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| Fiction Reviews |
| the Great War series by Harry Turtledove (this series includes How Few Remain, American Front, Walk In Hell, and Breakthroughs. The storyline is continued in the American Empire series) |
| Ever wondered what would've happened if the South would've won the American Civil War? In this series, the master of "alternative history", Harry Turtledove sets out a frightening and all too plausible scenario. Based on a Confederate victory due to General Lee's Battle plans NOT falling into Union hands (as they did in one real life instance), a new Southern nation is born. But stinging with humilitation over their defeat, the remaining United States plots vengeance. The brewing hate first spills over in a brief Second Mexican War over the Confederate purchase of two Mexican provinces. After losing yet again to the Southrons, the U.S. searches for friends in it's mission to punish the CSA and her British and French allies, and finds such a friend in the Kaiser's Germany. When war breaks out in Europe over the assasination of Archduke Ferdinand, the two American nations are forced by their respective allegiances to declare war on one another yet again. What follows is an brutal war of attrition on the fruited plains of America to rival the darkest trench fighting in France. Whoever wins this "War to End All Wars" will stand supreme on the North American continent. And for the North, this is what may be the last opportunity for nation pride and the revenge they so desperately seek. Combining stark historical realism with compelling storytelling, Turtledove delivers a grim picture of what could have been. Weaving an entertaining and entirely believeable plot, the author brings this tale of wartime horror to gut-wrenching life. Using both real-life and fictional characters, these books make the pain, despair and hate of war palpable. As entertaining as it is disturbing, these books mesmerize like a bad wreck you can't look away from. I highly recommend this page-turning series to any history buff, any devote' of war novels, or lover of historical fiction. When you finish this series, you'll see why Turtledove's readers keep demanding more! |
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| 4 of 5 stars |
| Nolanbuc's rating: |
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