The Great War: Walk in Hell

This is the review of the second book in the Great War trilogy, Walk in Hell. Beginning in 1916, it sees soldiers charging towards enemy trenches in the hopes of taking them, with machine guns hammering death at the incoming infantry, of artillery shelling No Mans Land day and night, delivering death to all with high explosive rounds and poison gas, of airplanes buzzing above the tortured landscape, watching the carnage unraveling beneath them, of armored fortresses instilling fear into the enemy as they crawled through the battered and broken battlefield, pounding the enemy with cannon and machine gun fire. A fine scene to describe World War 1, don't you think?

Yes, Walk in Hell covers all of this, WWI fought not just in Europe, but also on the North American continent. The United States, allied with Germany, is fighting a two war front against Canada to the north and the Confederacy to the south. The U.S. has put down the Mormon uprising in Utah and introduced a new weapon into the fray, the barrel (tank), while their navy continues to threaten England of her food supply. Meanwhile, Confederate blacks rise up in a socialist revolution against their white overlords, drawing precious Confederate men from the front to quell it and that's about it. This sums up the entire book.

Personally, I think 'Walk in Hell' is written to bridge together the first and third book in the trilogy, highlighting several minor developments that play a major role in the next book, so it does not offer much.

The writing style is similar to the first book, the story told from the viewpoint of several characters from both sides, from soldiers (no Canadian soldiers) to civilians to politicians (mostly U.S. side). The events, as depicted from above, seem plausible, although it would be appreciated if there are more naval developments described in the book. No need for something as major as the Battle of the Three Navies in 'American Front', but other forms of development in the high seas would be much appreciated. In addition, there are still no descriptions of the state of the war in Europe.

All in all, it's a good read. I'll rate it at 3.5 out of 5.

The Great War: American Front

This would be a review covering the first book in the Great War trilogy, American Front. Taking place within the Timeline 191 series, the book covers, as the name suggests, the Great War, as the Allied Powers battle against the Central Powers. It is just like our worlds World War 1, with technology at the same level as our worlds 1914, but with a difference: The United States is a member of the Central Powers. Why, you ask? Because there is another America, the Confederate States,enemy of the U.S, and ally of Britain and France. The United States, having spent years plotting its revenge against their southern brethren, is fighting in a two-front battle against them and Canada, recreating No Mans Land in North America, and while the Confederacy is fighting the 'American Huns'(USA), southern blacks, armed with the teachings of Marx and Lincoln, plot a socialist revolution within the country.

With the U.S an ally of Germany, the balance of power is tilted against the Allies. Not only are they deprived of the industrial juggernaut herself, Great Britain must also contend with US troops invading Canada and the presence of a powerful US Navy pitted against their not-so-infallible Royal Navy. After all, it was US soldiers that pulled the two countries from defeat when Germany mounted a full scale assault on the Western Front in 1918 and came close to winning the war. With that, it is quite clear on who would win the war (minor spoiler).

Now, as with How Few Remain, the plot is told from the viewpoint of several characters; this time, they are fictional ones, from civilians caught up in the war, to soldiers from both sides, and main characters from the previous book(two of them are still alive) have mostly taken the backseat. The writing style is very different from the first book and the events depicted seem plausible enough to be real (if the U.S. lost the American Civil War, of course). Of course, the book is not without its faults. The entire Timeline 191 series is based in North America. It would have been interesting to know how the situation in Europe is developing with the difference in alliances, and the viewpoints of Canadian or British soldiers fighting against the U.S. would have also been appreciated. Also, the  socialist revolution in the Confederacy seems a little weak, ending at the end of the book, and going into depth only in the second book. Still, it is an interesting book. I would gladly recommend this book, rating it at 4 out of 5.

Book Review - How Few Remain

This will my first book review on How Few Remain, the first book in the Southern Victory (Timeline 191) series. The book explains the point of divergence in sparks the beginning of the series, then skipping to 20 years after the American Civil War, where the second War Between the States ensues.

In reality, two Union soldiers found Robert E. Lee's Special Orders 191 by accident, used as cigar wrappings, after a Confederate courier lost them. With the knowledge of Lee's battle plans and his armies division when he invaded US territory, US General George B. McClellan was able to win the Battle of Antietam, ending the invasion.

However, if the Union failed to obtain the orders, things would proceed differently, for better or for worse (in this case, the worse).

Here, the orders were found by trailing Confederate soldiers and, as a result, caught McClellan and his troops by surprise by the Confederate advance. Instead of fighting in Antietam, McClellan's forces fought in the Battle of Camp Hill and lost, his Army of the Potomac broken and defeated. One thing led to another, and soon, the Confederate States won the Civil War, assuring Southern independence from the Union, with recognition granted by Britain and France and meditation forced on the USA by the two European powers.

Now that we're done with the prologue, let's get the ball rolling.

The novel truly begins 20 years after the war in 1882. It's similar to our world, but with a few differences. A world where central North America is inhabited by two Americas who are unhappy with each other, and things hit the fan when the CSA purchased two Mexican provinces and that culminated into a second War Between the States.

 The plot is told from the viewpoint of several characters, all of whom happened to be real life figures such as Stonewall Jackson and George Custer, with each characters story representing a different aspect of the overall plot, although they sometimes converge with each other. I am not complaining, but it would have been nice to have several fictional viewpoint characters added to the mix, and maybe an appendix detailing what happened between the first and second wars, added at the back of the book. It would have been helpful to explain why Dakota entered the USA as a single state or why Custer is still breathing when he and his brother should have died prior to the second war after being killed fighting Sioux Indians.

All in all, it was a good read about the implications of a world where the Confederacy exists and how it influences history, with engaging characters and a well-constructed plot.

I would definitely recommend the book and rate it at 4 out of 5.

Timeline 191 Book Reviews

    Hi. My name is Esmond and this is my first blog site, which will be focused on reviewing books from Harry Turtledove's Southern Victory series (or Timeline 191, its fan name). This eleven part series postulates an alternate timeline in which the United States of America lost the American Civil War as Union forces failed to procure a copy of Robert E. Lee's Special Orders 191, resulting in the formation of an independent South, the Confederate States of America. The series details the consequences of such an outcome, from the year 1862, where the point of divergence takes place, to 1944, which ends with one America triumphant over the other.
   I hope the reviews will be beneficial to the public. Well, the setting did interest me though, so maybe it might interest you as well.