Rating: 
Summary: Alternate History; The South Will Rise Again?
Review: Harry Turtledove's "American Empire: Blood & Iron" continues his alternate history begun in "How Few Remain" and continuing through the "Great War" trilogy, in which the Confederate States of America (CSA) won the Civil War. "How Few Remain" told the story of a second War Between the States, in which the USA lost to an alliance of the CSA, Britain and France. That book began the alliance between Germany and the USA. The "Great War" trilogy replayed WWI, with the USA allied with Germany, the CSA aligned with Britain, France and Canada. WWI is over and the USA and Germany have emerged triumphant, with heavy penalties for reparations on the CSA, just like what happened to Germany in actual history. Canada has been occupied by the USA, except for Quebec, which has formed a Republic, allied with the USA. "Blood & Iron" covers the time from the end of the Great War, in this world, 1917, into 1924. Turtledove is clearly planning to use this new series to set up his own version of WWII. We even have the emergence of the CSA's version of Adolf Hitler in Sgt. Jafe Featherston. He transfers the inflation that ravaged Germany to the CSA, and does a number of things to set up parallels between the defeated Germany of our world, and the CSA in his own. As always, Turtledove is a highly intelligent writer. But this book suffers from the flaw which ruined "How Few Remain"; Turtledove forces his world to do illogical and unrealistic things in order to have his story go where he wants it to go. While not as blatant as in "How Few Remain", there is, at times, an unnatural feel to the flow of this book. That many of the things happened in the actual history of our world is not an excuse, because the circumstances are different. France lived next to Germany, and yet it maintained a strong fighting force, a fatally flawed fighting force, but one which built the Maginot line, and continued tank development. Turtledove continues his style of visiting his characters for a few pages, then returning to that character 50, 60, or more pages later to see how events are affecting that individual. The result is a series of character studies, rather than a cohesive novel. "American Empire: Blood & Iron" is an intelligent and intriguing book, in what has been an intelligent and intriguing series, despite the flaws that have at times marred this series.
Rating:
Summary: Even Turtledove takes a break sometimes.
Review: This is an OK book, nothing more. Seems like Turtledove ran low on that delicious irony that is his halmark. That said most series writers have stronger and weaker books, and they can't all be "How Few Remain." There are more than a few kernels in there,though, and we can wait for the next one.
Rating:
Summary: Decent but not his best work
Review: Normally, a Turtledove novel pulls you into it and propels you through chapter after chapter. With Blood and Iron, I found myself bored slightly before page 400 and read another novel before returning to finish it. The nature of the events partially explains this. Peacetime is less dramatic than wartime. Also, I don't normally read Turtledove for the beauty of his writing or the complex characterizations. Turtledove's writing is perfectly servicable. However, the viewpoint characters are normally more interesting because of what they show us about the world around them than as individuals. And, unfortunately, some of the characters who survived the Great War series aren't particularly interesting. In particular, Nellie Jacobs, the DC cafe owner, and the Birmingham steelworker don't show us anything. Jacobs simply gets on with her life. The steelworker shows the life of an average party member in an extremist organization. However, this in and of itself doesn't tell us anything useful about the world of the novel. Everything he sees and does is duplicated or reflected by other characters, particularly Scipio, the ex-butler turned involuntary Red, and Reggie Bartlett. Those other characters are more compelling. Others have criticized Lucien Galtier's character as well but I find him less annoying. He presents the successful adaptation of a Canadian to American occupation. However, all of these characters could have been dropped without measurably harming the plotline. This would have shortened the novel, thus staving off boredom. My other major complaint is in the handling of Jake Featherstone. Even after it becomes blatantly obvious that Featherstone is a Hitler-analog, Turtledove keeps pounding on the resemblance. After a while, I wanted to call Turtledove and tell him that I'd gotten the analogy and could he just get on with the story? Many other plot points are predictable as well. For instance, the disarmament of the U.S. reflects the historical disarmament of the Western Powers following World War I. However, the rationale that lead to one set of events would not necessarily hold in this alternate universe. At the same time, certain historical events are missing. What happened to Prohibition? The impetus towards the campaign should have been stronger in the alternate US than in our own. And while few people may recall this, the US was dry during the First World War, in order to devote resources to the war effort and to increase our moral superiority. Many events seem more dictated by Turtledove's desire to replicate the events leading up to our World War II rather than what might make sense in his universe. And when the plot line of an alternate history becomes predictable, the work loses much of its appeal. In the end, if you enjoy Turtledove's work, go ahead and buy the mass market paperback. If you don't know Turtledove, don't start with this.
Rating: 
Summary: Very close, but wouldn't happen
Review: In Turtledove's alternate world of US-CS relationship, I find it very unlikely that post-WWI history would repeat itself. The previous books describing US militarism would seem to point against the US taking a socialist course after the war. If Germany won, I find it very unlikely that they would have turned to socialism. Militarism and the aristocracy were so firmly entrenched in the German, and presumably US, psyche that only the most crushing defeat and enforced political change would have produced a viable socialist government. I don't see how Turtledove can justify this unhistoric twist.
Also, I don't think that the Jew/Black comparison is going to work, at least not in the same way. Maybe Featherston will start slavery again (?), but killing them would be impractical (they were a huge population segment in the CS) and unwanted (no Black labor would have totally ruined the already-faltering CS economy). I would have been much more interested to see some sort of militarist "revolution" in the US (Morrell? Custer?) seeking to obliterate the Confederacy or (finally) something about France or Germany (maybe even a viewpoint character?). At the very least, Featherston is going to have to do something different than Hitler to make this interesting, and I hope that happens sooner than later.
All in all this was a good book, but it has to get more realistic (Germany/US is not France/Britain no matter how much you want it, and the CS Blacks are definitely not German (more specifically, E. European) Jews)to be on the level of some of Turtledove's other works.
Rating:
Summary: Started it out by reading, finished it by skimming
Review: Harry Turtledove, the master of alternative history, has done it again. He has managed to put out another book out which half way through, I find myself skimming it rather than reading it. I eagerly awaited this novel because I loved the Great War series, especially the twists and turns that took place. But in this latest installment, Turtledove doesn't offer anything new to the alternate history world. All he does is write an exact mimic of Hitler's rise to power in the place of Jake Featherstone....what really irked me, even more than the constant explanation of how everyone in the south couldn't get over the fact that they were paying millions and didn't care, (<---for those of you who read this book, you will know what I'm talking about) was the fact that he didn't try to do anything creative with Jake's rise to power. He just put Hitler in the CSA and left it at that.
But I gave this three stars because no matter how frustrating this book can get, I can't wait for the next one to see where Turtledove takes us.
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Summary: The changes are coming ...
Review: After reading some of these reviews, I am wondering whether I read the same book as these people did. Lucien Galtier's subplot was about the only subplot I didn't really care about. Everyone else seemed to be doing _something_, but Lucien? All he did was get rich and comment that these changes were very strange indeed. I do hope to see Lucien get involved in the politics of the Republic of Quebec (aka Manchukuo?) so he will have _something_ to do other than have grandkids. Otherwise, the book's pages turned very well and quickly indeed, as they seem to do for most of his books. There were not enough information about what was going on in Europe. Most importantly, I wanted to know whether Germany was undergoing some form of demilitarization a la the USA, and secondarily, I wanted to know how Russia, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were doing. A world map and election returns would've been nice. I suppose anti-Semitism has decreased in Turtledove's USA, as in our timeline for the VP to marry a Jewish girl whilst in office would have been unthinkable. But then again Blackford is a Socialist ... but I would have a hard time seeing many Americans accepting this. The Freedom Party started out as a near copy of the Nazi Party, with many otherwise sane people believing the Freedom Party would be able to solve the Confederacy's problems. However, the Blacks:Jews analogy would end in the implementation of the "Final Solution." Blacks in Turtledove's CSA: were 1/3 of the population and the majority in many states. They had already engaged in active revolt against the CSA government and if Featherston tried to implement any changes more radical than reinstituting passbooks, you can be sure revolution would be on the cards. White racism had also been very active against Blacks for decades in the CSA. Finally, as Erasmus said, "Who's gonna do the dirty work?" Jews in Hitler's Germany: were 5% of the population at most and were passive good citizens of Germany. Anti-Semitism was on a downswing for the most part, but Hitler was able to take advantage of latent anti-Semitism that was extant in nearly all of Europe. The Jews could have been eliminated from Germany with little or no effect on the goings-on in Germany. However, there was a great divergence with the assassination of Wade Hampton V by a Freedom Party fanatic, which seems to leave the Freedom Party in ruins and far from a serious contender for power unless they can organise a revolution. No such event occurred in the Nazi Party; when the Beer Hall Putsch occurred, the Nazi Party was still small and didn't have as much credibility to lose. I can see Jake Featherston using the radio (I was wondering, starting around 1920, when someone was going to mention the radio) a la Father Coughlin or Dr Townsend to serve as a destabilising force -- but there needs to be an atmosphere which would lend itself to a destabilising force, like a Depression. Also, even if Featherston or a similar radical manages to seize power in the CSA, he has to face the simple fact that the CSA doesn't have the population, industry, etc., to face a USA that now only has to fight a one-front war, whereas Germany was surrounded by countries that were individually smaller and less well-armed and less inclined to co-operate (One and a half if MacGregor inspires a general Canadian revolt.) BTW, I am surprised no one thought to oppose Custer's tactics in Breakthroughs with mines of some sort, as mines were first used in warfare in RL during the Petersburg campaign. We are obviously gearing up for World War II. Who will be on what side is not known yet. At the end of the book, the CSA remains militarily weak, the economy seems to be on the way back up, and the Freedom Party is in tatters. The big question is what direction Germany is taking.
Rating: 
Summary: Even alternate history repeats itself
Review: This is a great book, and shows parralells between actual history and Turtledove's alternative creation. Very little could be done to improve this work except for adding new characters, Mr Turtledove keeps killing them off, and a world map instead of the partial N American one, I want to know who owns alaska. An all together great work of fiction and I wait his next book eagerly
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Summary: A Bridge to the Inevitable Gotterdamerung (REVISTED)
Review: Like 'Walk in Hell' this volume both intrigues and frustrates. Turtledove is clearly setting up a type of WWII event in future volumes. It is necessary and I do like the way he moves the story from 1917 to 1923 without seeming too forced. All in all a good read with plausible character development. Too much sex for my taste, but I guess he's trying to keep it real. So, if you like Harry's work and have read the earlier volumes, buy it now. If you haven't, start with 'How Few Remain' and work your way forward. I have some questions that I hope will be resolved in the future volumes. 1: What is the Socialist position on Germany? Do the Social Democrats in Germany take power? Or are they crushed by the victorious forces of Prussian militarism? This question might loom large in the creation of enmity between the US and German Empire. 2: Why did the US abandon its stated position of annexing parts of Canada? Will it annex all of it? Certainly the settlement of empty farms in Manitoba and Ontario by Americans points that way. 3: What about Alaska? It would seem reasonable to assume the US would have taken it from a defeated Russia. What about Newfoundland, which was a British colony in 1914? 4: How long will Mexico remain an empire? It seems to me the US would put a lot of effort into creating a friendly regime in Mexico after the war. Certainly the Socialists would try as well. 5: Will TR run in 1924? Maybe on a 3rd party ticket? (Personally, I would like a see an election go to the House with the Republicans holding he balance.) 6: Why would Japan and the US fight? They have no competing interests in the Pacific. 7: How can the Confederacy possibly fight the US and win now? It seems most unlikely given they have much less oil, huge population losses (and no real hope of immigration), and a continuing black revolt. And finally, no reasonable hope of allies with enough power to balance the US's now overwhelming predominance. It seems to me that those who want a preview of how this will all end should read Harry's classic short story 'Must and Shall.' Sorry all you neo-Rebs out there, but the CSA is doomed. Added 3/5/02: A number of people have suggested that socialism would not have succeeded in the USA after such a stunning victory in the war. I would like to point out that socialism (ie: The Labor Party) did come to power at the end of WWII in the UK. Also, German Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg was convinced that win or lose the Social Democrats would come to power in Germany after WW I. So, don't be too hard on Harry here.
Rating:
Summary: Great altenate history novel
Review: By 1918 the Great War fought in North America and Europe led to the victory of the United States and Germany over the allies. With that success, the United States takes control of the continent by taking territory from the weakened Confederate States and turning Canada into a colony. President Roosevelt facing a socialist reelection challenge led by Upton Sinclair sends venerable war hero General Custer to apply tight military rule over Quebec. Unbeknownst to the President and the General is that a rabid angry nationalist plans to kill Custer. Meanwhile in the Confederate States, sergeant Jake Featherstone tries to stir support using demagoguery by blaming blacks and the United States for the abject poverty wracking his decimated nation. Due to his charismatic personality, his Freedom Party gains rapid support even as they splinter an already divided nation further. Harry Turtledove continues his massive tome documenting an alternative historical time line with the start of a new series, American Empire. The story line of BLOOD & IRON returns survivors from the Great War tales struggling with a new era of ìpeaceî in which it seems many people prefer a return to the recent days of war. The current tale is exciting and loaded with non-stop action. However, new readers will struggle to gain a foothold as the events of the previous series impact this plot since Mr. Turtledove keeps his time continuum valid and reliable, but quite complex. Old fans will have a field day with the revised ìRoaring Twentiesî.
Rating:
Summary: The series is starting to get predictable.
Review: This novel is alternative history, set after the end of the Great War in which the Confederate states of America, were allied with the French and English, against the Germans and United States. The US has imposed a harsh peace on the Confederacy and this is causing a lot of bitterness among the losing side. The novel portrays the hate that will eventually cause the next world war. My main objection to this novel is the author is forcing this world down the same path as our history. Featherstone, the Confederate Sergeant turned hate politician, is clearly a clone of Hitler (a corporal turned hate politician). Featherstone is party member 7 of the Freedom party; Hitler was party member 7 of National Socialism. It appears that the author wants to use our history as a guide as to the future. Most alternate history starts at a certain point and then the dual histories start to separate. My theory is that the author wants to make sure that the timelines are close enough so that he can continue to use historical figures in the series of novels. I will admit that the book reads well and is a real page-turner; I would just have preferred that the author not be so obvious on the direction that he is going. I gave it 3 stars because it is a good read, but it could be much more.
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