The War of the Aeronauts: The History of Ballooning in the Civil War - US Civil War Books - Law Books - Legal Self Help Book Store

Law Books - Legal Self Help Book Store - Law Dictionary - Law School Books - State by State Legal Reference Books - Nolo Press - How To Pass Law Bar Exams - Immigration Law - All at Discount Prices!

Advanced Search

View Cart Checkout

Location: Home » US Civil War Books » United States » The War of the Aeronauts: The History of Ballooning in the Civil War

November 22, 2008

LawyerBuzz.com Navigation

Legal Help - Political Forums

DUI Forum

Red Light Camera Forum

Speeding Ticket Forum

Lawyer Jokes

Divorce Forum

International Orders & Shipping

VIEW CART

Checkout

Categories

•	American History
•	Adoption Law
•	California Law
•	Class Action Law
•	Constitutional Law
•	Construction Law
•	Criminal Law
•	Divorce Law
•	Immigration Law
•	Copyright Law
•	Landlord Law
•	Malpractice Law
•	Military Law
•	Patent Law
•	Personal Injury Law
•	Privacy Law
•	Real Estate Law
•	Small Business Law
•	Small Claims Law
•	Tennant Law
•	Trademark Law
•	Wills-Estate Law
•	DUI Law
•	Speeding Tickets
•	Laser Detectors
•	Radar Detectors
•	How To Pass Law Bar Exams
•	Nolo Press Legal Help
•	Legal Dictionaries
•	The Patriot Act
•	The Supreme Court
•	US Civil War Books
•	The Civil War DVD
•	The West Wing DVD

The War of the Aeronauts: The History of Ballooning in the Civil War
enlarge	Author: Charles M. Evans Publisher: Stackpole Books Category: Book List Price: ~~$27.95~~ Buy New: $6.93 You Save: $21.02 (75%) Buy New/Used/Collectible from $3.00 Avg. Customer Rating: (6 reviews) Sales Rank: 1140856 Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published) Media: Hardcover Edition: 1st Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 358 Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5 Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 ISBN: 0811713954 Dewey Decimal Number: 973.73 EAN: 9780811713955 ASIN: 0811713954 Publication Date: July 10, 2002 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Editorial Reviews: Product Description The Union Army Balloon Corps holds a significant place in the annals of Civil War and military history. From 1861 to 1863 the corps contributed invaluable surveillance and reconnaissance information to the Union Army's war effort during the Virginia campaign. It also accomplished such significant military feats as the initial air-to-ground communication by telegraph, the first use of the "aircraft carrier" for launch of the balloon, and the first artillery barrage directed by an aerial observer where gun batteries were unable to see their targets from the ground. This book traces the history of the intrepid airborne force, from its creation by pioneer balloonist Thaddeus Lowe to its unceremonious disbanding in 1863.

Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews... Balloons as frivolous? Never! February 19, 2005 The thing that makes this book so readable is that I started to care about the people, almost like they were characters in the latest fiction novel. I wanted Thaddeus Lowe to get the commission - I felt betrayed whenever one of the other aeronauts got government sanctioning; I was scared for him behind enemy lines; I longed for him to succeed. Not to mention, of course, that I started hating Congress for not allotting him more money! (one of his major backers was Stephen A Douglas, who unfortunately died only a few months into the war) Often military histories will mention balloons being out over the army, but as they are MILITARY histories, and the battles are apparently more interesting than everything that went into preparing for the battle, the balloons are just mentionned. This book is relatively long, seeing as it only covers two years of the war (the Balloon Corps was disbanded in 1863) but it covers an early history of balloons and follows Lowe after the war. It reads like a novel, and goes quickly. There are a lot of primary sources quoted within, such as the note Lincoln wrote to Winfield Scott to allow Lowe an audience, or many different telegrams and letters trying to get the balloons corps off the ground (pardon the pun!). It is not necessary to know anything about the Civil War to enjoy this book, because it is written so well. Battles are mentionned, of course, as well as the different generals that were interested in using the balloons as observation platforms, but as long as you know the name "Bull Run" was the first battle...well, that's about the extent of the military knowledge you need. Not to say, of course, that someone who does have extensive Civil War knowledge can't enjoy this book, because it is such an interesting and different topic to learn about! Over all, I am very happy with what I learned and it is one to keep on the shelf. Aeronauts rocks!!! September 18, 2003 0 out of 1 found this review helpful I am a huge Civil War buff, but this book really blew me away. I didn't know that the balloons and the pilots who flew them were as important as they apparently were during the Civil War. This is a great book. Civil War balloons--Who knew? July 30, 2003 1 out of 1 found this review helpful I just finished reading a remarkable book about how balloons were used during the Civil War. It's entitled, The War of the Aeronauts--A History of Ballooning in the Civil War by Charles Evans and it's published by Stackpole Books. I really have to say that War of the Aeronauts tells a fascinating story that really hasn't been told by any other Civil War historian. The main character of this book is a man name Thaddeus Lowe who was a professional balloonist. Evans introduces Lowe in the first chapter of the book by describing a free flight balloon journey that Lowe undertook from Cincinnati, Ohio to Union, South Carolina on April 20, 1861, just ten after the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Lowe was trying to test out the possibility of crossing the Atlantic Ocean by balloon, but after landing in Confederate territory and almost being shot as a spy, Lowe resolves himself to volunteer his efforts to the Union Army. This book reads like a fiction story, but it is voluminously footnoted by Evans and it is well indexed. The story about how Abraham Lincoln had to personally intevene on behalf of Lowe with a skeptical Winfield Scott is a true classic. And the real story about the Confederate Silk Dress Balloon is told in great and revealing details (Did the women of the South really donate their dresses to build a Southern balloon for Lee--Evans tells the actual story). The War of the Aeronauts is really a must read. Just as the other reviews of this book I have read have indicated, I heartily recommend War of the Aeronauts to anyone who wants to read something "new" about the Civil War. Morgan Thomas Burlingame, California Balloons and the Civil War November 19, 2002 2 out of 3 found this review helpful I just finished reading the War of the Aeronauts and I found it a real delight. I never knew how important balloons were during the war and Evans really writes both a good story and packs in a lot of info. It's a real shame that the balloons were discontinued as early as they were. It seems as if they might have been able to play a significant role in ending the war soon. Oh well, alternate scenarios. But the War of the Aeronatus is a great book. A "must read" book on Civil War balloons October 31, 2002 3 out of 3 found this review helpful I am just estatic over this new book on Civil War balloons written by Charles M. Evans. Number one, he is an extremely engaging writer who can balance telling a good story along with the the necessary historical data to back up what he writes about (this book is voluminously footnoted!). War of the Aeronauts really does add a new and hitherto unexplored facet of the Civil War. Literally thousands of books have been written about land battles, general and leaders, and even naval situations--but few have even mentioned America's first air force. Thaddeus Lowe should go down in history as one of the great innovators of the 19th century. Evans' fascinating writing style captures the essence of how Lowe persevered in his quest to prove how aeronautics could be used on the battlefield despite the artillery fire from the Confederates and the infighting and technical indifference displayed by Union military leaders. This book is definitely a must read for anyone who thinks they have read everything there is to read on Civil War history.

The Lawsuit and Self Help Legal Law Book Store From LawyerBuzz.com

International Orders & Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

Shipping Restrictions

Warranty issues and manufacturer restrictions prevent us from shipping certain products to all geographical locations. You'll be notified while placing your order if we're unable to ship specific items to the address you've selected.

International Addresses

The following items can be shipped to destinations outside the U.S.:

* books*
* DVDs
* music
* VHS videos

Additionally, some software, tools, and kitchen items can be shipped to the following countries:

* Australia
* Austria
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Japan
* Ireland
* Italy
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Sweden
* United Kingdom

These items can be shipped only via Priority International Shipping and are subject to an import fees deposit.

*Note: Books that require special handling because they are extremely heavy (for example, multi-volume sets) cannot be shipped outside the U.S. If this is the case, it will be noted on the product detail page.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Shipping date estimates will appear in the order form. After placing your order, you will see both shipping and delivery date estimates in the order confirmation e-mail and in the order summary in Your Account.

Calculating Cost

Shipping costs depend upon the method and option you choose.

If you choose to group items into as few shipments as possible, you'll be charged for one regular per-shipment fee, as well as a per-item fee for each item in that shipment.

If you choose to ship items as soon as they become available, we'll charge you full per-shipment fees for each shipment as well as a per-item fee for each item.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.