One thing I really like about this book is that it is based on the naval perspective of the battle. Robinson dwells on the navy's role in the battle from the bombardment to the assault by sailors and Marines. Evidently much space will be given to why the fort wasn't attacked earlier than near the end of the war, especially with all the success of the blockade-runners in bringing all the war materials into the Confederacy.
From his Author's Note,Robinson hopes to change the perception of Rear Admiral Samuel P. Lee's role (one that I'm not well-versed.
I was able to read the first two chapters on the plane ride. The first one primarily covered North Carolina's secession and the second Northern operations in the state from 1861 to the end of April 1862. The February to April 1862 operations ended up with most of North Carolina's coastal area coming under Federal control.
However, the author did have some confusion with Topsail Inlet being by Beaufort and Fort Macon. It is farther down the coast, nearer to Wilmington.
In 1861, Hatteras Inlet was captured, then in quick succession, starting in February 1862, Roanoke Island. Then, in March, New Bern fell and Fort Macon in April.
You'd have to think that the Union forces would just go ahead and finish off Wilmington with all this success and be done with it, but they didn't.
Of course, all of this is occurring during the sesquicentennial of the war, 150 years ago.
Looking Forward to Reading This Book. --Old B-Runner
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