Review: Settling Accounts: Return Engagement by Harry Turtledove
[rate 4.0]
This book is a continuation of the American Empire novels, which is a continuation of The Great War novels, which goes back even further. Depending on how you count, this book is either the 7th or 8th in the series (How Few Remain can be considered the beginning of this series).
The year is about 1940. The Confederate States of America (CSA) successfully broke away from the US back in the 1860s and have had numerous wars with the US in the meantime. In a lot of ways, imagine that World War 1 took place with the US as the central theater instead of Europe. Same with this, only it’s now what we would consider World War 2. I don’t have a great history of World War 1 or 2, but you can see a lot of similarities. The CSA (Germany) had their economy destroyed as a result of the cease fire by their stronger opponents (the rest of Europe). A charismatic Jake Featherson (Adolf Hitler) tells the population that their ills are caused by the terms of the previous war and he’s not going to take it anymore.
The world Turtledove has created shows how small changes in history can have larger impacts later on. FDR makes an appearance as an assistance secretary of war, his chances of being US President ruined once word of his Polio was known. MacArthur and Patton are tank commanders facing off outside Richmond VA. Quebec is an independent state and the remainder of Canada has been occupied by US and Quebecois forces for some 30 years. Mormons in Utah have decided they wanted independence as well, even though their state is surrounded by the US. They have waged a guerrilla war with funding by the CSA.
As usual, Turtledove shows the world through the eyes of not one, not two, but close to 20 different people from all over the map. Since his story has gone on for almost 80 years, older generations die off of old age or war and the story picks up with their offspring. The scenes change rapidly between people, so it’s sometimes hard to (say) follow the explits of Sam Carsten rounding Cape Horn then immediately switch to Jefferson Pinkard running a ‘camp’ and wondering how to ‘reduce the population’ of its inmates.
If you’re interested in alternate history, I’d recommend one of Turtledove’s first books in the genre: Guns Of the South. It’s alternative history with a touch of sci-fi to it.
July 22nd, 2006 at 8:22 am
i like harry turtledove’s southen vicorty timelime it is very well writen and i like a vast magorty of the caricturs, (the thing i don’t like about this book is the USA seem to be getting a better deal out of history even though they lost the civil war, look they have control of canada, and when the CSA loses the second world war i think the USA will anex all of the CSA and some of mecixo which will give them control of all of north america.) thought i am a big fan of his work, southen vicorty timelime is the best.
what a would like to see in the futer is a supirse like the CSA make nuclear wepons. i also would like to see the amtermath of world war 2, the usa history has strikeing simerlary to russias so mybe the USA will colsap in the end. a very good read 9/10
July 23rd, 2006 at 5:08 am
anolther thing i hate in the southen victory timelime why are the tanks called barrls, in the world war one why are the neclear bombs called explosive meatal bombs it makes my blood boil any way good book
July 25th, 2006 at 8:49 am
Tanks are called barrels as they got them from the British, who called them barrels.
And I don’t think this book takes place during our WWI, it’s the early 40s. Why explosive metal? Who knows. I don’t think there was the kind of research into physics that we had in our timeline. Proof that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
July 25th, 2006 at 10:45 am
no you misuder me i forgot to put a commor in “world war, one” i mean one as in i like that one. sorry for the grammour misakes i have dyslexia.
i am currently reading the grapple and without giveing anything away a major carritor had died, it was bad beacse this was one of my faviote one’s.
September 2nd, 2006 at 5:21 am
is alright ive read the grapple its great
September 2nd, 2006 at 5:23 am
what the peal harbor book like i heard the first one its rubbish. what made you thing it was spam
September 8th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
j’aime dévaste le turltedove qu’il est très bon même si je l’ai lu en anglais !
December 18th, 2006 at 6:43 pm
i hate spamers