Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Better than the first, but still lacking, December 11, 2000
Having read both "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Stars and Stripes in Peril", I must say Harry Harrison's second volume in his alternate history trilogy is certainly better than the first book. Much of what was wrong with the first book is not present in the second text, and "Peril" definitely has more to offer in terms of entertainmen value. However, "Peril" also from many of the same flaws that plagued "Forever", and is still far from perfect. The valid complaints of implausibility that were aimed at "Forever" probably won't be directed at "Peril". Harrison pretty well established his divergence in "Forever"(as clumsily as that was), and "Peril" simply picks up in the new history that Harrison has created. Harrison begins "Peril" with a brief recap of the events of "Forever" in the form of a "memoir" by General Sherman, introducing new readers as well as reminding old readers. Harrison is also very effective at keeping the action in one self-contained book. Though it is the second book in a trilogy, there are really no dangling plotlines that a reader will be plagued by until the next book. Further, Harrrison's plot is extremely entertaining overall. Britain, still steaming over her loss in the first novel, plans to attack the U.S. through Mexico. At the same time, the U.S. is still dealing with several unresolved issues of the brief War Between the States, as the South is forced to adjust to the emancipation of the slaves,a more low-key analog to Radical Reconstrucion in our time line. With British invasion seemingly unavoidable, America looks to take the war to England's backyard. "Stars and Stripes in Peril", as stated, is an entertaining read overall, but it does suffer many of "Forever's" faults. Harrison uses a third-person omniscient narrator to tell his story, which I must admit is not my favorite means narration. What is worse, while Harrison uses this method to further his plot at a rapid pace, he does so at the expense of characterization and effective sub-plots. The reader is allowed briefly into the minds of nearly every character that appears int his novel. The end result, however, is that no single character develops any actual depth, and the reader does not care one way or another who lives or who dies. Another problem is Harrison's clear optimism with regards to America's relationship with the world. In "Stars and Stripes Forever" America cheerfully lets Canada go on her merry way, with no expansionist intent whatsoever, flying in the face of history. In "Stars and Stripes in Peril" America comes into possession of what can only be called an overseas empire, and again, Harrison, despite history, has his Americans let it go. While certainly idealistic, it just doesn't hold water. Finally, though another conflict with Britain made sense for this book, Harrison certainly leads the reader to believe that the final book will feature the ultimate conflict between America and Britain. I must say that this idea has lost a great deal of luster. I would rather see new challenges to America's rising power in the world, rather than see yet another volume of America trounce on Britain yet again. Ultimately, Harrison tells and entertaining yarn, that, much like a summer blockbuster film, gets a great deal of mileage out of a cool, larger-than-life concept. Taken in this way, it works just fine. Taken any other way, and it begins to wither. Still, I will read the third book when it comes out, and I am vaguely curious to see how this history could play out over time. For all of its flaws, it is, as I said, a cool concept.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
You can speed read you way throught this alternate history, June 11, 2001
"Stars & Stripes in Peril" is Harry Harrison's novel of alternate history in which the British declare war on the United States over the Trent affair. Somehow the British not only end up attacking the Confederate port of Biloxi, they also rape and pillage the Southern town, which results in Union General Sherman deciding to join with Confederate General Beauregard in repelling the invaders. Of course, this fanciful excess is only an excuse to bring the North and South together so Harrison can lay out how "modern" weapons and the blitzkrieg tactics of Germany in 1936 could have been used in 1863 by the Americans to liberate Ireland. To appreciate this novel you must have above average knowledge of the Civil War. For example, you need to recognize the significance of Ralph Semmes serving as Captain of the U.S.S. Virginia, with its twin turrets designed by John Erickson, each housing two large Parrott breech-loading cannons. Harrison certainly does not have time to explain much beyond briefly identifying the various players as this book is more of an elaborate sketch than a full-fledged novel. Lincoln, Lee and the rest of the players are presented as caricatures. Because he is the Father of Modern Warfare, Sherman leads the American Armies, assisted by Lee and Jackson during the invasion of Ireland while Grant is laying siege to a key British port down in Mexico, but you do not get a sense for the true nature of any of these characters. In fact, both Jefferson Davis and Queen Victoria are presented in extremely unflattering fashions. Ultimately these characters are but chess pieces, moved about by Harrison who is obviously more concerned with the invents in his giant game of "what if." In the end, "Stars & Stripes in Peril" reminds me more of MacKinlay Kantor's "If the South Had Won the Civil War," which was essentially a series of events briefly sketched out, than Harry Turtledoves "Guns of the South," with its detailed character study of Robert E. Lee and which remains the best alternative history of the Civil War I have read to date. There are certainly some provocative idea in this book, but Harrison could have advanced them just as easily with a short essay than with this novel.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Advancing the story...., November 21, 2001
This review is from: Stars and Stripes in Peril (Stars & Stripes Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)
Stars and Stripes in Peril is the sequel to the wonderful Stars and Stripes Forever. However, this novel doesn't quite live up the expectations I had for it based on the first novel. Despite that, it still has strengths among its weaknesses. Like its predecessor, Stars and Stripes in Peril fulfils a fantasy of Civil War buffs and alternative history fans: it lets the oposing generals of the Civil War actually work together to defeat a common enemy. In this case, it would be the British, who in the previous novel, mistakenly attacked the South, and in doing so, united the Americas and prematurely ended the Civil War. General Lee and William Tecumsah Sherman pair off as the generals to lead the United States to victory. Having been repelled in the previous novel, the British plan another invasion of the United States, this time through Mexico. By employing some misdirection, the British fleet manages to secure paths across Mexico whereby the British can attack the United States where Harrison has decided it was vulnerable - through the Gulf of Mexico. After sending Grant to deal with this threat, Lee and Sherman come up with a plan to draw the British away, and that plan is to free Ireland. I found this an intriguing idea. The possibilities that an Ireland freed in the 1860's presents for future novels are quite fantastic. However, I found the delivery of the attack on Ireland a little too smooth and a little too easy. Another problem that I had was that Harrison seemed to drop one of his sub plots rather abruptly. The plot I am referring to involves Jefferson Davis and the Ku Klux Klan. Some wonderful intrigue had been built into this sub plot, only for it to get ended abruptly, as if Harrison had lost interest in it. It was his attempt to develop the theme that although the United States were once again, not all was well at home. At times, I found Harrison's characterizations to be a bit wooden. I realize that historical figures of both the American Revolution and the Civil War were a little more given to say something prophetic, but at times, their dialogue came off as a little too romantic. Its a minor complaint but it is there. In the end, I'd have to say that this novel is enjoyable for fans of alternative history. This series is developing into a nice alternative to Harry Turtledove's alternate history of the Americas. My hope is that some of the ideas and plots introduced in this novel will be carried into another novel my Mr. Harrison.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
