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Rating: 
Summary: One of the best books on the Hunley.
Review: Brian Hicks and Schuyler Kropf have lived and breathed the Hunley since 1995 and it shows with this book.If you are unfamillar with the story of the Hunley,this is the book that will bring you up to speed.From the concept,to the attack,to the raising,to the excavation,Hicks and Kropf makes you feel like your right there.This book is a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: Readible book on the sub and on underwater archaeology
Review: I first ran across the story of the Hunley in a popular journal on archaeology and was fascinated by the tale of courage, desperation, and originality. Subsequently I saw parts of a film on the subject, and I was hooked. I found the book by Brian Hicks, Schuyler Kropf in Amazon.com's menu and decided to pursue more information on the subject. The authors are journalists rather than professional historians or archaeologists, but they do have a talent for writing and a sense of the character of the South and Civil War history that gives the book a more readable quality. They also seem to have researched their topic well. The final pages of the book recount their efforts to follow the "fish boat's" story from first inception to final successful strike against the USS Housatonic, a Union ship participating in the blockade of the Charleston harbor. Considering that the Hunley was a secret weapon and a stealth weapon at that, its paper trail would be expected to be a difficult one to follow. The authors made a remarkable success of it, giving life to their subject. Interesting too was the narrative of the Hunley's resurrection and restoration. The serendipitous survival of the boat in a nearly intact condition is itself an amazing story. The great care with which it was removed from the water and painstakingly preserved is a credit to underwater archaeology. Certainly it could easily have been a disaster. What the preserved remains had to say about the vessel itself: its construction, its advanced styling, the likelihood of it's having continued to be water free for long enough to allow small stalactites to form, etc. made it an even more entertaining study. It's definitely on par with the Titanic for human interest.
Rating:
Summary: Civil War Delight.
Review: To a Civil War buff, the story of the Hunley is irresistable. The book begins with the conception and execution of the "fish boat" in Mobile and continues with its introduction into service in Charleston. The book then interweaves the distant past with the very recent past, telling the tale of the boat's crews (3 crews, none who answered to 'Lucky') and the tale of the multiple personalities involved in raising her some 135 years later. The writing is only adequate; the story of the boat and her design is more interesting reading than that of her crew and her salvagers. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable book that can easily be read in one (pleasant) day.
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