School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9-Lincoln's role as a military strategist shines through in this intriguing look at how rapid-fire guns, iron-clad ships, and other new technologies impacted the war's outcome. Lucid prose introduces colorful personalities and key military situations, as well as the scientific and manufacturing hurdles involved with each device, all supported by historical illustrations and useful maps and diagrams. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
According to the authors, Abraham Lincoln was part of the last generation of Americans who didn't expect technology ever to change. The cabins, farm tools, guns and cooking utensils of his day were not significantly different from those of his great-great-great-great-grandfather. But the Industrial Revolution changed everyone's lives, and since war was the defining feature of Lincoln's presidency, technology changed the way war was waged. In its course, the Civil War was both the last ancient war and the first modern war. Each chapter of this handsome volume looks at a different technology and its role in the the war, including railroads, observation balloons and aerial telegrams, ironclad ships, rifles and early machine guns. Clear, matter-of-fact writing and an abundance of photographs, maps, magazine illustrations and political cartoons make this a fascinating read and a fine resource for Civil War collections. An older technologythe magnifying glasswill be necessary for reading the bibliography and source notes. (online resources, index) (Nonfiction. 10 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The prologue to this intriguing book points out that although Lincoln grew up using tools and farm implements that his great-great-great-great-grandfather would have recognized, his own generation saw their world irrevocably changed by technological innovations, and he was the only President ever to be granted a patent (for a device to lift boats over shoals). Well researched and clearly written, the book discusses the course of the Civil War in terms of the development of new technology, from the ironclad and the submarine to the rapid-fire, repeating rifle and the use of railroads to carry troops and supplies. When the telegraph carried news from the front and Lincoln's orders to his generals, the term commander in chief became more than an honorary title for the president. The many illustrations include captioned black-and-white reproductions of period prints, paintings, and photos as well as clearly labeled drawings. Sidebars comment on such topics as the mass production of armaments. A lengthy bibliography, a discussion of online resources, and source notes for quotes are appended. Readers whose knowledge of the Civil War comes from historical novels and battle-by-battle historical accounts will gain a fascinating perspective on why the war progressed as it did and how it was ultimately won.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist
