E Salecker's Books

Disaster on the Mississippi

The Sultana Explosion, April 27, 1865

By: Gene E Salecker

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Disaster on the Mississippi

The Sultana Explosion, April 27, 1865

By: Gene E Salecker

At two o’clock in the morning on 27 April 1865, seven miles north of Memphis on the Mississippi, the sidewheel steamboat Sultana’s boilers suddenly exploded. Legally registered to carry 376 people, the boat was packed with 2,100 recently released Union prisoners-of-war. Over 1,700 people died, making it the worst marine disaster in U.S. history. This book looks at the disaster through the eyes of the victims themselves. It offers a concise, minute-by-minute account on the cause of the explosion and its effect on different parts of the boat. To focus on the personal stories of the victims, both civilian and soldier, Gene Eric Salecker patiently collected material from hundreds of letters, period newspaper stories, and other sources. Readers are first introduced to victims while they are languishing in Confederate prisons and follow their release to an exchange camp outside of Vicksburg to their eventual crowding onto the Sultana. His knowledgeable narrative is interwoven with individual reminiscences, including those of the heroic rescuers. He offers unprecedented details about the captain’s handling of the steamboat and corrects some long-held myths about the placement of the soldiers on the Sultana and newspaper coverage of the disaster. A large portion of the book covers rescue attempts, both successful and failed, and the aftermath of the disaster as it affected those involved. With its emphasis on the human-interest aspect of the Sultana, this book brings to the literature a critical point of view and much new information.

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377

Publisher

Naval Institute Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1612517730

ISBN 13

9781612517735

Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana

The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History

By: Gene E Salecker

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Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana

The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History

By: Gene E Salecker

The Sultana was a sidewheel Mississippi steamboat carrying almost two thousand recently-released Union prisoners-of-war back north at the end of the Civil War. At 2:00 a.m. on April 27, 1865, when the boat was seven miles above Memphis, her boilers exploded. Almost 1,200 people perished in the worst maritime disaster in United States history. Gene Eric Salecker covers this disaster in detail and dispels the many myths that have been connected to the Sultana for too long. Almost every author who has written about the Sultana has relied on the words of a few survivors or referred to the works of previous authors to get their story. Advancing the scholarship, the author has visited the National Archives in Washington, DC, to comb through the handwritten transcripts of the three investigative bodies that looked into the disaster or poured over the handwritten testimony from the court-martial trial of Capt. Frederic Speed, the only person tried for the overcrowding of the vessel. In 1996, after extensive research and using the most current sources available at that time, Salecker wrote Disaster on the Mississippi: The Sultana Explosion, April 27, 1865. Still, there were inevitable omissions. After almost twenty-five years of continued research on the Sultana, and all those involved in the disaster, Salecker has gleaned unparalleled knowledge into every aspect of the disaster. His research, covering the National Archives, and thousands of pages of newspapers from around the world and government documents, including pension records and service records, has allowed Gene to tell the story of the Sultana as completely as possible. By bringing his research back to primary sources, Salecker dispels myths and adds to the story of the Sultana. In Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana: The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History paroled prisoners, civilian passengers, guards, crew members, rescuers, and eyewitnesses tell their stories in their own words. The true, and complete, story about the Sultana and the disaster has finally, and fully, been told.

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Page Count

314

Publisher

Naval Institute Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1682477444

ISBN 13

9781682477441

Death by Fire and Ice

The Steamboat Lexington Calamity

By: Brian E. O'Connor

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Death by Fire and Ice

The Steamboat Lexington Calamity

By: Brian E. O'Connor

Death by Fire and Ice tells the little-known story of the sinking of the steamboat Lexington on Long Island Sound in January 1840. Built in 1835 by Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Lexington left Manhattan bound for Stonington, Connecticut, at four o'clock in the afternoon on a bitterly cold day carrying an estimated one hundred forty-seven passengers and crew and a cargo of, among other things, baled cotton. After making her way up an ice-encrusted East River and into Long Island Sound, she caught fire off Eaton's Neck on Long Island's north shore at approximately seven o'clock. The fire quickly ignited the cotton stowed on board. With the crew unable to extinguish the fire, the blaze burned through the ship's wheel and tiller ropes, rendering the ship unmanageable. Soon after, the engine died, and the blazing ship drifted aimlessly in the Sound away from shore with the prevailing wind and current. As the night wore on, the temperature plummeted, reaching nineteen degrees below zero. With no hope of rescue on the dark horizon, the forlorn passengers and crew faced a dreadful decision: remain on board and perish in the searing flames or jump overboard and succumb within minutes to the Sound's icy waters. By three o'clock in the morning the grisly ordeal was over for all but one passenger and three members of the crew--the only ones who survived. The tragedy remains the worst maritime disaster in the history of Long Island Sound. Within days, the New York City Coroner convened an inquest to determine the cause of the disaster. After two weeks of testimony, reported daily in the New York City press, the inquest jury concluded that the Lexington had been permitted to operate on the Sound "at the imminent risk of the lives and property" of its passengers, and that, had the crew acted appropriately, the fire could have been extinguished and a large portion, if not all, of the passengers saved. The public's reaction to the verdict was scathing: the press charged that the members of the board of directors of the Transportation Company, which had purchased the Lexington from Commodore Vanderbilt in 1839, were guilty of murder and should be indicted. Calls were immediately made for Congress to enact legislation to improve passenger safety on steamboats. This book explores the ongoing debate in Congress during the nineteenth century over its power to regulate steamboat safety; and it examines the balance Congress struck between the need to insulate the nation's shipping industry from ruinous liability for lost cargo, while at the same time greatly enhancing passenger safety on the nation's steamboats.

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Page Count

232

Publisher

Naval Institute Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1682478076

ISBN 13

9781682478073

Fortress Against The Sun

The B-17 Flying Fortress In The Pacific

By: Gene E. Salecker,E Salecker

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Fortress Against The Sun

The B-17 Flying Fortress In The Pacific

By: Gene E. Salecker,E Salecker

Most often remembered for its role in the air war against Germany, no book has ever before been devoted to the B-17's Pacific operations. The author combines technical and operational detail with eyewitness accounts by crews and commanders to present a fascinating account of a famous aircraft at war.

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Page Count

490

Publisher

Da Capo Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0306817152

ISBN 13

9780306817151

Arkansas History for Young People (Teacher's Edition)

By: Shay E. Hopper,T. Harri Baker,Jane Browning

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Arkansas History for Young People (Teacher's Edition)

By: Shay E. Hopper,T. Harri Baker,Jane Browning

Once again, the State of Arkansas has adopted An Arkansas History for Young People as an official textbook for middle-level and/or junior-high-school Arkansas-history classes. This fourth edition incorporates new research done after extensive consultations with middle-level and junior-high teachers from across the state, curriculum coordinators, literacy coaches, university professors, and students themselves. It includes a multitude of new features and is now full color throughout. This edition has been completely redesigned and now features a modern format and new graphics suitable for many levels of student readers.

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Page Count

532

Publisher

University of Arkansas Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1557288461

ISBN 13

9781557288462

West Point 1915

Eisenhower, Bradley, and the Class the Stars Fell On

By: Michael E. Haskew

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West Point 1915

Eisenhower, Bradley, and the Class the Stars Fell On

By: Michael E. Haskew

West Point’s Class of 1915 is the academy’s most important in history. The cadets of the United States Military Academy, West Point, are intimately twined with the country’s history. The graduating class of 1915, the class the stars fell on, was particularly noteworthy. Of the 164 graduates that year, 59 (36%) attained the rank of general, the most of any class in. Although Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley, both five-star generals, are the most recognizable, other class members contributed significantly to the Allied victory in World War I, World War II and played key roles either in the post-war U.S. military establishment or in business and industry after World War II, especially in the Korean War and the formation of NATO. For more than half a century, these men exerted tremendous influence on the shaping of modern America, which remains substantial to this day. Individually, the stories of these military and political leaders are noteworthy. Collectively, they are astonishing. West Point, 1915 explores the achievements of this remarkable group.

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Page Count

235

Publisher

Zenith Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0760346526

ISBN 13

9780760346525

Tanks

Inside & Out

By: Michael E. Haskew

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Tanks

Inside & Out

By: Michael E. Haskew

Presents illustrations, historical notes, facts, and specifications for tanks, ranging from the very first combat tanks of World War I, to some of the most modern designs in use today.

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Page Count

162

Publisher

The Rosen Publishing Group

Published Date

ISBN 10

1448859808

ISBN 13

9781448859801

The Essential Civil War

A Handbook to the Battles, Armies, Navies and Commanders

By: Jayne E. Blair

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The Essential Civil War

A Handbook to the Battles, Armies, Navies and Commanders

By: Jayne E. Blair

From 1861 through 1865, strife tore apart the United States. So divided was the country that even today, there are practically two versions of Civil War history--Confederate and Union. Attempting to sort out this record is not made any easier by the fact that there is no official nomenclature. The South, for example, tended to name battles based on the nearest town or region, while the North generally referred to the same skirmish by the nearest landmark or geographical feature. Therefore, finding the facts with a minimum of information can be a daunting task. This book brings together in an easy-to-use format the essential facts of the Civil War. The book aims to be quickly and precisely informative rather than comprehensive. The first section concentrates on individual topics, each of which is organized alphabetically and thoroughly cross-referenced. These provide details regarding the battles, armies and commanders of the Civil War. In the second half of the work, information is presented chronologically. Each year is chronicled, with all significant happenings listed by date. Appendices provide a glossary of contemporary terms; an alphabetical listing of ships from both navies; and basic biographical information on all commanders.

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Page Count

319

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476606765

ISBN 13

9781476606767

Disaster on the Mississippi

The Sultana Explosion, April 27, 1865

By: Gene E Salecker

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Disaster on the Mississippi

The Sultana Explosion, April 27, 1865

By: Gene E Salecker

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377

Publisher

Naval Institute Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1612517730

ISBN 13

9781612517735

Fortress Against The Sun

The B-17 Flying Fortress In The Pacific

By: Gene E. Salecker

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Fortress Against The Sun

The B-17 Flying Fortress In The Pacific

By: Gene E. Salecker

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Page Count

468

Publisher

Da Capo Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1580970494

ISBN 13

9781580970495

Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana

The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History

By: Gene E Salecker

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Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana

The Worst Maritime Disaster in American History

By: Gene E Salecker

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Page Count

314

Publisher

Naval Institute Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1682477444

ISBN 13

9781682477441

Fortress Against The Sun

The B-17 Flying Fortress In The Pacific

By: Gene E. Salecker,E Salecker

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Fortress Against The Sun

The B-17 Flying Fortress In The Pacific

By: Gene E. Salecker,E Salecker

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

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Page Count

490

Publisher

Da Capo Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0306817152

ISBN 13

9780306817151

Book's by E Salecker

Disaster on the Mississippi

Disaster on the Mississippi

Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana

Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana

Death by Fire and Ice

Death by Fire and Ice

Fortress Against The Sun

Fortress Against The Sun

Arkansas History for Young People (Teacher's Edition)

Arkansas History for Young People (Teacher's Edition)

West Point 1915

West Point 1915

Tanks

Tanks

The Essential Civil War

The Essential Civil War

Disaster on the Mississippi

Disaster on the Mississippi

Fortress Against The Sun

Fortress Against The Sun

Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana

Destruction of the Steamboat Sultana

Fortress Against The Sun

Fortress Against The Sun

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