The Guns of the South

Rating:
Summary: Robert E. Lee and His Sub-machine Guns
Review: In 1864, the southern states of the USA are on the verge of losing the Civil War. They know it. They will not admit it but they know it. Their "Dixie" days are numbered.

But then suddenly a group of men with strange accents offer to sell them a new kind of gun with alarmingly lethal firepower. Called the "AK-47".

With this new innovative weapon in their hands the new country known as the Confederate States of America seems one step away from achieving their independence after all. Southern soldiers who mean well like General Robert E. Lee and Sgt. Nathan Caudell watch as their side achieves what seemed to be nothing more than a dream since Gettysburg.

Although Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation could soon be irrelevant to all states below the Mason-Dixon line, some of the southerners begin to consider he might have had a point about needing to abolish slavery after all. Something unacceptable to the mysterious men who provided the weapon at the start of 1864.

The south winning the civil war is only the beginning...

This novel is part sci-fi and Civil War literature, a very good and clever blend which makes the reader unexpectedly enjoy the book in many ways. Harry shows this story from the perspectives of Lee and Caudell, two real-life Confederates, who interact with a whole cast of characters who actually existed during the real war. Very meticulous research on his part.

You don't need to be a Civil War historian to follow this book, just knowing the basics will do. It's very good at explaining what really happened as you go along. Without giving too much away I can promise you'll read about excellently described battle-scenes, historical ironies, grief, despair, romance, alternative history and the big southern question throughout the story "Why did we fight this war?"

NOTE: Though this story is seperate and not related to Harry Turltedove's "How Few Remain" and "Great War" and "American Empire" books I recommend his fans read this book first to experience firsthand the novelty of the south winning the American Civil War. (All above titles available from Amazon)

Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Story
Review: I found this to be a fun book to read. In alternate history-speak, General Lee has a major Alien Space Bat (a highly improbable and/or illogical occurance) attack. While minding his business commanding the Army of Northern Virginia, a stange and shady fellow from a strange and shady organization comes to him with an offer he cant refuse. The stranger has crates and crates of automatic weapons (our modern day AK47) that will practically give just one of his regiments enough firepower to hold its ground against an entire Union army. Lee takes up this offer and the results are predictable. The South wins. Then things get curiouser. The stranger and his cohorts wind up being White Supremicists from a 21st Century South Africa trying to change time. They are not happy with the Confederacy's plans. Read the book for the rest of the story.

Normally, I dont like alternate history books that are so implausible. It seems like cheating to me. Also, such AH stories are not particularly well written. This one seems to be an exception. Harry Turtledove has an excellent grasp of the civil war era military forces and it shines through here. He also has a pretty decent idea of the political forces competing with each other in this time frame. These facts managed to get me through a story I normally wouldnt even have picked off a book shelf!

Earlier critics dislike this story because the Confederacy emancipates its slaves. They think there is no basis for this. I strongly disagree. Most Southerners (even slave holders) were uncomfortable with the practice. Just look at the prominent Southerners like Washington and Jefferson who freed their slaves at death. Heck, if I remember right Lee himself emancipated slaves he inherited on the death of his wife's father! More important is the fact that slavery was a dying institution in the South given the industrialization of the time. I will go this far. I think Turtledove rushes the issue. I dont think slavery would be ended in a victorious South within a decade or so of independence. Slavery might have been in its death throes, but it wasnt that far along! Still, I think the grandual emancipation the author shows us is reasonable if a bit premature.

This is a decent story. One word of caution from military afficianados. The second half of this novel focuses on political/societal issues and can be boring if you dont like that stuff. If you want action from beginning to end you may be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Still one of the best Civil War counterfactuals around
Review: Harry Turtledove likes to relate the unlikely event that inspired GUNS OF THE SOUTH: a letter from fantasy writer Judith Tarr. Tarr complained to Turtledove that the proposed cover art for her latest book looked "as anachronistic as Robert E. Lee holding an Uzi." The rest, as they say is history - or an alternate version of it.

Turtledove has built a burgeoning career as an SF alternative history maven but so far he remains - rightly - best known for his 1992 best seller GUNS OF THE SOUTH, a work which has achieved a singular status in the growing alternate history genre. Even so noted a historian as James M. McPherson has lauded it as "without question the most fascinating Civil War novel I have ever read." GUNS OF THE SOUTH is regularly cited as the best work of its kind in counterfactual history - or certainly the best of recent vintage, and not without justification.

Instead of an Uzi, Robert E. Lee finds Confederate victory by another famous modern gun: the AK-47 so strikingly depicted on the cover of all editions of the book. One must admit that the very idea is a tremendously scintillating one: what adolescent (or grown up) Civil War buff hasn't wondered in some idle fancy what Lee could do with some modern military wizardry? In Turtledove's fantasy, the adolescents turn out to be a group of South African AWB white supremacists who manage to pilfer a time machine in 2013 - and proceed to use it to ship a massive arsenal (and themselves) back to Rivington, North Carolina in late 1863, in hopes of changing the outcome of the Civil War. Before long a mysterious man attired in a strange outfit of mottled green and brown, an unplaceable accent, and a truly marvelous rifle shows up to make a sales pitch at the winter headquarters of the Army of Northern Virginia. One can only imagine how an AK-47 equipped Confederate Army might wreak havoc on Grant's planned Overland Campaign of 1864, but Turtledove ensures that one doesn't have to. In vivid and well researched strokes, Turtledove unfolds Lee's bloody repulses of Grant and his eventual capture of Washington D.C., almost solely through the eyes of two protagonists: Lee himself, and (for a grunt's eye view) one 1st Sgt Nate Caudell of the 47th North Carolina. A captive Lincoln is forced to sue for peace: Union armies are withdrawn from the South in exchange for the return of the capital.

All of which makes for a fascinating tale yet only provides the first half of the book. It is in the second half that Turtledove takes what would otherwise be just another southron revanchist fantasy and turns it into a vehicle for examining the issues which brought on the Civil War: principally, the place of African Americans in American society, northern or southern. The AWB has its own plan for a free South, and it proves increasingly unpalatable even for many Confederate leaders. The mounting conflict comes to a head when a reluctant Lee agrees to run to succeed Jefferson Davis as Confederate president. In the balance lies not only the AWB's role in the Confederacy, but that of slavery as well.

The strengths of GUNS OF THE SOUTH are manifold: the research is impeccable. Civil War afficianadoes and historians will recognize many clever asides. Turtledove even goes so far as to append detailed results of the alternate history 1864 US presidential election and the Confederate presidential election of 1867, and a fair reasonable explanation of how Turtledove arrived at them. All of which is impressive enough that one is able forgive any nagging notions that Lee's growing opposition to slavery is stretched a bit to better wrestle with the issue, or the frequently labored prose and stilted dialogue which is usually a trademark of Turtledove's alternate history work (and, in fairness, that of most alternative history fiction), or the sluggish pacing of most of the second, postwar part of the book. Such weaknesses are forgiveable when one ponders how powerful a work Turtledove has managed to spin out of what is at first glance such a fantastical premise.

Turtledove has rolled out several (unrelated) works assuming a Confederate victory (HOW FEW REMAIN, the GREAT WAR and AMERICAN EMPIRE series), but none of them provide as crisp a tale as GUNS OF THE SOUTH even if their turning points are more pedestrian (and credible) than Andries Rhoodie and his time traveling terrorists. If you enjoy alternate history, or if you love Civil War history, make it a point to add GUNS OF THE SOUTH to your reading list. You won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: A Reflection on Guns of the South: A High School Review
Review: GOMEZ, Christian

Harry Turtledove's THE GUNS OF THE SOUTH is a whimsical adventure into an alternate history, and is a true 20th century masterpiece in Alternate History literature. THE GUNS OF THE SOUTH is not part of Harry Turtledoves series that spans from HOW FEW REMAIN to his latest great masterpiece SETTLING ACCOUNTS: RETURN ENGAGEMENT. Unlike in Harry Turtledove's HOW FEW REMAIN, the Confederate States of America does not win in 1862 by natural causes, instead a time traveler from the year 2014 by the name of Andries Rhoodie comes to the past during the American Civil War, and he offers Robert E. Lee an offer he cant refuse, which is ammunition aid, primarily weapons in this case an AK-47 automatic rifle, also a photo book of the actual Civil War, and coffee. With the AK's or repeaters as they call them, at the hands of Robert E. Lee's Northern Virginian army and the rest of the Confederate armies, the Confederacy easily unleash a blood bath to the Union, wave after wave of Union troops are instantly killed. It is no longer a war, but "murder" as one of Lee's men said during an engagement. The Union Springfield musket rifles are no match for the power of the AK-47. History is quickly changed as The New York Times reads various headlines depicting Confederate victories, and Union slaughtered defeat such as, `Disaster! Grant's army overthrown in the wilderness. Forced to retreat above the Rappahannock, and there defeated once more.' The articles read, "Unhappily, like many of our engagements, the late fighting, though serving to illustrate the splendid valor of our troops, has failed to accomplish the object sought. The result thus far leaves us with a loss of upwards of 40,000 men in the two battle's-useful information there-`and absolutely nothing gained. Not only did the rebels hold their lines, but they are advancing behind the impetus of their new breech-lading repeaters, against which the vaunted Springfield is of scarcely greater effect than the red man's bows and arrows.' ". As a result General Lee meets with U.S. President Lincoln to discuss the terms of Union surrender!

The novel is filled with great description of true historical characters such as General Robert Edward Lee, his wife and children, Confederate General Forest, U.S. President Lincoln, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and Lee's men. You really feel that you are some sort of temporal observer of the events in story. This is a great novel for Alternate History and Science Fiction readers. If you loved Harry Turtledove's other novels or never heard of Harry Turtledove you will still love this great novel. I consider my self a "historian" when it comes to the American Civil War if you will, due to the fact that I constantly study/ read/ research on the American Civil War, and I have read several biographies of Robert Edward Lee and seen a couple of Civil War movies such as Glory and my favorite Gods and Generals, and this novel is well written with accurate historical background information a true must have/ must read for any one who just likes reading. My name is Christian Gomez, I am currently 16 years of earth age, and I attend Bronx Leadership Academy High School. Thank you for reading my review and I hope that you enjoy the book as much or even more than I did if you plan to read it. Thank You.



Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: Alternative histories share a common potential weakness: The accuracy of the historical viewpoint of the author regarding the original timeline. "The Guns of the South" is certainly no exception. A good read, though with a definite lull following the war but preceding a rousing climax, it leans too heavily on the "institution of slavery" as a major cause of the war. Despite what we have been taught in public school and by PBS, the North was definitely NOT abolitionist, and Lincoln himself was not aiming primarily for freeing the slaves. The war was about economic issues and states rights, then to a much lesser degree about slavery. In any event, if you enjoy science fiction and alternative history, you will likely not regret reading this novel. If you are looking for historical accuracy up to the point of departure, then keep looking.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing, but please get off slavery.....
Review: I liked this alternate history, but Turtledove is obviously not aware that Lee never owned slaves (less than 10 percent of Confederate soldiers did) and didn't believe in slavery. It was one of the causes of the war, but not THE cause, and didn't become an issue till 1863. (Read the "emancipation proclamation" online at the National Archives site; it actually freed NO ONE AT ALL) Slavery as an institution was on the way out anyway. Still, good for sci-fi fans and time travel aficionados

Rating:
Summary: Guns of the South
Review: Awesome Book, I couldn't put it down, Some call it Science Fiction, I prefer the term, Fact based fiction. Mr. Turtledove did ALOT of research for this book and based the events on things that REALLY happened. In my Opinion an Excetional twist into what COULD have happened had circumstances been different. It will leave you wondering what is going to happen on the next page, and then wondering again.....what may happen in real life in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: This was a very well done alternate history story about time travellers who go back and rearm the South with AK-47's to suit their own agenda. That little description does not even come close to describing how good this book is. The author obviously knows his Civil War history and it was very interesting to be reading a story involving Lincoln, Grant and Lee among other real life characters in a fiction story.

I also really liked the Sci-fi angle the book took and most of the time you can't go wrong with a What If? story involving time travellers. I hope he does a book in this flavor again as in this one he didn't go into detail about how the travellers got the time machine or how it works but he just went with the flow of the story. Along those lines, there are a million other scenarios he could do and if they are written as well as this one I will be sure to enjoy them.

Anyways, I recommend this book highly to anyone who likes Alternate History, Sci-Fi, and Civil War literature.

Rating:
Summary: Robert E. Lee and His Sub-machine Guns
Review: In 1864, the southern states of the USA are on the verge of losing the Civil War. They know it. They will not admit it but they know it. Their "Dixie" days are numbered.

But then suddenly a group of men with strange accents offer to sell them a new kind of gun with alarmingly lethal firepower. Called the "AK-47".

With this new innovative weapon in their hands the new country known as the Confederate States of America seems one step away from achieving their independence after all. Southern soldiers who mean well like General Robert E. Lee and Sgt. Nathan Caudell watch as their side achieves what seemed to be nothing more than a dream since Gettysburg.

Although Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation could soon be irrelevant to all states below the Mason-Dixon line, some of the southerners begin to consider he might have had a point about needing to abolish slavery after all. Something unacceptable to the mysterious men who provided the weapon at the start of 1864.

The south winning the civil war is only the beginning...

This novel is part sci-fi and Civil War literature, a very good and clever blend which makes the reader unexpectedly enjoy the book in many ways. Harry shows this story from the perspectives of Lee and Caudell, two real-life Confederates, who interact with a whole cast of characters who actually existed during the real war. Very meticulous research on his part.

You don't need to be a Civil War historian to follow this book, just knowing the basics will do. It's very good at explaining what really happened as you go along. Without giving too much away I can promise you'll read about excellently described battle-scenes, historical ironies, grief, despair, romance, alternative history and the big southern question throughout the story "Why did we fight this war?"

NOTE: Though this story is seperate and not related to Harry Turltedove's "How Few Remain" and "Great War" and "American Empire" books I recommend his fans read this book first to experience firsthand the novelty of the south winning the American Civil War. (All above titles available from Amazon)

Rating:
Summary: Great alternative history
Review: This was my first Harry Turtledove book. The dust jacket says it all. Mysterious strangers arrive when things look bleakest for the South and hand over a bunch of AK-47s. Instantly, the war turns. There are lots of great scenes including the fall of Washington and Lee's inauguration as 2nd president of the Confederate States.

There is little science in the science fictoin but it doesn't matter. The main thing is the "what if" the South were to prevail. I found Lee to be an especially well drawn character, even if his thoughts and actions seemed contrary to what I remember being taught in my damnyankee education.

The book ends shortly after the end of the war, and I found myself wanting a sequel that would tell me what happened in the subsequent years. But apparently this is not to be, at least from Turtledove. All in all, a great and quick read that I highly recommend.