European Ironclads 1860-75: The Gloire Sparks the Great Ironclad Arms Race, Paperback/Angus Konstam

Description From the launching of La Gloire to the emergence of modern turreted battleships in 1875, this book offers a fascinating insight into Continental Europe's innovative and powerful ironclads. In November 1859, the French "ironclad" La Gloire was launched in Toulon. She was the world's first seagoing ironclad--a warship built from wood, but whose hull was clad in a protective layer of iron plate. While history best remembers the ironclads of the American Civil War, these warships were mere toys compared to the iron-plated leviathans in contemporary European navies. Other European powers, not wanting to be outdone, launched their own ironclads, then the most powerful warships in the world. Together they embodied the startling technological advances of the late 19th century, and the spirit of this new age of steam, iron, and firepower. About the Author Angus Konstam hails from the Orkney Islands, and is the author of over 80 books, 60 of which are published by Osprey. This acclaimed author has written widely on naval history, from Sovereigns of the Seas and Piracy: The Complete History to his most recent bestseller, Jutland 1916: Twelve Hours to Win the War. A former naval officer and museum professional, he worked as the Curator in the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, and the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida. He now works as a full-time author and historian, and lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.