Book excerpt: The U.S.S. Monitor was an entirely new type of warship when it launched in 1862. Dubbed "the forefather of the modern Navy," this ironclad ship changed how wars are fought at sea. But on New Year's Eve, 1862, it sank off the coast of North Carolina in a terrible storm. No one thought the Monitor could be raised, but after 140 years, parts of the ironclad have finally been brought to the surface. This book chronicles the Monitor's revolutionary design, exciting battle, and intriguing excavation. Illustrated by Larry Day.