle history, how it could have been lost, and how it became a great archeological discovery late last century. She does so in 112 pages, making this a longer nonfiction picture book. But it is formatted to be informative and allow the reader to skip to sections of interest. To begin with, the first 38 pages provide the history on the Hunley in a Prologue and 4 chapters. These chapters are delineated by being printed show more on light yellow brown pages and so appear historical in nature. Then the rest of the book is printed on regularly colored white pages to represent contemporary times and the discovery, excavation, and the archaeological treatment of the Hunley. Throughout the text, Walker provides photographs as well as pictures of maps, paintings, letters, artifacts, and architectural drawings. They add interest, support the text, and help identify sections of the book. The cover photograph of the Hunley right before it was lifted from the Atlantic sea floor was an excellent choice for the book cover. Metaphorically it represents the process the Hunley undergoes in the reader's imagination. It is being lifted from obscurity to becoming meaningful in the present. This book is highly recommended for public libraries as well as elementary, middle, and high school libraries. A challenge for younger children and easier for teenagers, Secrets of a Civil War Submarine will appeal to all. show less

This is the account of the H.L. Hunley, a civil war submarine that made history in 1864 as the first submarine to sink an enemy ship in battle. The book describes in detail the creation of the submarine with impressive diagrams and discusses the problems and tragedies that were encountered in attempting to produce a working specimen. The H.L. Hunley had shortlived success when she sank the Housatonic and then never returned to port. Many looked for the submarine, but it was well hidden on the murky bottom of the ocean floor. In 1995, the long sought after submarine was discovered by a group led by author Clive Cussler. The book documents the controversy surrounding the submarine and the challenges scientists faced raising and preserving show more such an important part of civil war history. This is a book that adolescents and adults would find captivating and informative. Well worth the time spent to read this book. show less