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Summary: A Canadian's view of The Two Georges.
Review: ...Authors Richard Dreyfuss and Harry Turtledove should be highly commended for this amazingly brave and highly believable depiction of life today in a totally different North America. The authors have confronted many of the myths on which the American ethos is based and profoundly debunked them. This book assumes that Americans had chosen peaceful solutions and loyalty, rather than the violent republican ones they eventually opted for, in order to overcome their difficulties over 200 years ago. The chief "politico" is now the Governor-General, Sir Martin Luther King, and one of the chief villains is a charming but sleazy publisher and "Son of Liberty", John F. Kennedy. The hero is an Irish whiskey-drinking Colonel in the RAMP - the Royal American Mounted Police. North America possesses a society that is slower, safer, more courteous, less technologically advanced, but just as intriguing as, what we now have in reality. For many Canadians, this book will carry with it a sense of deja vu, as they see the traditionally visualized "Canadian" character carried to interesting extremes, with a bit of good American "know how", humour, and forceful characterizations thrown in for good measure. I sense, however, that while most Canadians will see this alternate history as possible or credible (we live in a somewhat modified version of it), many Americans will not. Unfortunately, the North America we now live in is one that did not survive the American Revolution intact. Many Canadians have long recognized that that particular event was a tragic mistake. Nevertheless, this novel posits a credible world - and one that should give hope to all North Americans who individually strive to act with a sense of duty, honesty, loyalty, self-control, basic decency and respect for others; and - who long for the day when society as a whole can do the same. This novel will not appeal to those with a blind belief in a system that publicly espouses some of these high-sounding values, but acts instead to engender corporate and individual greed, violence, self-absorption, selfishness, and a morbid fascination with fast vehicles, drugs, guns and other weapons of mass destruction. Today's Canada is not immune from these destructive values, and though we pride ourselves in being relatively "safe" and "decent", we now have the second highest rate of homicides and domestic violence in the so-called "developed" world. Guess who's first? Highlights of this book include visits to the Queen Charlotte Islands and to Doshoweh - capital of the native Iroquois nation that was created between the Appalachians and the Great Lakes just as King George III had originally intended. These Iroquois are the exact opposite of the few surviving remnants one can find within the U.S. today - they are proud, loyal, well educated, independent, and most important - still living. The main highlight for me was the final set of scenes where the protagonists meet (and are honoured by) their King. These scenes are brilliant in their portrayal of the monarch - His Majesty, Charles III - who possesses many of the same sterling qualities (and name) of Canada's own future head of state. On the negative side, this book could have been more tightly edited to remove much material which is extraneous to the plot, the main theme, or to the character development necessary to sustain the story. One can only hope that the eventual movie/TV depiction of this story retains the major elements, and that Hollywood does not water it down or "banalize" it to make it palatable to the lowest common denominator. My first words described this book as "amazingly brave", and bravery is what the authors must possess if they are to deal with the negative reviews, indifference or hostility of those who will not like what this book implies about why the United States is the type of country it is today.
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.
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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: Word a second read, or a third, or a fourth
Review: I recently reread "The Two Georges" for the third time. A might-have-been tale that many of us from Commonwealth countries wistfully hope could magically be transformed into reality. An America that is non-arrogant; a non-sabre-rattling America at peace with itself, its neighbours and, most importantly, amongst its races. An America without guns and shoot-em-ups. Technologically 50 years behind its current self. Yes, but so what. The peace and tranquility of the America in the book will never really be experienced by Americans; only by the far more fortunate Canadians, for this is really a tale of how Americans would live - if they were lucky enough to be Canadian. Its what America might have been. The character development warrants 5 stars, the story line about 3.5. Overall, about a 4.5.
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: A Great Idea and shockingly, a good book.
Review: In my opinion books by Harry Turtledove (and even films by Richard Dreyfuss) can be a so-so affair. But I did like this book. The premise itself, that America could be happily part of the British Empire, without a revolution, is always an interesting one,especially considering how easily it might have been. It is also a brave book, especially in its attempt o debunk some "heroes" of modern America, especially JFK. And American life, especially the idea that blacks are far more equal, with Martin Luther King as the Governor, and many dominating the political classes, and the digs at gun control (with only 5/6 gun murders in what would be LA in one year). The Story line itself was good,a well realised crime thriller, with unexpected twists, and especially liked the detail of the story to, the careful descriptions of the food and travel conditions. However I don't think this book is worth a fifth star, it reads very much like a film, also while the details of the book make it, they also let it down, because in places it drags, and the action moves far too slowly. The love story, does seem a bit false. Also some of leaps he makes, the use of airships, the pace of life and lack of technological advancement seems for the world he creates is a bit lacking, merely to show how different the world would be, rather than being a bit more realistic. But as with all Harry Turtledove's book, it is the characters that make you ignore its faults and keep going through its prolems, and thi is no exception. The two leads are excellant and well fleshed out, and make you want to know what happens to them, also the bad guys in the story are not totally demonised, and in some places you can understand why they do the things they do. This is a good book,and I would buy it, and my advice is: stick with, and don't be put off by its lack of pace.
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Summary: Interesting alternate history America
Review: So, what do you get when Oscar Award Winner and a Hugo Award Winner get together? A pretty good book, actually.
The premise is that the United States was never formed. The British government dealt fairly with the colonies in the 1760s and the independence movement was stillborn. Instead, what are now the USA & Canada is called the North American Union and are an integral part of the United Kingdom. The UK is a vast world-wide empire led by the King-Emperor. This union is symbolized by the painting "The Two Georges" which depicts colonial representative George Washington bowing before King George III before an assembly of British and American dignataries. This moment encapsulates the agreements that kept the American colonies a part of the British Empire. At the beginning of the book the painting is stolen in 1996 by The Sons of Liberty, a North American pro-independence movement. The story follows two detectives and an art curator who are searching for the painting before the ransom deadline.
There were a lot of fascinating things about this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical premise and the maps of the world and North America that are at the front of the book. The authors conclude that if there were no USA, there would be few independent countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas, since there was no American example to inspire the dismantling of the vast world-wide European empires. Germany never coalesces since France never spawns a Napoleonic Empire (Napoleon was the first to unite most of Germany - before that it never really ocurred to the Germans that they could create a powerful country if they untied themselves) since there was no French Revolution since there was no American Revolution to inspire it.
American history is different since the UK outlaws slavery in the 1830s - there was no Civil War. The American map has 2 mostly American Indian states - Iroquois and Cherokee, thanks to British restrictions on white incursions over the Appalachians (one of the reasons for rebellion mentioned in the Declaration of Independence).
Technology is far behind that of our world - American creativity is not challenged due to World Wars, Japan is practically a non-entity and Germany is a bunch of warring principalities.
Enjoyable book, decent mystery, good adventure.
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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.
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.
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