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Title: American Empire: The Center Cannot Hold by Harry Turtledove ISBN: 0-345-44422-1 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.59 (49 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Turtledove's Alternative American History Continues
Comment: With "American Empire: The Center Cannot Hold" Harry Turtledove provides yet another installment in his ongoing alternative history look at the 20th Century history of North America. Here he shows us an alternative version of the Great Depression, triggered by defaulting loans made by Austria-Hungary to Russia. Meanwhile the Confederate States of America's fascist Freedom Party quickly rises to power, under the charismatic leadership of Jake Featherston, Turtledove's American version of Adolf Hitler. This installment covers the period from 1924-1933, chronicling increasing tensions between the United States of America and its former ally, the German Empire, and the new threat posed by the Empire of Japan. I have found this series quite engrossing, even if it is plagued with one-dimensional characters and banal prose (For a more lyrical, thoughtful, and better written alternate history novel, I would recommend instead Kim Stanley Robinson's "The Years of Rice and Salt".). Still, inspite of its major flaws, I can recommend "American History: The Center Cannot Hold" to fans of Harry Turtledove and others interested in alternative history science fiction.
Rating: 4
Summary: Enough of actual history to be plausible
Comment: The best alternate histories are tales where historical figures are doing things that are not what they did, but are similar enough to the actual events to be plausible. In this area, Harry Turtledove is one of the best. This book is one of a series where the outcome of the American civil war is a draw. There is a subsequent war equivalent in time to World War I where the Confederacy is aligned with Britain and France and the Union with the German empire. The outcome is different, in that the German side emerges victorious, the United States occupies Canada and a great deal of Mexico is part of the Confederacy. Mexico is still an empire, as are the nations of Eastern Europe.
There are several plots that weave through the book. One is in occupied Canada and involves Canadians and transplanted Yankees, one in Confederate Mexico where there is a low-level civil war, one involving a black man in Iowa and an overall one where a Hitler style personality is about to legally take power in the Confederacy. All of these different threads require that you follow them carefully, but it is possible to do so and it reinforces the idea that the alternate history changes are global in nature.
As a student of history, I found the alternate events very plausible. Turtledove keeps enough of the actual events in the story line to make it believable and interesting. I found myself thinking about some of the critical points in history and wondering if a slight change in certain events could have led to the outcome described by Turtledove. In some cases the answer was yes.
This book is an interior one in a series describing an alternate history of the last 150 years. Therefore, if you read only this one, it will take some time to place the events and you will be left eager to read the next one. Once I was done with it, I went on Amazon.com looking for a copy of the next in the series, which is very high praise indeed.
Rating: 5
Summary: Pretty soild
Comment: I liked "The Center Cannot Hold", a bit better than "Blood and Iron", actually. The book was much faster paced, and the lack of war did not take away from it. I personally think that Turtledove could have went into more detail about the conflict with Japan and especally the bombing of LA when President Blackford was there. I enjoyed the characters, especally Chester Martin, and liked the path that Turtledove took Flora and Hosea down. I have begun "The Victorious Opposition", and can't wait for the World War 2 series to begin!
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Title: American Empire: Blood and Iron by Harry Turtledove ISBN: 0345405668 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 25 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: American Empire: The Victorious Opposition by HARRY TURTLEDOVE ISBN: 034544423X Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 29 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: The Great War: Breakthroughs by Harry Turtledove ISBN: 0345405641 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 03 July, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Great War: Walk in Hell by Harry Turtledove ISBN: 0345405625 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 05 July, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Great War: American Front by Harry Turtledove ISBN: 0345405609 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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