Secrets of a Civil War Submarine

The winner of the Siebert Award for children's nonfiction translates beautifully to audio with the help of the deep, commanding voice of J.R. Horne. His authoritative voice begins with the intriguing story of the early development of the submarine, then zooms in on the Hunley, the first submarine to sink a ship. The sinking took place off the coast of Charleston in 1864, during the Civil War. Drama continues with the raising of the ship in 1995 and the mystery of reconstructing the event and identifying the bodies. An enhanced CD provides a captioned slide show that turns listeners into viewers as they see early submarine plans, a barnacle-covered Hunley, the detailed excavation and reconstruction, and photos of the crewmen's burial. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 21, 2007
Horne's authoritative yet warm voice is a fine fit for Walker's fascinating exploration of what happened to the Civil War submarine the H.L. Hunley, which suffered a catastrophe and sunk in 1864. The legendary submarine lay lost, buried in silt near Charleston, S.C., for 131 years until it was recovered. Listeners will hear the strategy behind designing a submarine for warfare and come to better understand the technical superiority of the Hunley, named for a businessman and Confederate supporter who helped build the vessel and even captained it until he died on one of its test voyages. They will also be privy to the contemporary methods used to search for and excavate the missing sub. Though the Hunley was the first submarine of her day to sink an enemy ship (the USS Housatonic), disastrously, she never returned to port to receive praise for her accomplishments. Horne succeeds in keeping scientific concepts from sounding too dry and in making the Hunley feel like a real character in Walker's tale of “bravery, mystery, bones and gold.” An enhanced CD accompanying this program features a crisp slideshow of 81 images and captions that provide a visual component to the Hunley's story. This is an enthralling listening (and viewing) experience for history and archaeology buffs of all ages and for anyone who loves a good mystery. Ages 12-up.

September 1, 2007
Gr 6-10 -In 1864, the last year of the Civil War, a Confederate submarine, theH. L. Hunley, became the first submarine to sink an enemy warship (theUSS Housatonic ). But something went wrong, and theHunley suffered the same fate and lay buried in Charleston harbor for more than 100 years. In 1995, archaeologists discovered and raised the submarine from its watery grave. Sally M. Walker's book (Carolrhoda Books, 2005), winner of the American Library Association's Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal in 2006, covers the construction of the submarine, its mission, and how it was finally located and excavated. The enhanced CD features over 80 maps, photographs, and illustrations from the book that complement the listening experience. Actor J. R. Horne's reading brings this historic event to life. This story of adventure, courage, and treasure will enthrall listeners interested in archaeology, history, the Civil War, and adventure.Larry Cooperman, formerly Seminole High School, Sanford, FL

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.