Book Reviews by Carol Neeland for LS 5603: Literature for Children and Young Adults

Summary: Secrets of a Civil War Submarine tells the story of the H.L. Hunley, a submarine built to help the confederate army break the Union blockade in the Charleston Harbor. The details are told in chronological order and include history pertinent to the building of the submarine, math and science relevant to the submarine’s construction, and details of the archaeological process of locating and excavating the Hunley.Critical Analysis: 

This book would be fascinating for students in Grades 5 and up who have an interest in history, science, and archaeology. Merely the notion that people were able to create a submarine in those days will be interesting to students. The scientific and mathematical problem solving skills that were necessary for making sure that the iron submarine did not sink are described in just enough detail to be helpful and not so much that children will toss the book aside. For example, on page 14 there is a description of how the crank system worked: 

“… the Hunley ran on manpower. A long bar called a crankshaft ran the length of the compartment to the stern, where it connected to the propeller’s shaft. Handles were positioned along the crankshaft. To move the submarine forward or backward, the crew cranked the handles, which turned the propeller. ..The faster the crew cranked, the faster the Hunley moved.” 

On the following page there is a drawing which shows how tight the space inside the submarine was. There was no room to stand and a tall man would even need to bend over when sitting. This was a helpful illustration for understanding how claustrophobic the space must have felt to the crew. Young people would also be interested to know that the only light in the compartment when the submarine was submerged came from a candle. Imagine being in such a close space in the dark and knowing that there was only water all around you. Scary! 

On page 15 the scientific principle of buoyancy is explained in simple terms: “Two objects cannot be in the same space at the same time.” Without being condescending or overly academic,
Walker explains this concept and how it worked to operate the submarine. 

One of the most dramatic pieces of the book is the description of the accidental sinking of the submarine while it was docked and the description of Hasker’s escape from the sunken submarine: 

“Trapped inside the submarine, Hasker clawed his way over the bar that connected the dive planes. Gasping for air, he forced his body through gushing water up into the forward conning tower. As Hasker squeezed through the hatch, the cover slammed down across his back. Frantically, he twisted and turned until only his left leg remained caught. Pressure from the surrounding water clamped the hatch cover firmly in place. Completely helpless, Hasher was carried to the bottom in forty-two feet of water. There he fought desperately to survive. ‘When the boat touched bottom I felt the pressure relax, and stooped down, took hold of the manhole plate, drew out my wounded limb and swam to the surface.’ The five crewmen still trapped inside were not so fortunate. They all drowned.” (p. 25) 

The dramatic short sentences immediately following the long descriptions serve to underscore the drama involved in Hasker’s escape. Another example of short, simple sentences juxtaposed against long descriptive sentences is on page 28: 

“Less than two months after her first sinking, the Hunley had gone down again. With her went Horace L. Hunley, the man for whom she had been named. And Charles Sprague’s luck had run out. This time there were no survivors.” 

Another technique Walker uses to create suspense and keep the reader on the edge of his seat is asking a question at the end of a chapter: 

“The Hunley never came back to port. She had gone down a third time, taking George Dixon and his men with her. Why had she sunk? What had happened to the crew? These questions went to the ocean floor with the submarine, perhaps to remain unanswered forever. After all even if the Hunley and her crew were found, they couldn’t talk. Or could they?” 

This gripping suspense is what makes this non-fiction book read like fiction. There is mystery, intrigue, romance, death, war, and plenty of drama. In addition to being such enthralling reading, however, the book is peppered with real-life situations in which math and science are used. For example, Maria Jacobsen, the head archaeologist is quoted as saying, “Math is a very, very powerful tool for calculating what is going to happen when you are lifting heavy yet fragile objects.” (p. 50) 

One of the side stories that runs throughout the book is that of the coin George Dixon carried in his pocket. It saved his life when fighting during the war because a bullet hit the coin and only injured him instead of killing him. He had the coin in his pocket when the Hunley went down and it is inscribed with the phrase, “My life preserver.” Combining the human stories with the history and science in a way that is mesmerizing is one of the most unique features of this book.  

Review Excerpt: 

“Half of the book discusses the construction and design of the submarine, in addition to its practice runs and its first and only mission. The second half consists of the process of locating and excavating the Hunley, as well as piecing together the puzzle of exactly what happened on that fateful night in 1864. The archaeological process is well documented in both words and pictures, and the conclusions are interesting and even surprising. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.”-Anna M. Nelson, Collier County
Public Library, Naples, FL 

Connections: 

After reading this book students might be interested in visiting the National Underwater and Marine agency’s website: http://www.numa.net/ Further details of the events described in the book are located here: http://www.numa.net/expeditions/hunley.html  In addition, the NUMA website has links to other expeditions. Students who are “hooked” by the descriptions of raising the Hunley can explore other expeditions on the site. 

Another interesting connection for students would be to have an archaeological dig of their own. After studying several cultures, civilizations, or even novels students can create artifacts representative of that time and place and bury them for another group in the class to discover. After unearthing the artifacts, students can make speculate about what that culture was like, what was important to them, what they ate, and how they lived. Then, they can check their hypotheses against the facts that the first group used to create the artifacts. 

Bibliographic Data:

Nelson, Anna. “Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley” School Library Journal (2005), http://reviews.schoollibraryjournal.com/bd.aspx?isbn=1575058308&pub=sl. (accessed March 11, 2008).

Walker, Sally. Secrets of a Civil War Submarine. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 2005.

ISBN Number: 1-57505-830-8

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