John Ericsson, Swedish-American engineer, created a staggering total of almost 2,000 inventions. He is best known for his Monitor, which has been called "the most original design in the history of naval architecture."
In the famous battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac, Ericsson's "cheesebox on a raft" saved the day for the Union forces at a critical moment in the Civil War.
Miss Latham tells the story of Ericsson's stormy life with vigor, authority, and excitement.