I took a long break in reading this history of Semmes, as the first recommendation I found was in a 75er thread for petermc several years ago--and I'm not sure how that happened. This is a fascinating biography of the man and the ship which literally kept the Confederacy afloat during the American Civil War. ( )

I don't often see books on the subject of Civil War Naval History, so I was immediately interested in this title. The USS Alabama was a Confederate ship built in England which went on to wreak havoc with both commercial and naval vessels from the Union states. The captain of the Alabama, Raphael Semmes was seen as a pirate by the Union, but in the Confederate States, he was considered a hero.

This is a biography about Semmes and his exploits on the sea. Much of Semmes' diary and his later books on the subject are used to tell this intriguing story. Also included was much detail about daily life on a sailing ship/steamer, the tasks which men were assigned, and how their rank affected their duties and determined their living quarters. It told of the conduct of Semmes' men, and how they were very near mutiny. In addition, as the captain of a ship, Semmes paid great attention to the weather and described in detail some of the wonders of nature which he witnessed.

I listened to it on audio book, however, and found the voice of the reader to be very monotonous. That may be just my opinion however, because the reader, Barrett Whitener, has apparently won many awards for his reading of audio books. ( )

This is an excellent biography of Raphael Semmes and the CSS Alabama. My previous favorite book on this subject was de Kay's The Rebel Raiders, but I do think that this book is its clear superior. Unlike Rebel Raiders, this book goes into far more illuminating biographical coverage of Semmes. Wolf of the Deep also provides compelling information as to the Alabama's greater geopolitical impact on the American Civil War, something of which I think many learned Civil War enthusiasts would find surprising. From Liverpool to Galveston to Brazil, South Africa, and Singapore the Alabama was the only physical manifestation, available to the general publics, of the Confederate States of America - and what a manifestation she was!

I also greatly appreciated the post-war coverage of Semmes and his slow transition from defiant, unreconstructed rebel to accepting citizen. The only area where I wish more detail was provided was in the Alabama's construction and the Union efforts to prevent her departure. Overall an excellent book - one that clearly shows the true global importance of this one ship and its fractious crew. ( )