Kindle
$10.99
Available instantly
Kindle Price: $10.99

Save $13.01 (54%)

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.

Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

See all
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

What If?: The World's Foremost Historians Imagine What Might Have Been (What If Essays) Kindle Edition

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 367 ratings

With its in-depth reflections on the monumental events of the past, this amazing book of essays ponders what might have been if things had gone differently in history. Featuring Stephen J. Ambrose, John Keegan, and many others.
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download
All 3 for you in this series See full series
See included books
Total Price: $35.17
By clicking on above button, you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use

More like What If?: The World's Foremost Historians Imagine What Might Have Been (What If Essays)
Loading...

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Counterfactuals--what-if scenarios--fueled countless bull sessions in smoke-filled dorm rooms in the 1960s. What if Sitting Bull had had a machine gun at Little Big Horn? What if Attila the Hun had had a time machine? What if Columbus had landed in India after all? Some of those dorm-room speculators grew up to be historians, and their generation (along with a few younger and older scholars) makes a strong showing in this anthology of essays, in which the what-ifs are substantially more plausible. What if Hitler had not attacked Russia when he did? He might have moved into the Middle East and secured the oil supplies the Third Reich so badly needed, helping it retain its power in Europe. What if D-Day had been a failure? The Soviet Union might have controlled all of Europe. What if Sennacherib had pressed the siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C.? Then the nascent, monotheistic Jewish religion might never have taken hold among the people of Judah--and the daughter religions of Christianity and Islam would never have been born.

So suggest some of the many first-rate contributors to this collection, which grew from a special issue of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History. One of them is classicist Josiah Ober, who suggests that if Alexander the Great had died at the age of 21 instead of 32, Greece would have been swallowed up by Persia and Rome, and the modern Western world would have a much different sensibility--and probably little idea of democratic government. Still other contributors are Stephen E. Ambrose, Caleb Carr, John Keegan, David McCullough, and James McPherson, who examine a range of scenarios populated by dozens of historical figures, including Sir Walter Raleigh, Chiang Kai-shek, Robert E. Lee, Benito Mussolini, and Themistocles. The result is a fascinating exercise in historical speculation, one that emphasizes the importance of accident and of roads not taken in the evolution of human societies across time. --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly

CounterfactualsAconsiderations of alternate outcomesAmake up one of the main provinces of military history. This volume, for which an A&E companion TV documentary is scheduled in November, incorporates two dozen essays and a dozen sidebars on what might have happened by writers of diverse specialties, including generalist Lewis Lapham, novelist Cecelia Holland and historians John Keegan, David McCullough and Stephen Ambrose. Readers willing to be open-minded can consider Europe's fate had the Mongols continued their 13th-century course of conquest. They can speculate on the death in battle of Hern n Cort?s and the consequences of an Aztec Empire surviving to present times. Thanks to James McPherson, they can read of a battle of Gettysburg fought in 1862 (instead of 1963) and resulting in a Confederate victory, or the consequences of a Confederate defeat at Chancellorsville courtesy of Steven Sears. Ambrose suggests that Allied defeat on D-Day would have meant nuclear devastation for Germany in the summer of 1945. Arthur Waldron presents a China, and a world, that might have been far different had Chiang Kai-shek not taken the risk of invading Manchuria in 1946. Consistently well drawn, these scenarios open intellectual as well as imaginative doors for anyone willing to walk through them. Maps and photos not seen by PW. Audio rights to Simon & Schuster; foreign rights sold in the U.K. and Germany. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002I1XRYU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (September 1, 2000)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 1, 2000
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 21215 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 418 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0425176428
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 367 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
367 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book very interesting and great for history buffs, spec-fic fans, and history teachers. They also describe the reading experience as very well written. However, some customers feel the content is mediocre with very few mediocrity essays and scenarios.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

19 customers mention "Readability"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very interesting, well-researched, and well-written. They also say the essays are like short stories to read, and that several parts of it are fun. Customers also say that the histories are useful ways to learn history, but they have limitations.

"...These essays are well-researched and well-written...." Read more

"...; events to change history for all time or not, this is a very interesting and informative book, including a wide variety of scenarios and turning..." Read more

"...Almost every scenario was interesting and fun to read, and for the most part none of the historians got too "history" on us and bored us with..." Read more

"...It reads smoothly and it serves as a much better source of information on history than any documentary book on history I have ever read...." Read more

9 customers mention "History"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book great for history buffs, spec-fic fans, and history teachers.

"...Informative and interesting history at its finest with this book." Read more

"...In the book's favor is that it does pick interesting points in history, and as I read up on them (elsewhere), I learn things...." Read more

"In this interesting book, many of the best military historians of the English language take up some of the crucial moments in history and analyze..." Read more

"...The book does provide some historical facts, but it is more of an exploration of various historians' imaginations...." Read more

6 customers mention "Reading experience"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very well written and a great read.

"...These essays are well-researched and well-written...." Read more

"This book was very well written and an easy read. I enjoyed all the various historians' essays and scenarios on their various "what if" stories...." Read more

"...It reads smoothly and it serves as a much better source of information on history than any documentary book on history I have ever read...." Read more

"...The book is well worth reading. Overall, the authors do a good job illustrating why these battles or events are so important, and one of its..." Read more

4 customers mention "Scenarios"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the scenarios in the book interesting.

"...this is a very interesting and informative book, including a wide variety of scenarios and turning points in history, and what might have happened..." Read more

"...Almost every scenario was interesting and fun to read, and for the most part none of the historians got too "history" on us and bored us with..." Read more

"...It is true that this book offers interesting scenarios about what might have been, but I do not think it pushes its potential to the limits...." Read more

"...good the major turning points in World History and provides very insightful alternate outcomes...." Read more

6 customers mention "Content"0 positive6 negative

Customers find the content mediocre, tedious, and lacking appeal. They also mention that the premise is great, but most of the items read like lectures.

"...There are a very few mediocre essays/scenarios but overall, not enough to stop me from rating this a 5/5. For the most part, very well written...." Read more

"...There were still a few chapters that felt a bit tedious but I guess that goes along with having so many writers contribute to the book...." Read more

"I read one of What If?s years ago and liked it. This one do not have the same appeal on the facts chosen to be analised or writting flow." Read more

"The premise is great but most of the items read like lectures and some do not have an alternate. Was not thrilled." Read more

Got a bad one
1 Star
Got a bad one
Book is great as far as content. Bought it for a gift and cover was damaged. Terrible
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2021
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.
4 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2001
This book presents a number of "counterfactual" scenarios - historical events that are considered turning points, with possibilities as to what might have happened had the event turned out differently. The most well-known examples (to westerners) are included, such as "What if the fog had lifted while Washington was evacuating Long Island" (American Revolution won by British), "What if Lee's general order hadn't been lost" (Confederacy fights Union to stand-still and gains independence), and "What if Germany had not transferred troops to the east prematurely in 1914" (Schlieffen Plan succeeds, no WWII, no Communism in Russia, etc.). But, to the credit of the book, there is much more. Historians from all eras were invited to contribute, so we have counterfactuals from the Roman Empire and Jerusalem in 701 BC up to Mao Zedong's long march.
The essays are uniformly enjoyable and interesting. As pointed out by another reviewer, there is more describing what happened rather than speculating too far into the future on the consequences. For example, if Lee's order hadn't fallen into Union hands, the result may have been a decisive Confederate victory in 1862. The author (J.M. McPherson) only goes so far as to say this might have led to an armistice and recognition of the CSA. But he goes no farther - what would the world be like today if that had been the case? It might have been more appropriate (given the name of the book) for a little more speculation on long-term consequences.
Having said that, many (including myself) would argue that the history does not hinge directly on single events or single people. For example, if Washington had been captured on Long Island in 1776, would the American Revolution have failed? Maybe. If so, would it have have significantly altered world history? Probably not - the French Revolution would still have occurred, and the US would have achieved independence anyway (as did England's other colonies). However, it's impossible to forsee the consequences of the fall of Jerusalem in 701 BC - would Judaism have been wiped out, and therefore would Christianity and Islam never have existed? I don't think anyone would say the only difference that seige makes is the deity to which St. Paul's Basilica is dedicated.
So, whether you believe in the ability of "small" events to change history for all time or not, this is a very interesting and informative book, including a wide variety of scenarios and turning points in history, and what might have happened had the outcome been different.
10 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2011
This book was very well written and an easy read. I enjoyed all the various historians' essays and scenarios on their various "what if" stories. Almost every scenario was interesting and fun to read, and for the most part none of the historians got too "history" on us and bored us with tedious amounts of information that might take away from the enjoyment of the book.

Most of the historians explain what really happened first in each essay in order to help the casual reader established what is definitive fact from the proposed changes the historian is proposing to make in their counterfactual account. This helps, even us history majors do not know about all of these what ifs...and I think that's another thing I enjoyed about this book. Some of the battles were ones I am not too familiar with and it was thoroughly fun to read through the essay and learn about the battle and then about a "what if" in regards to it. Very fun and interesting stuff to say the least!

There are a very few mediocre essays/scenarios but overall, not enough to stop me from rating this a 5/5. For the most part, very well written. Some very famous historians wrote in this book such as Ambrose, Keegan, etc. Informative and interesting history at its finest with this book.
One person found this helpful
Report

Top reviews from other countries

Undead1
5.0 out of 5 stars very interesting
Reviewed in Canada on February 18, 2023
I hated "history" in grade school. So painfully boring. Nothing but a blur of names and dates that were meaningless and I could not remember. I was quite surprised at how interesting this book was for me. Having had time to contemplate, I think I know why. In school, the poor teachers have one semester class where they are supposed to teach you the "history of the world". There is only so much time. So that's why it's just a blur of dates and names. But I found from this book that when you learn more about these points in time, the people involved and why they made the decisions they made, and how it affected human history, it can actually be very interesting. When I finished reading this book, I thought "wow", history can actually be interesting!!
Laptop fan
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent. Must read.
Reviewed in India on February 21, 2023
Reading.
José Andrés Acebo Niño
3.0 out of 5 stars Average...
Reviewed in Spain on December 30, 2018
Not indispensable reading
Mrs_Schofield
3.0 out of 5 stars The section on the Mongols was a bit scary because they were such a brutal fighting force and could have easily changed Europe into a barbaric tribal area with no ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2018
This book is fascinating.
I had never thought about the impact of tiny changes from the Ancient world....a random outbreak of a disease or the death of one person can change so much.
The section on the Mongols was a bit scary because they were such a brutal fighting force and could have easily changed Europe into a barbaric tribal area with no great cities.
The book lost my interest a bit in the middle when there was a huge section about the American war of Independence, although maybe American history buffs would find it interesting!
You get a brief history lesson along with each counter-factual and it can help you discover periods of history to look into in more detail.
It's a shame there wasn't more about Medieval England, as that's my favourite era of history
4 people found this helpful
Report
Vishal Palliyathu
3.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the title and idea
Reviewed in India on June 17, 2016
What if they could hire an editor for the book? It would have been at least readable then!

The idea and the premise is good. But the voices and narratives are multiple, and it goes back and forth, without any context.

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?