Description
Superbly illustrated with original artwork throughout, this book explores the ironclad warships that fought the little-known battles of South America''s War of the Pacific.
In the late 19th century, a war erupted between Chile and Peru, the catalyst for which was control of guano-rich Chincha islands. Given the geography of the two countries, with a narrow, arid land border and long exposed coastlines, it was inevitable that the War of the Pacific would predominantly be a naval war.
It was a unique episode of military history, fought by two newly emergent South American states, using the latest technology ironclad, steam-powered warships and involving more naval battles than in the American Civil War, including a blockade, the capture of key warships, and bombardments of ports. Chile''s navy was larger and more modern, while Peru''s trump card was the small but powerful ironclad Huáscar.
In this book, naval expert Angus Konstam offers readers
