Iron Thunder

"According to the captain, the morning's fog-just like a theater curtain-had lifted. The battle was about to begin."

Iron Thunder is a historical novel about a young boy named Tom who lived during the Civil War era. After the untimely death of his father, he and his family become financially destitute. As such, he applies for a job at the local navy shipyard. He is assigned to work on a giant, metal-coated ship called the Monitor, which is predicted to positively alter the outcome of the northern states war.  The emerging problem is that it might not be done in time to defend and fight the southern iron-clad named the Merimac. A ship that is about twice as long as the Monitor. Tom comes to the shipyard everyday to work on the north's secret weapon.  He is often followed home by southern spies, but despite all the trials and setbacks he is determined to help finish the boat prior to the great conflict.  Soon the crew and Tom set out hopeful for victory against the Merimac, but are nearly sunk by a giant storm.  The Monitor finally arrives to the Merimac's location and attacks with great turret fire. The crew described the sound as "iron thunder". The question is who will win this epic battle?


I really liked this book because of its fast-paced action.  It took a while for the plot to develop, but at the end it was definitely worth the wait.  I also like books with new and interesting things in them. At the time, these iron boats were a sight no one had ever seen before.  It is a very good book about a pivotal part of history. I would highly recommend this novel to everyone, especially any history buffs.