Alternate Generals III [Mass Market Paperback]

Harry Turtledove (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Alternate Generals | Publication Date: February 27, 2007

History shows that leadership is crucial in war, but there are other factors at work. What if history were given a twist or two, and great commanders on land and sea fought their greatest battles under different circumstances? Suppose General Douglas MacArthur had been captured before he could escape from Manila and became a prisoner of war? Suppose Joan of Arc had not been burned for heresy and had gone on to lead France to very different victories? Suppose Genghis Khan had been a convert to Judaism and his horde fought for a different cause than in our universe? Turtledove and his colleaguesAEsther M. Friesner, Judith Tarr, Mike Resnick, Brad Linaweaver, Roland J. Green, and moreAturn the past upside down and inside out, and the possibilities are endless. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With its dual portrait of generals Grant and Lee on opposing sides of the Roman Civil War, the jacket of editor Turtledove's solid third alternative military history anthology neatly evokes this popular subgenre. While there's no such story, Robert E. Lee must decide, as the ambassador to Britain of a victorious but ostracized Confederacy, where his true loyalties lie in Lee Allred's provocative "East of Appomattox." Similarly, Roland J. Green's " 'It Isn't Every Day of the Week' " shows how altering the outcome of a few minor incidents can turn history on its head, making General "Old Hickory" Jackson and the Cherokee Nation allies when the U.S. is drawn into the Napoleonic wars. Chris Bunch's "Murdering Uncle Ho" vividly demonstrates the wisdom of "be careful what you wish for" in the book's most intensely drawn battle sequences; this tale of an alternative Vietnam War draws some disturbing parallels with Iraq, as does Turtledove's own "Shock and Awe." Esther M. Friesner's "First, Catch Your Elephant" may not tell us much about Hannibal, but it succeeds marvelously as comedy. (Apr.) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

With many novels and edited anthologies on the topic to his credit, Harry Turtledove has cornered the market in alternate history--or, at least, dominates it. In the third book in his Alternate Generals anthology series, he collects short stories of alternate military history whose speculative scenarios range from Joan of Arc escaping martyrdom and leading France to victory in medieval Europe to the Vietnam War ending in 1987 with the U.S. eking out victory. In John Mina's "I Shall Return," General Douglas MacArthur is sequestered as a POW in the Philippines during World War II and changes the war against the Japanese in an unexpected direction. In "East of Appomattox," Lee Allred imagines the caustic reactions of other countries when the South wins the Civil War and President Jefferson Davis continues to protect slavery. Turtledove's own contribution daringly essays alternate Christian history when Jesus first leads his followers into battle against the Romans before succumbing to Pilate. Thirteen tales to please buffs and fans of military sf and history alike. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Baen (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416521143
• ISBN-13: 978-1416521143
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,375,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I highly enjoyed this, April 23, 2005

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alternate Generals III (v. 3) (Hardcover)

This wonderful book is a collection of thirteen short stories; all based on historical "what-ifs" - alternative history. As you might expect with any collection of short stories by different authors, this book is a bit of a mixed bag. Overall, I found the early stories to be interesting but not great, but found that each story got better than the last. My favorite stories in the book are "East of Appomattox" by Lee Allred (in which the South won the Civil War, but lost the peace), and "First, Catch an Elephant" by Esther M. Friesner (in which a hopelessly incompetent soldier derails Hannibal's invasion of Italy).

So, if you like good alternative history stories, then this book is for you. I highly enjoyed this book, and think that you will too!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Alt-Hist Collection, September 28, 2005

By 

C. H. Marzolf Jr. "My bookshelves groan" (Woodland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alternate Generals III (v. 3) (Hardcover)

As with the other two volumes in the series, this book ranges far and wide through the what-if universe. My particular favorite is Old Hickory's stand in Savannah, written as a series of letters between two brothers. This is a well written collection. However, I did not like "First, Catch an Elephant" at all, it doesn't seem to fit the tone of the book, especially when compared to "Murdering Uncle Ho."

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Alternate Generals III, May 11, 2005

By 

Guy L. Manos - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alternate Generals III (v. 3) (Hardcover)

Just finished Alternate Generals III. LOVED IT!

I'm a military buff and often feel like I've already read everything worth reading about my favorite historical figures. So, I consider a well written alternate history story a real treat.

When the genre is handled well, the author stays true to the characters and only changes enough physical circumstances to get a new story rolling - leaving the reader with the excitement that comes with seeing a good sequel to a favorite movie. And that's how this book feels.

The one about Eisenhower, Patton and Dolittle in the Phillipines when Pearl Harbor gets hit was my favorite.