I admit – history was not one of my best subjects in school. I’ve acquired a good deal more appreciation for its study lately, however. I picked up What If? as a bit of research for an idea I had: a speculative fiction novel about a possible world history stemming from a single seemingly insignificant change several thousand years ago. Clearly, this would be a staggering task, and I knew I wasn’t up to the challenge. But it remains an intriguing thought, and I wanted to see what sort of alternate histories, counter-factual histories, had been written.
One thing’s for sure: my history chops are not up to the challenge, not for something as detailed as what I had in mind! That’s okay – I’ve got plenty of other ideas where that came from. Meanwhile, I was astounded in reading What If? at just how many ways a given historical event could have turned out based on chance events – a sword or bullet that hit or missed its mark, a written order that reached or failed to reach its intended recipient, a small accident that, had it been worse, could have killed a key player before their big moment came along.
These essays are well-researched and well-written. I gained a great deal of knowledge of historical figures I’d known only by name if at all, and a good deal more knowledge of those I knew already. I’m still amazed at what a brilliant tactician George Washington was. History teachers would do well to read it to supplement their own knowledge of events, as it might help engage students in the classroom.
Admittedly, this is military history. However, it does touch on how certain events affected people’s everyday lives, and how things might have been different if certain small changes had occurred.
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