OHP BOOK REVIEW OF CICL WAR SUB: MYSTERY OF THE HUNLEY BY KATE BOEHM JEROME

Non-fiction, illustrated, 48 pp., 2002. Grosset & Dunlap, NewYork, NY. $3.99, plus shipping and handling.

The story of the Hunley has been told by different people in many styles. Civil War Sub: The Mystery of the Hunley is written for grade school children to learn about the first submarine to sink an enemy war ship. The simplicity of the writing does not take away from the exciting tale that has captivated young and old alike.

Kate Boehm Jerome takes the reader from the first conception of the idea of an “underwater ship” until the final crew of the Hunley is brought to the surface of the water, which has been her home for almost 140 years. The mystery that surrounds the Hunley is conveyed in the book, encouraging a desire for the reader to learn more about this sub. In the last sentence of the book, Ms. Jerome states, “These rare finds could tell us much more about the men and the lives they led. And what a rich history present that would be from the brave crew of the Hunley!” What a present indeed that the young people of the South have, not only a Confederate submarine that will forever be on the pages of history, but also men and women that fought for a cause in which they believed.

Written by Cassie A. Barrow

OHP BOOK REVIEW: JACK HINSON’S ONE MAN WAR: A CIVIL WAR SNIPER by Tom C. McKenney

JACK HINSON’S ONE MAN WAR: A CIVIL WAR SNIPER
By Tom C. McKenney
Pelican Publishing; 394 pages


Reading the inside flaps of this book I had gotten really excited. By the description it seemed to be the combination of the movies “The Patriot”, “Outlaw Josey Whales” and the Jimmy Stewart movie “Shenandoah” rolled all into one. In a way it kind of was. All of the core events based in those movies had a place in this book.

But,

What I found was a wonderfully researched and documented lecture on the life and times of Jack Hinson. It was very detailed, which for me drew me away from the story, time and time again.

Maybe it was just me but the main character of the story seemed to get lost in the telling. For me there was too much descriptive writing that elaborated too much on the non-essential part of the story. Just to give you an idea on page 222, where Jack was saying goodbye it took 13 lines and a complete paragraph to tell that small section. The main intent I believe was to invoke emotion, however for me it had the opposite effect.

So while thinking of the review of this book I had to ask:

Was it well researched? Absolutely.

Was it historically accurate? Yes

Did it have enough supporting evidence and references? Yes

Did this book read like a dissertation? Yes

The story base is a great one and I think it would make a great movie. If you enjoy detailed oriented reading in a case study or lecture format you may like this book.

If you are a reader who prefers a flowing historical story and one that holds your attentions I would suggest looking elsewhere.

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