Civil War Torpedoes and the Global Development of Landminerepresents a needed refresh in examining the technical developments behind, tactical application of, and legacy surrounding land-based torpedoes and land mines in the Civil War … Earl Hess has provided a valuable addition to the literature on Civil War military technologyand the global history of land mines.

Journal of the Civil War Era

An important study that helps remedy the general neglect of mines and torpedoes. Significant both for the American Civil War and for our more general understanding of the process of technological innovation in the nineteenth century.

Jeremy Black, author of Technology and War

Professor Hess has produced yet another exciting book on an understudied aspect of Civil War military history. He examines the history of Civil War land mines and places them within the larger context of nineteenth-century military history. With his analysis of the tactics, technology, and moral ramifications of the use of land mines, Professor Hess has created the definitive book on the subject.

Kyle Sinisi, author of Sacred Debts: State Civil War Claims and American Federalism

“Earl Hess continues to produce masterful studies in Civil War history that challenge decades of presumed scholarly wisdom. This booklooks at the expansion of landmine technology and tactics during the sectional conflict, the campaigns in which subterranean mines were employed, and the colorful personalities involved in weapons development. Hess's work is a triumph of diligent and focused scholarship.”
- Christopher S. Stowe, Professor of Military History, Marine Corps University

Christopher S. Stowe, Professor of Military History, Marine Corps University

Its wider value further enhanced through situating its topic within the long history of international landmine development, this impressive study rightfully assumes its place as the new standard history of what proved to be the most controversial weapon and mode of warfare that emerged during the American Civil War. Highly recommended.

Civil War Books and Authors