Author: Harry Turtledove
Title: How Few Remain
Rating: 4
Reviewer: dinodigger92 Grade: 7
Review:
Wouldn’t the world be a totally different place if the South had won the Civil War! In Harry Turtledove’s novel, How Few Remain, the South did win the Civil War and the Confederate States of America became a reality.
The events in this novel take place during the year 1881, when tension between North and South is mounting. The United States, led by President James G. Blaine, wants revenge for its earlier loss. The feuding sides are pushed to the brink of war over the South’s annexation of the two Mexican territories, Sonora and Chihuahua. Sonora is a treasured territory because of its trading routes on the Pacific Ocean.
The Confederacy, still an infant nation, looks for a peaceful diplomatic solution to ease tensions. The United States, because it was afraid that the Confederacy would have a military advantage with these new territories, declared war. However, no longer was this civil war between North and South. This war also included the English, French, and Apache nations. From war-torn Louisville, San Francisco, and the Montana frontier, Turtledove takes the reader to a world that could have been; a world where the Confederates States of America won the Civil War.
Turtledove lets the reader believe these are actual accounts in history because he includes so many details and events in his novel. His characters fictional conversations and tactics educate the reader about life in 1881. He also tells his story through the eyes of some real historical figures such as: Lincoln preaching the doctrines of Socialism throughout the country and Theodore Roosevelt founding “Roosevelt’s Unauthorized Regiment”, a volunteer cavalry unit.
As you read on, you will root for the men on both sides of the battlefields. Turtledove amazes the reader with his descriptions of the massive battles and you’ll hang onto every bullet crack, shell explosion and war hoot.
This is the first of a series of seven novels based on the South’s victory. Because of its length and detail, I would only recommend this novel to a person who likes reading and is interested in a story with history, bullets and explosions. If you fall into this category, you’ll find How Few Remain is a novel that you can’t put down from start to finish.
Other Turtledove novels in this series include: The Great War: American Front, The Great War: Walk in Hell, The Great War: Breakthroughs, American Empire: Blood and Iron, American Empire: The Center Cannot Hold, and American Empire: The Victorious Opposition.
8/2/04
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