History Revisited: The Great Battles

Eminent Historians Take on the Great Works of Alternative History

De: J. David Markham, Mike Resnick

Narrado por: Stephen Hoye, Don Leslie, Stefan Rudnicki, J. David Markham

Combining short stories in the alternate military-history genre with speculative history, this entertaining book invites listeners to consider what didn't happen to gain a richer understanding of what did. Acclaimed fiction writers John Mina, Kim Stanley Robinson, William Sanders, and Harry Turtledove pose intriguing "What if?" questions about Napoleon, the U.S. Civil War, the American South, and World War II, such as "What if Napoleon had become emperor of the United States?" and "Could one faulty screw have altered America's atomic-bomb policy?" With commentary from leading historians J. David Markham, James Marten, Mark McNally and John Sugden, these alternate narratives provide fascinating possibilities that will be of interest to fans of speculative history.

©2008 J. David Markham (P)2008 Phoenix Books, Inc.

A little too much imagination...

Any additional comments?

The one good thing about long drives... You can plow through audio books. This fictional "what if" alternative history contains some interesting ideas for its scenarios, but as the historian written critiques that follow each story point out, they are a little far fetched. What if Napoleon, rather than going to France to set up his empire, had come to North America and established instead in the Louisiana territory with Davey Crockett, Sam Houston, and Andrew Jackson as his top General. Instead of Waterloo, Wellington fights him at New Orleans. Anyway, while not boring, there's better alternative history out there.

Mediocre Read, implausible situations

Disappointing read as a lover of all things historical. Stories were too big a stretch and were focused on individuals rather than broader global impacts of historical changes. Bummer since I enjoy these kinds of historical excercises and this one didnt stand up.