Civil War Blockade Running on the Texas Coast
My new book, Civil War Blockade Running on the Texas Coast, will be released by the History Press on June 10. It’s available now for pre-order at the History Press, on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. An e-book version should follow this summer. This short volume discusses blockade-running in the western Gulf of Mexico, with particular emphasis on the last year of the war, when Galveston became the last remaining port in Confederate hands in the region. Running the blockade under sail, life aboard the Union ships of the blockade, and the lure of prize money are also discussed. The book includes an epilogue that discusses some of the archaeological work done on runners over the last 40 years.
Blockade-running in this area has been an active interest of mine for nearly 20 years, and I’ve been privileged to contribute to the documentation of four different ships involved — the famous runners Denbigh and Will o’ the Wisp, as well as Union vessels U.S.S. Arkansas and U.S.S. Hatteras. Lots of folks have helped me along the way, and I’m grateful to all of them.
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Dead Confederates, A Civil War Era Blog 
I just pre-ordered it on Amazon (your book qualifies for Amazon Prime). ☺
Margaret, thanks very much. I hope you enjoy it. As I recall, last time the books began shipping a little ahead of the official release date, so maybe it will arrive a bit early.
But is it at Powell’s? That’s the real question.
Good question!
Andy,
I wish you nothing but the best in regards to your book. Looking forward to reading it.
Sincerely,
Neil
Thanks, Neil.
Congratulations upon the almost-here-publication of your book! It surely is a fine one, distilling as it does 20 years of close study.
Love, C.
Thanks very much. It’s the first time I’ve written about people who are not only still around, but very much active in their discipline. I hope they’re still talking to me afterwards!
Congrats!
Thanks!
Congratulations, Andy! Who has the movie rights? 😉
I hope John Goodman plays me.
“I’ll show you the life of the mind!”
Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Congratulations, Andy! (And dang you, now there’s yet another book on my “To Buy” list.)
Look at it as an investment. Second-hand copies of my last one are selling (or at least asking) nearly double their original list price. That’s just nuts.
True story: One of my former math colleagues wrote a monograph, and the contract had a clause about the film rights! In a math book? I understand using form contracts and all, but this was just bizarre.
(With apologies to Tom Lehrer)
You can’t discount the possibility some studio might want to buy up the rights to his monograph and re-title it “The Eternal Triangle” — with Gwyneth Paltrow playing the part of the hypotenuse.
Congratulations on the book, Andy! I’ll put in the reading stack and mention it to students in my suggested reading section.
Thanks, Jimmy. I hope it will be both a fun read and informative.
Way to go Andy! I look forward to reading it…
I’m looking forward to reading your book when it is available and hope to come to your book signing in Galveston. Do you talk in your book about Capt. Dave McCluskey? He was a blockade runner in Galveston and was a colorful character. I’m interested as my wife is a McCluskey.
Dave McCluskey retaking the schooner Sting Ray from a Yankee boarding party is one of the better anecdotes in it. Maybe I can meet you on the 28th at the Galveston Book Shop downtown.
That’s a great story. I’ve been telling it to my kids and grandkids for years. I’m afraid that over the years, we’ve lost some details and maybe some of the truth so I am excited to see it in your book. Looking forward to seeing you on the 28th.
It’s a brief retelling, based mainly on the report of the Union ship that captured them. William Watson, in his blockade-running memoir, tells of meeting McCluskey and gives a longer account of it.
I wondered where you heard that story. There’s not a lot of information out there about Capt. Dave. I read that story on the internet years ago and have never been able to find it again. We’re very glad you have it in your book.
I worked directly from the report of the Union ship, U.S.S. Kineo, because it was recorded at the time and most proximate to the event. Watson’s version was the one told him by McCluskey several months later, but Watson didn’t put it down for almost 30 years. There are minor differences in the telling, to be expected, but the basic story is the same.
I’ve ordered your book and Watson’s book and look forward to reading them. I read part of Watson’s book online and his version of the Sting Ray story is 10X better than what we knew about it. My wife and I are looking forward to meeting you on the 28th. I think several McCluskey family members will be there as they are all interested in the research you’ve done on Capt. Dave.
I hope you’ll enjoy it, and get a better sense of what was going on then. Do keep in mind, though, that Captain Dave was not a specific focus of my research.
Thanks. I understand and look forward to reading what you’ve written about him specifically and about the blockade runners in general. Good luck with the book. I know you’re going to sell a stack of them just to our family. Everybody is wanting a signed copy.