Rating: 
Summary: Fun book to read, leads me to more "what-ifs"
Review: I have read both the Worldwar series and the Great war series. The Great war series and this continuation is, in my opinion, much more entertaining. You can imagine the "human development" of events, and find yourself asking more what-if scenarios from this. Although, he does make the Hitler comparisons rather obvious, it does makes you begin to ask "Just what would it take for another 'Hitler' style leader to gain power?" In another area, "What would I do if someone executed my son(or my spouse) for no good reason?" These are the reasons that I kept turning the page and look forward to seeing what happens to the characters in the next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good read, but too obvious
Review: Blood and Iron is the first book of Harry Turtledove's American Empire series, which promises to be a bridge for an alternate history of World War Two. The victorious USA has at last gained its revenge against the CSA, taking back Kentucky, occupying the state of Sequyah (Oklahoma), and carving chunks of Texas to make the new state of Houston and annexing much of northern Virginia into West Virginia. They have also taken over the entire nation of Canada, creating a puppet nation of Quebec. While the USA celebrates and adjusts to a peacetime economy, the CSA suffers from political strife and hyperinflation. Eventually, USA President Teddy Roosevelt is cast aside for the Socialist Upton Sinclair, who stifles military development. The many diverse characters add interesting flavor to the story, but the biggest drawback is the too obvious comparsion between the southern demagogue Jake Featherston and Hitler. But this begs a question. Where is Hitler? Would be have become the great dictator if the Germans won the Great War? They also said Russia was in revolution, so how does that affect the Socialists in the USA? Mr. Turtledove is still a master storyteller, and I'm eager to read the next chapter of the saga.
Rating:
Summary: a few ideas of mine. but the book itself is great
Review: excellent! although like a previous reader said, a world map would be helpful. also, I think that he should skip some of the things that just mirror our history. it would be interesting if the depression occurs, and causes a dictator-like character in the USA. while Featherston becomes the Hitler of the CSA, which seems predictable. maybe have them allied against a united European menace? also, why no mention of the Russians? do they still have a Communist revolution? and if so, would they be allied with the USA? if that were the case, those three countries could be the "Axis" while Germany, France and Britain are the "Allies" in a second World War. that's just my opinion. I couldnt stop reading this for a week. it rules. get it. I WANT THE NEXT ONE!
Rating:
Summary: Good paced
Review: I read another Turtledove book, Colonization: Aftershocks, at the same time as I read Blood and Iron. I critized Aftershocks for only progressing about 2 years in the plot line. I believe about 10 years were covered in this book. I think that is about the right balance between character development and seeing their being influenced by the events around them. One thing I liked about both books, well into their respective series is that no new characters were introduced. We don't need anymore. One major plot line from the prior books came to a conclusion - the New England war widow - whose husband was killed by a CSS submariner and the submariner meet - 'enough said or plot is spoiled. I enjoyed reading this book and had the feeling that events in this alternative timeline were moving along in a well paced and realistic fashion.
Rating:
Summary: I do believe it's the best in this series
Review: I've read most of Turtledove's alternate history, and I'll agree that he's as good as anyone. In this story, the USA and CSA are at peace. Turtledove's portrait of postwar actions in America (both halves) draw on actual history of other countries in the era after WWI; the best way to describe it is that it's the rise of Nazism and socialism, but with a distinctly American overlay. A number of characters we've come to know well are transformed in motives and goals. For a Turtledove book with no wars in it, there really is a lot of movement, and there's even some closure to longstanding plot threads--an essential development if the series is to remain fresh. It was the way the author built toward the multiple climaxes (nicely sequenced) that caused me to think, three quarters of the way through, "Wow. This is the best thing he's done since _Guns of the South_." From a technical standpoint, Turtledove's writing is superb. Descriptive, intelligent, entertaining. The small downsides are minor quibbles. For example, the way his Francophone characters speak does convey a French personality, but he need not go so far as to have a character say 'you have reason' for 'you're right'. I still think he has one or two too many subplots going. But frankly, both are matters of taste. Neither significantly affected my enjoyment. Great stuff.
Rating:
Summary: I cant wait for the next one!!
Review: I have read all of the books in this series, and they keep on getting better and better. If you can put this book down, you have some serious problems, I know my friends had to get a crow bar to pry it out of my hands. Anyway, take my advice-read this book, read this series, and most of all read anything that Harry has written- you will not be let down!
Rating:
Summary: A pause performance, but a good one
Review: It's still the best Alternate History series around, but "Blood and Iron" is very much a pause performance. The playing pieces are being set up for the next major conflict. The cast is being thinned, promotions are made and a new generation is being brought onstage that will be young adults around the time of a presumed alternate WWII. Regarding the setting of the scene, some important background props are annoying the reader by simply not being there: There's next to none information about how the rest of the world have been affected by the dramatically different WWI just over. No information on what changes the war comittment of the US industrial power may have wrought on technology and science. No hints about what i.e. the widespread use of chemical weapons and accelerated development of tank warfare made to strategic thinking world wide. The US Socialist government is cutting defense budgets hard and giving our heroes a hard time, but we're never given any insight in it's foreign policies except their being generally "anti-war". Earlier volumes contained fascinting hints of how the introduction of rigid German-influenced "ordnung" and bureaucracy was affecting civil life in the US, but except for every man above twelve wearing a "Kaiser Bill moustache" there's no more development of this theme. That said, it's still thoroughly fascinating following the lives of the widely spread cast in this alternate world. The author has transfered traits of post-WWI Europe to America, deliberately playing on reader familiarity with the concepts rather than ranging wide in extrapolating from historical changes. I can live with that, when it's done to mr. Turtledove's excellent standards.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite 5 stars but very good.
Review: This is a very good read and more interesting because Turtledove is not basing events on the backdrop of a war of some description. Often in the Great War series there were endless scenes of people ducking in trenches and avoiding or not avoiding being shot or whatever, and that got slightly boring after 3 books. This is more like a historical novel, or even a factual book but more interesting. I wish he'd dump some of the more uninteresting characters. What are those Semphrochs for, for goodness sake? Give them something more interesting to do than making coffee and breakfast, or get rid of them. The endless searches of the McGregor farm seem quite pointless too. And please, please, can't General Custer die peacefully in his sleep and LT Col Dowling retire or something? They seem to be doing the same things over and over.
Generally speaking, I wish he'd concentrate more on the big story rather than on the sideshows. The plot itself is excellent, even if it closely mirrors our own history. I'd like a little more detail on what goes on in Europe, and I was a little surprised at how easily the USA went over to socialism, however. I can see the parallel in my country (UK) when our armed forces were run down between the wars through a combination of neglect and the need to deal with the depression. All in all a pretty good book showing the rise and temporary fall of a convincing southern Hitler-type character. I look forward to the events of 1933, and the "American blitzkrieg" which is obviously coming but not just yet...
Rating:
Summary: Blood,Iron, Sweat, and Tears
Review: Here in his latest book in the aternate history series "American Empire" Turtledove expands on the lingering effects of the Great War on the lives of his charcters. While there is a certain amount of "telegraphing" of future plots, Turtledove gives his readers an understanding of the forces of history, and how the swirling political chaos can haunt the lives of ordnary people. The different decisions made by the leaders of the Blood and Iron universe show his readers how different decisions can lead to bloody warfare, hate and prejidice, in an unending and ever cycling circle of death and distruction.
Most importanly, the lesson of this work can be glimpsed (however dimly) here in our own world. This is why I think this series is so important. We can see, in the fanatism of Al Queida, and the Taliban the thought processes described by Turtledove.
Rating:
Summary: Keep 'em coming Harry!
Review: Continuing the alternate history of the Confederate and United States of America, we're now post WWI. Things are settling down, clean up is being done, and resentments are building. I can't wait for the next one - keep 'em coming!
| 
