Readers who remember General Rosenkrantz from Turtledove's Civil War- inspired
How Few Remain (1997) have been waiting for the appearance of a General
Guildenstern. Here he isAnot incompetent but overconfident, lecherous and fond
of the bottle, leading the gray-clad armies of southern Detina on behalf of
King Avram, whose plans to free the fair-haired serfs of northern Detina led
the northerners to secede and to field blue-clad armies in defense of their
King Geoffrey. Opposing Guildenstern is Thraxton the Braggart (and even
translated into an alternate and fantastical universe, Braxton Bragg is still
odious), ably assisted by the natural genius of Ned of the Forest. This
funhouse mirror of a book proceeds the rest of the way through the Chickamauga
campaign of 1863, ending in the "southron" victory of General Bart (Grant's
middle name was "Simpson") and Doubting George (Thomas). Readers who resist
the temptation to fling the book down will find more than a treasure trove of
japes and wordplays here. They will also discover some serious and cogent
thinking on the position of minorities, the art of command (as practiced both
well and badly) and the Civil War, on which this author is perhaps the
outstanding expert in the SF and fantasy field. And they will find some
exacting tests of their cultural literacyAit helps in identifying the Battle
of Essoville to know that J. Paul Getty is an oil billionaire, and that one
can identify "Roast Beef William" either by his having written a tactical
manual or by knowing of the fast-food chain by the name of Hardee's. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
When Avram claims the throne of his late father, King Buchan, his cousin
Geoffrey contests the throne, raising an army of blue-clad northern troops to
send against his southern rival's gray-uniformed forces. Drawing upon his
considerable knowledge of military history and his love of alternate
realities, veteran sf and fantasy author Turtledove has crafted a fantasy spin
on the Civil War. Demonstrating his talent for mixing genres, the author of
Darkness Descending produces one more winner in the field of alternative
military fantasy. A good choice for most fantasy collections.
Description:
From Publishers Weekly
Readers who remember General Rosenkrantz from Turtledove's Civil War- inspired How Few Remain (1997) have been waiting for the appearance of a General Guildenstern. Here he isAnot incompetent but overconfident, lecherous and fond of the bottle, leading the gray-clad armies of southern Detina on behalf of King Avram, whose plans to free the fair-haired serfs of northern Detina led the northerners to secede and to field blue-clad armies in defense of their King Geoffrey. Opposing Guildenstern is Thraxton the Braggart (and even translated into an alternate and fantastical universe, Braxton Bragg is still odious), ably assisted by the natural genius of Ned of the Forest. This funhouse mirror of a book proceeds the rest of the way through the Chickamauga campaign of 1863, ending in the "southron" victory of General Bart (Grant's middle name was "Simpson") and Doubting George (Thomas). Readers who resist the temptation to fling the book down will find more than a treasure trove of japes and wordplays here. They will also discover some serious and cogent thinking on the position of minorities, the art of command (as practiced both well and badly) and the Civil War, on which this author is perhaps the outstanding expert in the SF and fantasy field. And they will find some exacting tests of their cultural literacyAit helps in identifying the Battle of Essoville to know that J. Paul Getty is an oil billionaire, and that one can identify "Roast Beef William" either by his having written a tactical manual or by knowing of the fast-food chain by the name of Hardee's. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
When Avram claims the throne of his late father, King Buchan, his cousin Geoffrey contests the throne, raising an army of blue-clad northern troops to send against his southern rival's gray-uniformed forces. Drawing upon his considerable knowledge of military history and his love of alternate realities, veteran sf and fantasy author Turtledove has crafted a fantasy spin on the Civil War. Demonstrating his talent for mixing genres, the author of Darkness Descending produces one more winner in the field of alternative military fantasy. A good choice for most fantasy collections.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.