The Guns of the South

Rating:
Summary: Genus
Review: A work of alterative history so good that it sould be use in history classes. Even with the sc-if elements, needed to change the fact and focus on stuggle of the south to find out what kind of a nation it wants to be.

Rating:
Summary: Clever and entertaining
Review: Above all this book's authentic style highlights the fundamental greatness of some of the leaders of the period. With or without AK-47s, Robert E Lee was a man of integrity and firm convictions, and so was Lincoln. The introduction of the AK-47 into the 1860s changes the course of history, but human nature, good and bad, remains the same throughout a very interesting read.

Rating:
Summary: Overall A Good Tale
Review: Originally I was not even going to pick this up. Then someone actually gave me a copy as a gift. Well, I was then obligated to read it. Glad I did! Of all of the alternate universe stories that I have read (i.e. L. Sprague de Camp, Harry Harrison) this one did not disappoint. Turtledove does a great job of making his characters believable. I especially enjoyed General Lee. The author, I felt, was very true to the historical man. I found the ending to be a little weak, a bit pat, and very quickly wrapped up (i.e. all-in-all disappointing). The Rivington Men, men out of time, had gone back 150 years to change the outcome of the Civil war for mysterious purposes. They brought with them many weapons from the future which they presented to Lee's army. At first with no strings attached, but later...things change. Among the weapons were thousands of AK-47's complete with ammunition and training by the men from the future. With weapons like these, Lee could reverse the fortunes of war to the South's favor. I wish that the author had spent as much time on the ending as he did developing his characters, giving them depth and believability only to rush to the finish. However, if you are looking for a good alternate universe/timeline book. This is a good read and well worth the purchase price.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fantastic
Review: I'm not usually a huge fan of war stories, but this one was an intriguing read. Turtledove's character expositions were the biggest draw for me; my usual reluctance to enjoy details of guns and tactics was surmountable because I honestly cared about the soldiers. I can hardly wait to dive into more of these books!

Rating:
Summary: AMAZING HISTORICAL FICTION
Review: THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK BY TURTLEDOVE THAT I HAVE READ. IT WILL DEFINATELY NOT BE THE LAST. FASCINATING "WHAT IF'S ABOUND". THE AUTHOR IS A MAN OF IMMENSE IMAGINATION YET HAS OBVIOUSLY STUDIED THE "WAR BETWEEN THE STATES" IN DEPTH. I MUST NOTE THAT I HAVE NEVER BEEN A FAN OF SCIENCE FICTION BUT THIS BOOK SHOWS THE POSSIBLE RAMIFICATIONS OF TIME TRAVEL IN AN EERILY REALISTIC FASHION. THE CHARACTERS BOTH FAMOUS AND UNKNOWN BECOME PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT AND FICTIONAL THOUGH THE DIALOGUE MAY BE, THE AUTHOR HAS TAKEN PAINSTAKING TIME AND EFFORT IN MAKING THAT SAME DIALOUGE REALISTIC. KUDOS TO YOU HARRY TURTLDOVE.

Rating:
Summary: Simply one of the best
Review: This book might seem odd in premace. Time travel and all but HT captures the real parts that the Southerners had about the war. This would be a good book for a high school or college American lit class. If you finish it you will see how the CSA of 1868 differed with the one in 1864. Reminds me of how politics can change with certain elements added (coal, oil, gas) controlled by one power. HT told me in a chat room there was a screenplay for a movie version of this but it was nevermade. :-( A movie of this book could surely win an Oscar

Rating:
Summary: Capturing all of Robert E. Lee
Review: Being a book about war, The Guns of the South naturally took on a number of battle scenes, although, strangely, these were the weakest parts of the novel. As the action heated up, the writing became predictable and bogged down with cliches about the horrors of war.

However, as Turtledove followed General Robert E. Lee from the battlefield to the campaign trail to the Confederate White House, we got the rare treat of seeing the inner workings of one of the Confederacy's greatest patriots and perhaps the greatest general of the entire war as he savors the victory of the country he so loves.

Perhaps most interesting, though, is the political manueverings in the aftermath of the war, and the questions the book raises. Would the South really have fought long and hard only to gradually slay slavery out of their own volition? Would Lee really have made that good of a President? Was the Civil War fought over slavery, or over the states' right to govern themselves?

You'd have to be brain-dead if this novel doesn't make you think.

Rating:
Summary: Superior Fire Power Wins the War of Succession
Review: The premise of 'The Guns of the South' is simple. In the war's final months the beaten but not defeated Confederate army is presented with weapons that will alter the course of the conflict- a substantial number of AK-47's. General Robert E. Lee uses these new weapons to great affect against the superior northern armies and eventually wins the Civil War. However the bearer of these super weapons, a mysterious group of men with strange accents, clothes, and customs, demand a heavy price. 'The Guns of the South' is one of the greatest alternate history novels that Turtledove has written, if not the best. Although the time travel aspects of this book do tend to stretch the story's believability, Turtledove nevertheless produces an amazingly thought provoking novel of a triumphant Confederacy. Turtledove's interpretation of Robert E. Lee and other historical figures make this novel worth reading alone. This novel along with Turtledove's other work of Civil War alternate history fiction, 'How Few Remain,' should be read not only by fans of science fiction, but by anyone interested in the people, events, and politics that made up this pivotal time in American history.

Rating:
Summary: Another great Modern Classic
Review: "Modern Classic" is an overused phrase, not least by me. Guns of the South, however, really deserves it. It is Turtledove's most famous book, and one of his best.

Being that Turtledove is best known for his AH, it is somewhat strange that his most famous novel starts out with a science fiction theme. To make a short story a little shorter, a band of South African white supremacists travel back in time and arm Robert E. Lee's forces with AK-47s and an abundant supply of ammo.

Despite this bizarre premise, however, The Guns of the South is also a very interesting work of alternate history. Using their new weapon, the Confederates force a peace settlement, thus securing their independence. But that's only the first part of the book. The rest is a fascinating tale of alternate politics. Now that the Southerners have secured their nationhood, what will happen next? Who will succeed Jefferson Davis to the presidency? What about slavery? All of these questions are asked and answered in a satisfactory fashion.

Another selling point is the portrayal of Robert E. Lee. As one of the viewpoint characters, he is constantly in the literary spotlight. His portrayal is well-balanced and highly detailed, obviously the product of a great deal of research.

And there's plenty more of Turtledove's trademark military action later in the book. I won't elaborate too much, but suffice to say that Lee's South African saviors are not quite what they seem.

This may not be Turtledove's very best novel, but it's up there. A great read!

Rating:
Summary: Civil War With A Spin
Review: For "hard-core" civil war buffs, you may not like this book too much because there may be too many holes in the "history". Once you get over the "time travel" idea it's an interesting way to take a look at alternate history of the civil war; what if the South had won? How would the world be different? Race issues as addressed in this book are only one possible area that might have turned out quite differently. I found it a fast read with great characters. I have read some other alternate history novels and this is one of the better ones which I have read.

Definitely worth the time.