Gray Thunder: The Exploits of the Confederate States Navy / by R. Thomas Campbell

[Kim Allen Scott]

Occasionally when finishing a non-fiction book I wonder why the subject has never been made into a movie.  This was certainly my feeling when I finished Gray Thunder, an incredible tale of adventure that makes the old saw about “truth being stranger than fiction” completely applicable.  The book is ostensibly about the entire Confederate Navy and its futile resistance against the United States during the American Civil War, but the final third of volume considered the fantastic story of the CSS Shenandoah, a warship the Rebels bought from an English shipyard and then used to circumnavigate the globe while destroying American merchant ships.  What I found the most interesting about the story of this ship is its Australian connection, for the Shenandoah arrived in Port Philip in early 1865 for refueling and repairs.  During that visit to Melbourne, the officers of the ship socialized with many Australian folks, and even took a trip as far inland as Ballarat to attend a ball.  I found the idea of American Rebels journeying to the site of Australia’s most famous rebellion at the Eureka Stockade a fascinating coincidence.  When the Shenandoah finally left Melbourne about two dozen Australian sailors had stowed away on the ship to enlist in the Confederate Navy, making these recruits truly the very most “southern” volunteers in the entire Civil War!   This book was a very good read and I highly recommend it.