Rating: 
Summary: An historical speculation full of insight and intrigue.
Review: I have to take exception with some other critics who say that "The Two Georges" is a disappointment. While I do agree that the book could have used some shortening (it seems sometimes to develop plot points simply in order that the main characters can explore obscure corners of their "alternative America"), I found the story both intriguing and credible. It's not unreasonable to think that, had it not been for a bit of luck and a growing resentment against onerous British taxation, there would today be no United States. Authors Turtledove and Dreyfuss are not being unpatriotic by suggesting that George Washington (never a particularly strong leader, according to many biographies) could have facilitated the orderly British control of America, rather than being the father of a new nation. They're merely recognizing the obstacles that stood in the way of American independence. And their extrapolation of what the world might have been like, had America remained under colonial restraint and not developed the sort of independent geniuses it did, is wonderful and funny. John Kennedy as the editor/publisher of a revolutionary magazine? The unctuous Richard Nixon as a used-car dealer? Anything is possible when you start changing the timeline as we understand it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good thing Turtledove was involved
Review: If this was just a plain old mystery novel, which "The Two Georges" is at its heart, this would be a pretty boring book. Fortunately, Harry Turtledove's alternate world gives it a major boost.The American Revolution never happened, and without the American Revolution, the French and Russian Revolutions never happen either, so geopolitics are locked in a three-way dance between the British Empire, the Bourbon Franco-Spanish Holy Alliance, and Tsarist Russia. These powers control most of the world, while the lesser powers, Portugal, Denmark, Japan, and Switzerland control the rest. Germany and Italian are nothing more than a loose collection of regional authorities. One of the crown jewels of the British Empire is the NAU, North American Union, the provinces that would have been much of the United States and Canada. And here, the story begins. The story is so sterotypical it's not even funny. The protagonist is a hard drinking divorcee, bitter with his life, but dedicated to his job. His partner, friend, and foil is an older black man. He is the hero's moral voice, he's a family man, passed over partially because of his race, but he has the strength and character his partner lacks. The love interest is beautiful and brillant, with a troubled background and strange connection to the case. The villians are a group of radical racist political dissents. The rest of the cast is paint by numbers. Yes, the plot's a carbon copy, but the setting vitalizes it. British controlled America is less advanced and more polite than the reality. Turtledove does a good job as usual in adapting the story, but the story itself fails with some points. Because of its unoriginal storyline, the rest of the story suffacates.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent worldbuilding, cute humor
Review: In a world where Geogre Washington travelled to England and addressed his issues with George III, the United States never existed. Instead, a North American Union, consisting of both Canada and the U.S. (except Alaska and Hawaii) remains a part of the globe-encompassing British Empire. That Empire is threatened only by the Russians (still an empire) and the combined French and Spanish (still a Kingdom). America is less heavilly populated (no vast migrations from Italy, Eastern Europe, China, or Germany swelled its population) and technologically behind our own science. But it is also a more peaceful society where guns are rare and where years have gone by since the last Mountie was killed in action. The symbol of the North American Union is the portrait of the Two Georges--Washington and Hannover reconciling their differences. When this painting is stolen, apparently by the terrorist Sons of Liberty organization, Mountie Colonel Thomas Bushell is tasked with tracking it down and returning it to the government--before King Charles III arrives in the new world. Bushell's investigation takes him from California to northwest Canada, to the Pennsylvania coal mines, Boston, and finally Victoria (Washington D.C.). But the portrait and the terrorists who stole it remain ahead of him, almost as if they had been warned of his coming. Authors Richard Dreyfuss and Harry Turtledove create a fascinating alternate history. There was a time when supporters of complete independence from England were few. Compromise would have been possible if George III had been sane and lucky. And without independence, America would never have become the open door for the world's poor and freedom-seeking. The smaller population (with better treated Indians and African-Americans) would have led to fewer scientific advances. Dreyfuss and Turtledove lace their narrative with historical characters including Sir Martin Luther King, now Governor General, Tricky Dick Nixon (a car salesman shot from the grassy knoll) and John F. Kennedy (editor of a radical newspaper and sexual predator), adding humor to their world-building conjecture. Bushell, with his continuing anger over his wife's betrayal and his problems with alcohol abuse makes an interesting character. The mystery, however, was a little too simple to support almost six hundred pages of narrative (in the paperback edition). THE TWO GEORGES is an interesting story, fascinating alternate history worldbuilding, filled with quips of humor and references to movies (especially Casa Blanca) and political history. It isn't the best of Turtledove, but it is certainly an enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Very Plausible,and Tedious to Boot!
Review: Although Harry Turtledove is one of my more favorite authors and is capable of being truly spellbinding , this book was a real chore to finish. Rather than an Alternate History , one might better describe it as an Alternate Outcome--the American Revolution never occurred! I didn't believe that this alternate outcome was at all possible given the conditions in 1775 America and the nature of the personalities involved ; the force of personality in Patrick Henry , Thomas Jefferson , and Tom Paine was entirely too strong for this outcome , wherin Americans would still be bowing and scraping before a King. For me to "buy into" an Alternate History or , in this case an alternate outcome , there must be a finite plausibility. The mystery aspect of the theft of the painting known as "The Two Georges" is about all that kept me going in this book. Dr. Turtledove and Richard Dreyfuss did a fair job of portraying an alternate America , but the book WAS waaay too long! The pace of the action was tedious and verging on boring. Not one of Turtledove's better efforts. Two stars is fair.
Rating:
Summary: An historical speculation full of insight and intrigue.
Review: I have to take exception with some other critics who say that "The Two Georges" is a disappointment. While I do agree that the book could have used some shortening (it seems sometimes to develop plot points simply in order that the main characters can explore obscure corners of their "alternative America"), I found the story both intriguing and credible. It's not unreasonable to think that, had it not been for a bit of luck and a growing resentment against onerous British taxation, there would today be no United States. Authors Turtledove and Dreyfuss are not being unpatriotic by suggesting that George Washington (never a particularly strong leader, according to many biographies) could have facilitated the orderly British control of America, rather than being the father of a new nation. They're merely recognizing the obstacles that stood in the way of American independence. And their extrapolation of what the world might have been like, had America remained under colonial restraint and not developed the sort of independent geniuses it did, is wonderful and funny. John Kennedy as the editor/publisher of a revolutionary magazine? The unctuous Richard Nixon as a used-car dealer? Anything is possible when you start changing the timeline as we understand it.
Rating:
Summary: One fun read!
Review: Turtledove gets Richard Dryfus, not a small-time actor, to join in this romp. Set in LA, Dryfus, a native, and Turtledove who got a Ph.D. in history from U.C.L.A. and then taught there and two other state schools in the LA basin, show an America in the stoggy arms of mother England. We never left the Empire!
You will learn why our Scottish friends are striving to become independent. If you know L.A. of the fifties on, your will love the L.A. in-jokes. Just plain fun!.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, they've got some wierd scenaros here!
Review: The central plot is a fairly simple mystery about the theft of a national artistic treasure on tour. But it's set in a 20th century America that's still an English colony. It seems that back in '76 Washington and George III were able to come to terms. So instead of the FBI we've got the Mounties. The story is set in New Liverpool, California, which we now know as Los Angeles. Can you picture L.A. bobbies patrolling Joe Friday's streets? Try Nixon actually living the scenario speculated on back in the 1970s--a car dealer. Or Martin Luther King leaving the ministry to become Governor General in the colonial capitol of Victoria? You know the place--the major river running through it is the Potomac and its best-known suburbs are Georgetown and Arlington. Try authorities who don't always have to knuckle under to a muckraking press who print gossip about the private peccadilloes of princes and princesses. They can't arrest reporters for sedition, mind you. But those same reporters don't get to grill them as if they were criminal suspects either. Anyway, the hero of this story is a Mountie colonel, who's trying to track down Gainsborough's "The Two Georges", a painting everybody in the Dominion has a print of. It shows Washington and King George signing their historical pact. The thing is a treasure of the Crown. The biggest suspects are a terrorist group called the Sons Of Liberty, who started out as the organization Disney's Johnny Tremaine became a man in. But over the years they've become a haven for foreigner-haters that would have joined the Know-Nothings (if there had been such a group in this scenario) and the racist Klan (obviously there was no Civil War, Reconstruction Period or Nathan Bedford Forrest to bring that outfit into existence). An all-purpose hate group who think they're really freedom fighters but become the logical choice for theories on whodunit. It's entertaining to encounter Anglicisms in the everyday language of this story. All public air travel is by dirigible or rail, the speed that "aeroplanes" are capable of is only necessary in the military. Freight hauling vehicles are lorries (can you picture a Rural Music Artist singing about being a Lorry-Driving Son Of a Gun?). Given how "NYPD Blue's" Sipowicz talks, if he was in this story, it would be bloody this and bloody that. I don't know if Harry Turtledove is doing a Ron Goulart number and ghostwriting Richard Dreyfuss' story premise the way Goulart did with William Shatner's books. But this one works out to be a pretty good scenario on how this country would function as a colony of England. From two guys who are neither of them British, no less.
Rating:
Summary: Not Quite!...Things Much The Same .
Review: This is one of those popular fictional stories that leave you asking the question- Was the United States such a good idea? It really dosen't matter. The idea of the late twentieth century storyline in this book being based on our 1930's tecnology was a little bit unbelievable. The North American Union would have been an independent Commomwealth country by now, Philidelphia probibly the capital city, although the fictional Victoria could have been created at the start of the 20th century ( after that Queen's death)as Canberra in Australia had. Being peacefull, non-violent, understanding of others, the NAU would've still developed on the lines that run parallel to our USA reality ie: a superpower that even Russia and Germany would never have touched. Which in the end would have pushed aside Great Britain as the heart of a global empire. Aviation, Radio, Television, Computer technology, Entertainment and all the things that we take for granted today would still have existed in the NAU late 20th century, you can't stop human development.... Anyhow the storyline WAS good and apart from silly little things such as cross country airship travel (more useful for overseas services)and some stupid names for cities (New Liverpool? England would have kept L.A. although Astoria instead of Chicago does have a nice ring to it.), proved to be a good read. Based on an assasination attempt on the visiting King Charles by Irish trouble makers, the plot soon thickens into a more broader storyline that involves a young detective, a very clever woman and an adventure that is enjoyable to follow. From the start, famous people of our reality are represented in this storyline and are all linked together with a great and sometimes humorous plot. All over a stolen painting with a nasty surprise inbedded in it. No doubt to that fact that Harry Turtledove's excellent record of mastering alternate history was used.
Rating:
Summary: An intersting tale...
Review: The Two Georges is a fine story in the genre of the alternate history, set in the North American Union which, as a British domain, comprises almost the entire continent. In this story the famous painting of George Washington and King George III in the act of reconciliation is stolen, placing in jeapordy the Union which Washington helped to create.
The story can stand alone on its merits as a detective novel, as North American Mounted Police Colonel Thomas Bushell deals with intrigue and the machinations of the Sons of Liberty, the terrorist group descended from the 18th century revolutionaries who are still trying to make America independent. However,the premise upon which this alternate timeline is based is slim at best, there being many more issues at play in Colonial America than George Washington or King George III combined could have dealt with. The impression one gets is that the world has been a safer and more stable place over the last couple of centuries, wit only some friction among the great powers, an impression which would be hard for a serious historian to consider. Granted that the novel could not have discussed much of what has happened over the last 200 years without being too artificial or taking away from the story at hand, but it might have tried to give a better idea of the state of the world, recent events, etc.
I thought the technological disparity between the 20th century of The Two Georges and our own to be a valid premise. Overall, a good read!
Rating:
Summary: Boy oh Boy. This book is long dull, and tedious.
Review: The basic premise(Washington took the colonists grievances before the king) is alright but the whole time you are expecting action, which you don't get.
I am a big Turtledove fan but this one is just totally implausible. Just as example there is the whole premise that Washington actually made George the 3rd understand the colonists problems. Then he has a change of heart and offers them dominion status. How is this possible? George III was a self indulgent arrogant guy why would he suddenly have a change of heart?
In some parts the book is solid but it always drops back into somebody complaining about how wild the town has recently gotten. It goes solidly for the first 200 pages and then falls apart.
The little bit about Napoleon was pretty inventive I thought but they didn't carry that too far. Overall-Buy if you are a SERIOUS fan, this should not be your introductory Turtledove book.
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