Rockets, Tanks and Submarines

Few topics have fascinated American readers more than the Civil War. Occurring as it did at the beginning of a new industrial age, it fostered a wide variety of strange and innovative contraptions that shaped the course of the conflict. Texans were among the most creative in their designs, and added their talents to the mix, creating a variety of war machines and devices that are remarkable for their ingenuity. Ed Cotham is a veteran Civil War author, and his list of publications continues to grow. This latest offering takes the reader through a remarkable ride complete with all sorts of schemers, spies, tinkerers, and dreamers, trying to harness technology to help them win the war. In an age where innovation happens in real time, and new weapons like drones and cellphones are changing the nature of the battlefield, Cotham’s Rockets, Tanks, and Submarines reminds us that this process has been going on for a very long time! And Texans were there all along, adding their imaginations to the problems their comrades faced under fire.

EDWARD T. COTHAM, JR. has been called ＂Mr. Civil War Galveston＂ by many of his readers but might be known just as well as Mr. Civil War Texas. He has already chronicled the battles of Galveston and Sabine Pass, but has now turned his keen intellect and deft pen toward an event that may have an even greater impact on the national imagination: Juneteenth. The longtime president of The Terry Foundation, he is a well-known advocate for Civil War historic preservation. His work on shipwrecks off the coast of Texas has earned him accolades as has his efforts on behalf of Galveston history. He is a graduate of the University of Texas Law School, the University of Chicago, and the University of Houston.