Customer Reviews

The Rivers of War (The Trail of Glory)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Once upon a time, there was a famous American statesman named Sam Houston, who was very badly injured at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. His life changed very much for the worse, and he failed at everything he tried, even with the friendship and patronage of Andrew Jackson. Finally, after living with the Cherokee and watching them be forced on the Trail of Tears, he went to Texas and immortality.

Once upon a time, there was a writer of alternate history named Eric Flint, who decided that with one small change in history, he could plot a way around the Trail of Tears, the Mexican War and the Civil War. What was the change? Houston doesn't get as badly injured at Horseshoe Bend.

On this slender reed, Flint builds one of the best alternate histories ever written. Excruciatingly well researched, he picks real characters like Tiana Rogers (the Cherokee "princess" Houston married in the Original Time Line) and Andrew Jackson (who carried around a trunk full of general's hats so he could stomp on them when he got mad) and Major Ridge, one of the Cherokee leaders best known to the government in Washington.

Flint follows Houston to Washington, where he organizes the defense of the US Capitol against the British, and then to New Orleans, where he, and his sidekick Driscol (the Troll) figure importantly in the eponymous Battle.

This is the first of an alternate history series (at least a trilogy) which should take us well into the last half of the 19th century that might have been, had just one little thing been different.

Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit liked it, and well he should. You will too.

Take this book on your summer vacation. Don't say I didn't warn you if you spend your time indoors reading it.

Walt Boyes

The Bananaslug. at Baen's Bar

The Rivers of War (2005) is the first novel in an Alternate History series about the American Frontier. In 1814, Andrew Jackson attacked the Northern Creeks fortification at Horseshoe Bend; the first man over the wall was Ensign Sam Houston. A few months later, Winfield Scott led his brigade of outnumbered regulars against British veterans south of the Chippewa River bridge; the British were defeated, but retreated in good order. Later, Admiral Cochburn invaded Washington and burned the White House.

In this novel, Sam Houston receives only a minor flesh wound in the Battle of the Horseshoe. He becomes a protege of General Jackson and privy to his intentions. Reaching an understanding with Jackson, Sam discusses the situation with The Ridge, an influential Cherokee chief, and other Cherokees.

At the suggestion of Jackson, Captain Houston and Lieutenant John Ross take a party of Cherokees to Washington to discuss American policies toward the Southeastern indian tribes with Secretary of State Monroe. The group also includes the children and nephew of Major Ridge; Sam is charged with finding them suitable schooling. Tiana Rogers goes along just because she wants to.

Lieutenant Patrick Driscoll has also come to Washington to recover from his wounds. A former master sergeant, Driscoll finally accepted a commission after loosing his left arm above the elbow at the Battle of Chippewa. He is accompanied by Private Anthony McParland, a former deserter from the US Army who learned the error of his ways after an abortive execution.

Houston and Driscoll both witness the invasion of Washington by the British and they resolve to defend the city. Each starts gathering "the shattered fragments of disparate units" as US forces retreat toward Georgetown. Although Houston initially decides to protect the President's house, Driscoll persuades him to take these men and weapons to the Capitol Building, which is much better constructed and situated. There they build makeshift ramparts for their few artillery pieces, station men in the windows facing east, and await the British.

The beginnings of this novel are real history, although in the manner of Herodotus and other ancient Greeks. That is, the true events are reported insofar as possible, but dialogues are manufactured for each participant, using such quotes as are available. The alternate history begins with the wounding of Sam Houston as he goes over the wall at Horseshoe Bend; the wound was actually much more disabling than described herein.

The author takes a few historical characters and puts them in a position to defend the Capitol Building, if not the whole city. He shows what General Winder could have done if he had not panicked. Of course, the author used one of the most charismatic and stable of the young officers of that time to lead the defenders and also created the perfect noncom to advise him. If Houston had been able to be there, with a suitable advisor, he may well have acted as the story suggests.

The firing squad incident really occurred, thus Driscoll and McParland are based on historical personages. Yet the names of these individuals were not recorded and little is known of them. So their subsequent actions in this novel are imaginary. But Scots, Irish and Scot-Irish have been coming to the new world since the time of Queen Mary and this trickle became a flood after the American revolution. Many were veterans of European wars of those centuries, including the Napoleonic Wars. So Driscoll is based on the military archetype of the Celtic noncommissioned officer.

Many other characters in this novel were historic personages, including the American statesmen, the American senior officers, and the British commanders. All the Cherokees and other indians named in this work were factual. So was Marie Laveau, voudou queen of New Orleans.

The intent of this series is to present a feasible alternative to the Trail of Tears. Although not resolved in this novel, Houston proposes the idea of a voluntary mass relocation of the Cherokees across the Mississippi, such as advocated and demonstrated by Chief Tahlonteskee. Jackson agrees to concentrate on removing the Spanish from Florida to allow sufficient time for Houston to develop support for this plan among the various clans. Monroe even promises some material and financial aid for the relocation.

Highly recommended for Flint fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of history being remade.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Rivers of War suffers just a little from being a preliminary for what will likely be the main story in the second book. Nevertheless, it stands up pretty much on its own. The premise is that Sam Houston is only slightly wounded in a battle during the War of 1812 (in real history he was laid up for the rest of the war.) That starts a whole series of events that brings not only Sam Houston, but some of his Cherokee relations to the Battles of Washington and New Orleons and what promises to be a far kinder (and more exciting) fate for the Cherokee nations years later, which doubtless will be related in the second book. I'm looking forward to it.

(...)

__________________________________
"In 1814, we took a little trip..." This old Johnny Horton tune was about all I remembered about the War of 1812. Oh, and the British burned the White House.... You may be certain that you'll know a good deal more about this chapter of American history after you've read Flint's latest. And be very well-entertained en route.

Flint's aim in this first of a new series is to construct a plausible Native Nation on America's western frontier, from the Cherokees and the other four Civilized Tribes who were dumped into Indian Territory (now eastern Oklahoma) in the first half of the 19th century, with unhappy results in our timeline (though they're doing OK now). Flint makes it clear that, with the number of European immigrants pouring into the Southeast, the tribes were going to lose their land, one way or another. He's trying for a less-horrible eviction than the Trail of Tears. What if the Tribes moved 'voluntarily', with their cultures +/- intact, and developed a hybrid culture that would affect America for the good?

I'll be following the progress of this what-might-have-been saga with great interest -- particularly since my Scotch-Irish ancestors helped make this history, and picked up a little Cherokee blood en route.

I came away from _Rivers of War_ with a more three-dimensional mental portrait of Andrew Jackson, a major character here, and who I'd previously filed under "boorish rabble-rouser". He looks much better (or at least more complex) in Flint's portrayal. Most of his characters were historical figures (including Sam Houston, a protagonist), though Flint ceerfullyly admits to fleshing-out the less well-known ones to fit his story. His battle scenes are unflinching, and may be too graphic for some. But Flint seems to have an unususually good understanding of the principles of warfare. And you won't be surprised to learn that Flint was once a candidate for a Ph. D. in history.

Now, this is alternate history, but I don't think I'll spoil your fun by letting on that Flint has stuck pretty close to *real* history, so far anyway. And he's dished up an excellent historical novel here -- entertaining, informative, fast-moving, action-packed. *Lots* of blood & gore (fair warning). I read it in two sittings and liked it a lot. _Rivers of War_ is Flint's best novel to date -- he's gotten better in writing craft, characterization, depth of research -- heck, all the writerly virtues I can think of. Most importantly, he's a helluva storyteller. Highly recommended.

If you would like further fictional exploration of Cherokee history, I strongly recommend Larry McMurtry's very fine _Zeke and Ned_, set in mid-19th century Oklahoma, after their forced resettlement. A crackerjack, underrated historical novel.

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
© 2005. Review first published at SF Site

...if for no other reason than it delves a lot, lot more deeply into the events of "The War of 1812" that, say, the average school history book (which usually gets away with bare mentioning the burning of the White House, the writing of the Star Spangled Banner, and the fact that Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans after the war was officially over).

I also liked the characters, which were believably done. Flint managed to avoid any real "villains" or "heros" in the story - the people in it are just that, people. Their actions seem, well, likely ones and even if you wouldn't invite them round for tea (Jackson comes to mind under this category), you find them interesting. To my mind, they're much better written than Flint's "1632" characters.

The basic POD is both simple and gloriously ASB-free (unlike, again fer example, "1632"): During the storming of the Creek's "fortress," Houston slips while climbing the barricade and thus does not pick up the, um, nasty groin injury he got on OTL. Since he's not laying around recovering for the next year, he gets involved in the closing events of the war - from the attack on Washington to the Battle of New Orleans. And he gets involved in events that might...assuming a sequel (Uchronia says there will be one)...end up changing the very face of Indian relations in the U.S.

Flint writes in his afterword that the whole point of this timeline is to try and come up with a world where the Trail of Tears doesn't happen and the Cherokee remain a viable - and reservation-free - nation. Since he can't see a way for them to fight and win against the U.S. when it comes to kick them out of South Carolina, he suggests that if instead they moved earlier and on their own terms (including some nice pay-offs from the U.S. government), they might have both the extra time and extra resources to build a state capable of - if not being an equal to the U.S. - at least not being just another bunch of Indians they can roll over.

He might actually have managed this.

Besides, in the sea of published genre books these days where the words "rigorous" and "alternate history" usually don't come within a dozen timelines of one-another, it's refreshing to see one where:

* Absolutely no one in it builds a dirigible, a new "rapid fire" weapon, a steam-tank, or indeed any new (for there and then) technology at all. Heck, they don't even come up with any new military tactics!

* There are no dinosaurs...or magic...or psychic powers...or time travelers.

* The South doesn't win, nor the Nazis, and Rome fell right on schedule. Heck, even Napoleon is still losing.

* And while the Cherokee are moving early, there's no guarantee (at least, in this book) that this will result in a lasting Indian Nation...

Recommended.

Too many alternate history stories focus on some sort of alien intervention, unusual manipulations of space/time, or some other improbable or unbelieveable event. Though many of them are very entertaining, they don't reach the level of this work from Flint (I do love 1632 and 1633!).

The best "what if" stories involve one small, seemingly insignificant event that occurs differently. Here we have Sam Houston not suffering an injury in battle. Seems harmless enough, but that one event having another outcome might have changed the course of history.

Flint's work is obviously well researched and involves accurate historical figures as well as fictional characters based on historical research and could easily be real. This book is a great addition to the genre and brings readers to a period in time often overlooked by history classes and which more Americans should learn about.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to play "what if" with history.

In this first book of a projected two-book series, Flint gives us a retelling of about a year and a half of the War of 1812, from 1814-5. He starts with the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, where a young ensign Sam Houston joins General Andrew Jackson's forces in a battle which, on the surface, is between European American settlers and American Indian natives, over land rights. In the larger scheme though, this battle is a testing ground for the impending clash with the British in New Orleans. This is pretty much the point of divergence between real and alternate history.

To paraphrase the standard cliché, Flint brings alternate history alive. His writing is swift and to the point. He gives us truly believable, multidimensional characters to love and hate, and most importantly, sympathize with. Jackson is, on the surface, a brusque, shouting tyrant of a general, browbeating his hesitant militiamen into submission and displaying his racist beliefs in the open. But we learn he is a complex character, not necessarily believing in the philosophies he's spouting, but using them as tools, just as his tirades are tools, and his tyrannical fist defends the freedoms of his beloved republic. Sam Houston is an educated, Adonis-like character, preaching speeches from the Iliad as he inspires his soldiers to glory, while questioning his own principles with the perspectives of history and reality. There are a number of other characters rounding out the book, each with their own fully defined needs and perspectives, making this a saga with as much depth as the Iliad Sam so often refers to.

Flint explains the real deals too, not in a preachy manner, but with the calm, patient wisdom of the best history teacher. We get a chance to see every side of the moral dilemmas facing imperialists, slave-owners, slaves, settlers, natives, and the governments and soldiers of each in their turn. Lesson learned? There are no easy answers, and it's all been done before. Like any good history, The Rivers of War looks at the big picture, the points of view of every side, without (as much as is possible) the prejudices of the historian. It is unabashedly honest in its look at racist policies and social injustices that shaped the U.S. And it offers some intriguingly delicious bits of what-if to wonder if we might have become better people (or perhaps a more moral nation) if we had paid attention to some of the lessons that history taught before.

In addition to what the other reviewers have mentioned--that this is a fast-paced, enjoyable novel--this book is a sophisticated fantasy/meditation on the role of the Scots-Irish in American history. Flint is clearly aware that the Scots-Irish were the cutting edge of American populism--and also at the cutting edge of American white racism. He tries here to conceive a plausible way for the Scots-Irish to preserve their populist role in American history, while at the same time recasting them as members of a multiracial alliance of blacks, Cherokee, etc. This is in many ways a 21st-century fantasy read back on the past: Patrick Driscol, our radical and racially tolerant Scots-Irish sergeant/hero, appears to be a mouthpiece for the author, whose biography blurb mentions prominently that he is "a longtime labor-union activist." Specifically, it is a fantasy that longs for an updated version of the New Deal alliance, where patriotism, populism, and multiracial liberalism remain firmly yoked--a fantasy whose real-world political correlate is (I think) the election of (the proudly Scots-Irish) James Webb as Democratic Senator from Virginia. It is not, ultimately, entirely historically plausible, in that it fails in the end to give proper weight to the racial and (especially) religious beliefs that inspired the Scots-Irish to make their actual political choices in history. But this is a historian's quibble: it is as somber and clear-eyed a treatment of human nature (and Scots-Irish character) as one can expect from a fantasy, and it is a most attractive fantasy. One can wish that the world were as Flint imagines it could be, while doubting it ever will be.

For an autobiographical-genealogical note: one of my great-grandmothers was largely Scots-Irish. So Flint's book is, in a small way, a family matter for me.

You know, they should make kids read this stuff in school. I think I learned more history from reading *alternate* histories, then going back to check up on what really happend, than I did at school.

This is one of the purer forms of alternate history where a small event leads to great changes - butterfly effect and all that. The pivot point here is Sam Houston's injury at the battle of The Horsehoe in 1812. See now before I read this I didn't know that Jackson took part in the war of 1812, let alone Houston.

Add to the educational element the fact that Eric Flint is just a terrific story teller and you will be glued to this. Oh and if you know any good biographies of Jackson and Houston drop me a line.

Eric Flint's latest work of alternate history is also his first "pure" one, the first volume in a two-book set Flint calls "the Trail of Glory". Unlike his 1632 books or the Belisarius series he wrote with David Drake, there is no time travelling or sentient crystal from the far future in "The Rivers of War". Instead, this alternate history of the War of 1812 and the early-nineteenth century expansion of America begins with only one small and thoroughly plausible point of departure from real history. However, the effects of this small change quickly multiply and spread in a reasonably convincing manner, in the best alternate history tradition.

The slip from real history to alternate history occurs when young officer (and adopted Cherokee) Sam Houston slips at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River, turning what was in reality a near-fatal injury into a relatively minor flesh would. Instead of being incapacitated for a year, Houston is well enough to travel up the Tennessee River to Washington D.C.. He heads to the Capital on the Potomac both to receive a promotion and pursue his dream of negotiating some sort of tolerable arrangement for his adopted Cherokee nation. Convinced that the expansion of the United States onto Cherokee land cannot be stopped, Houston hopes to convince the Cherokee that their best option is a "Trojan retreat" across the Mississippi that will leave them unbroken as a nation. But in order to do that, he will need both the Federal Government's support (and money) and the trust of the Cherokee chiefs.

No sooner have Houston and his Cherokee companions arrived in Washington when they find themselves under attack by a small British raiding party. Teaming up with Sergeant Patrick "The Troll" Driscol, wounded in a battle on the Niagara River in the north, Houston helps organize a last-stand defense of the Capitol that turns him into a hero and forces the British to reconsider their battle plans for their assault on New Orleans. Houston, Driscol, and their companions hurry to the Mississippi River, where the final battle of the War of 1812 will be fought, and the fate of the American and Cherokee nations determined.

What is truly remarkable about "The Rivers of War" is the number of authentic historical figures Flint has managed to use as characters in his story. Although the personalities of some of the historical figures have been at least partially invented by Flint (who claims to have followed the historical record as closely as possible), there is only one entirely fictional major character, freedman teamster Henry Crowell. All the characters are believable, and much more realistic and multidimensional than is typical for alternate history books. Sergeant Driscol may become uncharacteristically eloquent when discussing class struggle, but that's nothing more than a very minor irritation.

From the Tallapoosa, Tennessee and Niagara to the Potomac and Mississippi, "The Rivers of War" is a great read, chock full of historical details that are very carefully researched, from all I can tell. While some might be annoyed by the wealth of detail, I'm as interested in actual history as I am in alternate history, and all the details simply helped make the story more interesting for me. I enjoyed "The Rivers of War" more than any other alternate history book I've read recently, and am looking forward to its sequel, the conclusion to the "Trail of Glory".

I recommend "The Rivers of War" wholeheartedly. For those who still aren't sure if the book is for them, I should mention that Eric Flint has once again provided extensive snippets (amounting to the whole first two-thirds of the book!) that can be read free on his "Trail of Glory" Web site, [...]. I encourage you to check it out.