Rating: 
Summary: 1632 -- a circus-lover's romp through the 17 century
Review: The concept of a modern city transplanted into the past has been done before, and Flint's story is goofy in the extreme even should such a thing happen. The behavior of the characters, both of the past and present, is nothing sort of ridiculous. The idea of such a group of people being accepted into that renaissance society without local religious leaders launching all sorts of crusades against them is ludicrous, as is the rapid and unquestioning acceptance by 17th century people of a city filled with such unheard-of ideas and miraculous equipment and gadgets. The entire thing is nothing short of laughable Having said that, I must state that I have seldom enjoyed reading a book as much as I have 1632. As unlikely and silly as the whole thing is, it has a flair of SUPERMAN or CAPTAIN MARVEL about it, and there's enough of the child still in me to enjoy reading that genre. People who read fantasy must realize that what they read isn't happening, has never happened, nor is likely to....and this is as unnlikely as anything they will ever read -- and just as fascinating.
Rating: 
Summary: Making it work
Review: What science fiction reader has not fantasized about changing - improving - the past? The popularity of this sub-genre proves that the temptation is endlessly fascinating. From L. Sprague de Camp's "Lest Darkness Fall" onward, writers have been offering their suggestions of how it could be done. Most of them are fun to read and ponder, but just wouldn't work. Who would have the necessary knowledge and skills to turn the tide of history? Eric Flint's book offers a workable answer. It takes a village! Not only a village, but a village full of working men and women possessing practical skills, the kind of skills fewer and fewer of us possess in the Information Age. I found the characterizations moderately successful, but the real strength of this book was the portrayal of the process.
Rating: 
Summary: Cliche upon cliche
Review: This is getting to be the greatest cliche of alternate history fiction: Small US community from the 20th/21st century displaced in time. After suitably decimating their new neighbours by Superior American Weapons, Tactics and Morale, the astounded primitives joyfully embrace Free Trade and The American Way. And everybody live happily forever after. "1632" follows the formula from first to last page. The more lighthearted pulp fiction parts (the crusty old miner who just so happens to have kept a M60 and untold crates of ammunition from his Vietnam days lying around his backyard, the roleplaying nerds who effortlessly turn into shining knights on motorbikes) is actually fun at times. The "serious" bits where 17th century battlehardened mercenaries, haughty nobility and ignorant peasants alike renounce their entire belief system in days once introduced to ice-cream, cute cheerleaders and talkshows on TV --- that part rings so seriously untrue it completely destroyed my enjoyment of this novel. Flint is actually a good craftsman of the SF action novel. But the castaways in time formula is going so stale, this novel was mouldy before it left the printers.
Rating: 
Summary: Even worse than "Timeline"
Review: What a disappointment! Although the premise behind this book has a lot of potential, author Eric Flint failed to deliver on such a rich premise. Most of this book is devoted to extremely violent battles where the transplanted 20th century Americans (using an incredible arsenal -- complete with an endless supply of ammunition -- that was somehow transported with them) slaughter 17th century Europeans. Somehow, implausibly, the 20th century town transplanted to medieval Europe came complete with a power plant, coal mine, and enough 20th century conveniences and weapons to conquer central Europe. Give me a break, and respect my intelligence. The book goes on and on with really stupid concepts: high school girls become expert snipers overnight, high school boys become military experts the first time they engage in battle. The local chapter of the United Mine Workers is somehow transformed into a crack paramilitary/political organization. Somehow the 20th century small-town folks are able to use automatic weapons to kill hundreds of the Europeans without the slightest bit of regret or suffering any psychological trauma. On top of it all are Flint's long, boring, and interminable discussions of medieval politics. Flint comes across as an self-indulgent author who used this book to display his considerable knowledge of 17th century European politics, rather than write a straight-forward academic history book. Over all this book was a chore to complete. Its plot was so predictable and repetitive that I found very little that was interesting or exciting to read. I've thrown it away rather than pass on to a friend. I just can't believe anyone would enjoy reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Shades of Lord Kalvan
Review: Lord Kalvan managed to turn a whole world upside down all by his self. What happens when an entire town is transported back in time (or to an alternate universe). This is not only fascinating reading, it is a nice study of current vs. medeival mores. And it always helps to have .50 cal. MG.
Rating:
Summary: Optimistic and Fun
Review: Not much I can add to previous reviews, except that "1632" is my kind of book for a fun read. It has the feel of an old-fashioned space opera, with a large cast of heroic characters who, when flung into the past, bring modern American ideals to the 17th Century. OK, it's not too realistic. These people behave as we wish people would behave. They're the kind of people we'd like to be. And merely the introduction of democracy causes bigotry to disappear (sadly, we all know that doesn't happen). But you can read the news if you want a realistic portrayal of religious fanaticism. This is just pure entertainment, with an optimistic and idealized outlook. If you're looking for grim realism, pass it by. And it's not great literature. But it's fun and it's one of those books I'll reread whenever I need a morale boost.
Rating:
Summary: A very good read.
Review: The book is very good mind candy. The plot is simple, how would a largely blue-collar modern American small town deal with being plunked into the middle of the Thirty years war? Answer, because of the overwhelming military superiority afforded by modern firearms, vehicle, and communications; they'd romp all over the locals, impose their values on the objectioning ones (the higher ups), find grateful solidarity with the downtrodden, and be forced sheerly out of a need for strategic depth to come to an accomodation with some part of the local power structure in the person of, conveniently to 1632, Gustavus Adolphus, possibly the least objectionable monarch to have ever claimed a throne. The USN ought to name a CCG after Breitenfeld. Upon considering the matter, Adolphus winning Breitenfeld did plausibly make Saratoga...plausible. Thank you, Adolphus, for my country. Thank you, West Virginian veterans, for my country. Thank Great Uncle Ray, who was one of them. And thank you, Eric Flint, for a rollicking good read I couldn't put down the eighth time I read it. Mind candy, but very good mind candy. Montani Semper Liberi
Rating:
Summary: A good idea ultimately smothered by silliness
Review: The premise of "1632" has potential. In this work of alternative history by Eric Flint, a circular area of West Virginia six miles in diameter, and including the town of Grantville (pop. 3,000 or so), is suddenly transported from its place in the 20th century to a parallel universe in the year 1632 AD, and dropped intact into an identically shaped hole in the landscape of the German principality of Thuringia - right in the middle of that then-ongoing carnage called the Thirty Years War. Since the Americans are now left to their own resources without the ability to "call home" for help, this could've been an off-beat and gripping survival story had it been developed properly. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and it just came out being ridiculous. In an Author's Afterword, Flint says that "1632" is a "sunny book". That's the problem. For our castaways, there are no clouds in the sky, no matter what the situation. First of all, the collective consternation of the citizens over losing their place in the modern present was no greater than if they'd been stranded in Newark after having missed a plane. I mean, where were the cries of outrage as the trips to see the grandkids in California, the vacations to DisneyWorld, the opportunity to see "I Love Lucy" reruns, and the 401k retirement plans, are all lost forever? Rather, our square-jawed and unrelentingly self-righteous American heroes spend their time rescuing damsels-in-distress from the marauding mercenary bands of the period, and otherwise imposing civil order and the U.S. federal political structure on a world in serious disarray. Teddy Roosevelt couldn't have done it better with his Big Stick approach. (Modern hunting rifles, plus the M-60 machine gun good ol' Frank has stashed in his backyard, don't hinder the clean-up, either, as lines of armored men with pikes are mowed down. Yee-haw, boys, I guess we showed them varmints a thing or two!) And then, of course, there are all the True Loves conveniently discovered as the Grantville singles fraternize with the natives. Indeed, the principal American strongman in this fun, Mike, finds his (on page 43 already) in a wooden stagecoach lurching down a local cart track pursued by thugs. I mean, it's just all so sugary sweet that I was tempted to send out for Kleenex, insulin and an air-sickness bag, not really sure which I'd need first. And how about those unwashed local yokels, huh? As various elements become socially and militarily allied with those amazing Americans, does any individual among the former ever ask who won the Thirty Years War according to 20th century history books? (If 22nd century Wall Street suddenly dropped onto your back patio, wouldn't you at least want to know the future of that new gene technology IPO?) And are they particularly in awe of 20th century technological advances? Yawn. Without spilling too much of the plot, I can safely reveal that, at one point, our 17th century cousins, without having given it too much thought, are cozily sitting around the TVs chortling as Grantville's local programming is miraculously brought back on the air. (Hey, does anybody want to order out for some KFC before the game show starts?) All the comforts of a futuristic home. There's only one element amidst this silliness that justified my finishing the book. It's the part describing the Thirty Years War and its greatest warrior-hero, King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden. A cursory examination of the war's history on an on-line encyclopedia was enough to show that the background material supplied in "1632" was at least superficially accurate, so I may have learned something of value while reading this oversized comic book. From beginning to end, the plot is just too pat and too shallow. Thus, if you're not interested in the historical bit, don't bother with the whole.
Rating:
Summary: got this from my local library...
Review: ...and I'm glad I did. My only regret is that it came to an end too soon, and I don't often say that about any given book. I always held the the most magical words are not "abracadabra" or "hocus-pocus" or even "bibbity-bobbity-boo". I think the most magical words of all are "what if...?" Like for example, what if the south won the Civil War? Or the English won the Revolution? Now we have Mr.Flint asking what if six square miles of West Virginia including its citizens were plopped smack dab in the middle of northern Germany during the Thirty Years war? I had a great time finding the answer for myself, how great can be judged by the fact that I'm hoping Eric Flint (a possible descendant of Robert Louis Stevenson's Captain Flint from "Treasure Island"? By which I mean the one whom the parrot was named after) will make a series of this. What I wouldn't give to read "1633" if it's ever written!! Another reviewer here @ Amazon claimed this book as mild propaganda for the U.M.W.A. but I fail to see how such a conclusion could be reached. One of the best treatments of the 20th-century-brought-back-in-time theme to date. And who knows? Maybe it really could happen?!
Rating:
Summary: Too Much Fun To Pick On
Review: This is a good alt history adventure. As others note, the premise is the same as Stirling's Island in the Sea of Time. It is fun, but not quite as sophisticated. The biggest things it has going for it are a fun premise and very likable characters. They are an agreeable bunch to spend some time with. The author liked them as well, and it shows. Frankly, he gives them a pretty darn easy time of it, considering how big the challenge is and how meager their resources. Contrast the snake in the grass villain here with the one in Stirling's Island novels, and you will see how big the difference is. Here, the bad guy is hardly ever a threat. He makes some noises, loses and election, and goes away. Give it a 5 for premise, 3 for use of premise, 5 for lovable, underdog characters, 4 for action, 2 1/2 for plot. It grades out around a 4 just because of the fun factor. If this were movie, it would be a really fun, cool guilty pleasure TV mini-series and not great cinema. If you meet it on its level, you will get a kick out of it.
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