Mr. Lincoln's High-Tech War: How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Ironclads, High-Powered Weapons, and More to Win the Civil War

This book ended up in a list of my 7 year old's top five favorite books for the last school year (and yes, we homeschool). I originally checked the book out from the library, thinking we'd read a bit here and there and look at the pictures, but after seeing my son's delight and interest, I quickly bought the book. I knew we'd be reading it for a lot longer than the library check out limit! We ended up reading all of it, in chapter or half chapter chunks. Yes, if you already know quite a bit about the Civil War, you won't find anything new in this book, but for grade school or even high school students, the book offers a good overview of the war with lots of interesting information about the use of technology used in the war. The authors do a very good job running the gamut of technology - everything from canned foods to submarines to all the new rifles and munitions. The book also was careful to point out the differences in technology adoption between the North and South, showing where each side was innovating and where they were lagging behind, and why.

The book is excellent for it's length. It is being used for a research project for the Museum where I work. Hopefully, by the next school year a series of story-lines accompanied by lesson plans will be available free for teachers. I would have preferred additional material on the use of military balloons; however, I was able to supplement through additional research.

Long title and a bit of a misnomer because this book also deals with the Confederate States of America's use of technology. Granted, the Confederacy was limited by their scarce industrial capability, but they focused what they had on their 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 the use of technology. Prior to the Civil War, Napoleon defined combat strategy and almost every senior officer on either side of 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, iron clads, turret mounted cannons, submarines, primitive but effective stealth techniques, and ammunition advances made Napoleonic strategies as obsolete as battleships in WWII. These advances in technology were so important that every world power sent military observers to watch how both Union and Rebel forces adjusted to the new weapons.A quick example of how technology changed strategy. For centuries naval warships focused on positioning the ship to deliver a broadside where 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 using the cannons on both sides of the ship. A steam engine double 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 which keeps the reader’s interest and help the narrative run smoothly. This National Geographic book is a well-written book with 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.

My 16yo son found this book at the local library and immediately asked for his own copy. He loves it.

I'm going 'out on a limb' here, and saying that many if not most who were paying attention to civil war history learned most of what's in this book.It is presented in a worthwhile format, with a good job of readibility.I'm disappointed because I wanted more specialized info about the railroads involvement in the Civil War, Didn't find it.

Delightful actually learned stuff not taught in the 50s.

The industrial revolution would transform lives, but prior to that Lincoln's ancestors experienced little change, if any. His father and grandfather's generations all accomplished things in the same, predictable manner, but in Abraham Lincoln's time things began to change. Inventions began to change the world. Even Lincoln owned a patent, "A Device for Buoying Vessels Over Shoals."During the Civil War the use of new technology was of the essence as crisis showed Lincoln "the importance and difficulty of handling logistics-the art and science of getting troops, weapons, and equipment where and when they [were] needed." The Pony Express was out, the telegraph was in as he needed to keep in touch with his troops. He learned Morse code and wrote and read messages to and from his troops. Observation balloons were sent aloft to spy on the Confederate troops, even if they were difficult to control.The "Merrimack" was turned into an ironclad ship, the first of many. The race was on to develop innovative warship designs. By land or by sea, the war was in a technological race to win the war! The Civil War was called the "last ancient war" and "the first war in which railroads played a major part." The rails would move the troops into battle or out of harms way. As weaponry became more sophisticated, the casualties mounted. A huge explosion blew up a Confederate fort. Where would this technology lead us? Was there no end?This book gives stunning insight into the technological advances that Lincoln and the troops used during the Civil War. The usual imagery is one of hand to hand combat, not one of increasingly sophisticated warfare. This book is very well written page turner. The book is set up in double columns, has numerous pertinent boxed materials, is amply illustrated, has an excellent bibliography, an index and many additional online resources. This is a ten star book and well worth the asking price!