1862

A Novel

By: Robert Conroy

Narrated by: L. J. Ganser

Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

The Civil War comes alive in all its passion and fury - only now the Brits are fighting...alongside the Confederacy.

Outraged when the US Navy seizes three Confederates aboard an English sailing ship, Britain retaliates by entering the fray in support of the Rebels - and suddenly, it's a whole new war.

Once again, cotton is king as the North's blockade crumbles before the might of the Royal Navy. While Lincoln confronts the monumental challenge of vanquishing mighty Britannia, the Redcoats revive their 1812 penchant for burning down American cities, and Union troops see Canada as ripe for the picking. From the Mississippi bayou to the Pennsylvania farmlands to the woods of Maine, the great armies of Generals Grant and Lee face off in the nation's deadliest conflict. And to the victor goes history.

©2006 Robert Conroy (P)2020 Tantor

British Impotence in American Affairs

I enjoyed this alternative history of the American Civil War which postulates British alliance with the Confederacy. The author makes much ado about Northern ironsides thwarting the power of the British navy and also of Irish American lust for vengeance beyond reason, but otherwise provides an intriguing counterfactual narrative. I've always assumed that British intervention in the war on the side of the Confederate states would have been decisive. While I remain unconvinced that British efforts would have contributed so little, the thesis remains an interesting one.

Same story every time

The first few Robert Conroy books were great but now its just change the names, dates, and locations then repeat the same exact story.

The lead characters always act the same, the love interests always act the same. If this is your first Robert Conroy book you'll enjoy it. If its your 5th then its a repeat.

Very good

Very enjoyable story all throughout. The narration was great and look forward to listening to more works from Robert Conroy.

1862

loved it and read twice outstanding performances I am so glad I purchased it and love C I nroys work

Fun, but predictable.

Warning, kind of a spoiler, but not really if you’re familiar with Robert Conroy’s storytelling. I enjoy Robert Conroy‘s storytelling, but it has become kind of predictable. I enjoy history, and so I think it is fun to fantasize about alternate history from time to time. Robert Conroy’s books, give me this opportunity. However, the outcome of the story is very easy to determine early on in the books based on the number of the characters that fall on each side of history. I would really enjoy a book from Robert Conroy, in which the history is completely reversed, and not just changed a little bit with the same result. in other words, a book where the British win the revolutionary war, or a book where the Confederates win the Civil War, or book were the axis powers win World War II, etc. I’m very proud of my country, but I would like to see what kind of post war actions occur in those scenarios. Like I said, I really enjoy Robert Conroy‘s books, but just once I’d appreciate a book in which the complete opposite occurred.

Strong start, weak finish

An extraordinarily plausible first 2/3 of a story that falls apart towards the end. Last third of the book isn’t imaginable by any stretch of a historian

Posthumous Release

I thought I owned everything Robert Conroy had published but just recently discovered this novel released years after his death in December 2014.

The novel is a quick read and quite enjoyable though it has a bit more adult intimacy than I expected based on his earlier novels. Here we find a US Civil War with moderate direct UK involvement in the form of a declaration of war and those consequences. Ironically the involvement of the UK serves to goad even more loyal Americans into joining the war effort and things tip inexorably in favor of Union forces once the full weight of this new enthusiasm can be harnessed for the Northern Cause.

The audible track was well done and kept a good pace.

Biased nonsense

One of the weakest alternate histories I’ve ever read/listened to. Confuses swearing and crassness for humor. Author makes characters he likes incapable of failing and those he dislikes pathetically incompetent. Regardless of whether you have Union or Confederate leanings not worth your time or your credit. An outright F-

potential but flops

had potential but very weak and predictable story line. long build up and a weak climax, didn't bother finishing thr last 30 mins. don't waste your time, better options.

Don’t waste your time

The book is poorly researched and if you are a historian or student of history or even an armchair historian you will be appalled by some of Conroy’s blunders.

Every “ethnic” character is a overly cartoonish and exaggerated. The dialogue doesn’t feel remotely real, they often discuss events and run over things that they should implicitly know living in this period. It’s like the author world builded an alternate historic timeline and added some bland characters to explain them to us instead of experiencing the events through their eyes.

I could finish it. Read Harry Turtledove.