A Novel of the Second War Between the States - How Few Remain

We are talking one truly bloated novel that goes nowhere very fast. Okay, if we accept the fact that Harry simply wants to lay the groundwork for a major new opus about the Great War, he still could have easily eliminated about 100 pages. This book slogs like the ill-fated siege of Louisville that serves as its centerpiece. I mean, how many times do we have to hear Custer and his colleagues curse the fact that his men didn't hang the newly socialist Lincoln when he was trapped in a rebellious Utah? I'm sure Turtledove will enjoy high sales down in Dixie, because this book must contain the highest degree of Northern twits you will ever meet in literary history. Granted it has its share of clever moments (especially a new alternative version of the Gunfight at OK Corral and a socialist version of the Gettsburg address), but don't read this book if you hope to tackle an exciting wartime drama. Mostly we hear a lot of talking and too much praying. Those who enjoy this book will already know the historical context of the Civil War and post war periods. Which is one reason why this book really aches for a longer postscript by Turtledove in which he outlines some of his thinking behind this alternate history. I do plan to give Turtledove another chance when his Great War series appears, but only for the first hundred or so pages.

This is the second book of Turtledoves that I've read and although not as good as Guns of the South it's still good. From reading some of the reveiws, I feel like not enough people respect Turtledove as much as they should. The book was good but I will admit it had problems. Lincoln's poem at the beginning was brilliant! I can not express that more. I also loved his map! I also loved how he handled the reason with which the Confederates win Antietam. One thing though is that Turtledove showed too many point-of-views of the losing side of the war ( U.S.) and not enough of the winning side (C.S.). Also, he rushed into the purchase of the Mexican Territory which I think shouldn't have even happened. Another thing was that Clemen's and Lincoln's points-of-views were just boring and weren't going any where. There was nothing boring about Stuart, though! I also want to say that wars in that time took longer than one year and that the U.S. should have had more victories. I'm pro-Confederacy but not pro-Slavery.The last thing I have to say about this book is that it took too long for the war to start and too long for it to end. I have already started to read American Front andTurtledove has already improved with a lot more point-of-views for both sides, but the book has an ugly map and no poem at the front.

'How Few Remain' is the precursor to Turtledove's 'Great War' series and is infinatly more interesting. After the Union fails to subdue the southern revolt in the 'war of secession,' the Confederate States of America attempt to annex key Mexican territory. This has the US more than a little worried as the deal would extend the US/CS border considerably. After the CS refuses to yeild to the US on this issue war ensues. Turtledove's knack for creating alternate histories is amazing, and his treatment of historical figures within those histories is also amazing. A Socialist Lincoln? A beaten Frederick Douglas? Mormons up in arms? While the stories are entertaining the reader must blink his eye at certain aspects of the history, most notably the fact that the Union and the Confederacy enjoy a realtivly even economic status. Also, one of the fundimental tennants of Mormonism is to obey 'the law of the land.' Putting these relatively minor points aside, 'How Few Remain' is a wonderful exploration of 'What if.'

I loved "Guns of the South", a really excellent attempt to make history real. When the South marched into Washington, it was almost as if I could remember it from my High School History classes and the Movies. Unfortunately, "How Few Remain", in my opinion, shows an attempt to write something under time pressure to make a few bucks. Abe Lincoln is making speeches that ALMOST sound right, but there are too many lines quoted from Shakespeare that Lincoln would never have used ("I am not anxious to shuffle off this mortal coil."). The language of Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) is a terrible attempt to represent a truly funny man -- there is NOTHING funny about Mark Twain's lines in this book. Frederick Douglass, the articulate Black Man who was one of the best people of his time is proved unable to counter the sarcastic comments of a couple of cracker slave-owners, and then takes refuge in non-objective writing, muttering, "So what," when he recognizes it. The South wins the Civil War twice in this book, seemingly because the Southern Generals are superior to the North. Where was Harry Turtledove born, anyway? A Waste of money. I skimmed after I was halfway through to see what happened.

There seems to have been a lot of confusion surrounding Harry Turtledove's novel, How Few Remain. Because it has an alternate Civil War as its background, many have speculated it is a sequel to his earlier Guns of the South. This speculation was fueled by an erroneous entry in Books-in-Print which listed the title of the book as Guns of the West. Similarly, How Few Remain has been linked to Turtledove's forthcoming "The Great War" series. Although it is set in the same universe as the upcoming series, it is a prelude to it and can be read, according to Turtledove, as a stand-alone novel, or in anticipation of the series.
Set in a divided North America in 1881, the Confederate States have been a separate country since Lee's victory in 1862. Unlike our world in which Lee's Special Orders 191 were lost, these orders remained secret until put into effect permitting the Confederacy to claim their independance. Much of the opening of the novel is spent explaining the details of this new world. Unfortunately, Turtledove has his characters spending way too much time going over their recent history to make their conversations seem real. Although the War of Succession was a major turning point for both countries, all the characters seem fixated on the events of the war, as if a modern person would refer to the Viet Nam war in nearly every conversation. Fortunately, this sort of dialogue mostly disappears after Turtledove defines the situation in the first fifty pages.
Although Turtledove attempts to portray the United States as a stronger country than the Confederate States, he consistently demonstrates that the Confederate States are in a stronger position. Although they may have a small population base, they have more and greater allies than the United States. The Confederate States' major weakness seems to be their continued reliance on slave labor, which may affect their relationship with allied nations England and France. Even as his characters are convinced that the United States are stronger than the Confederate States, the reader becomes convinced they are wrong.
As is typical of Turtledove's alternate history novels, How Few Remain sports a large cast of historical characters. For his viewpoint characters, Turtledove makes use of Abe Lincoln, Sam Clemens, J.E.B. Stuart, Theodore Roosevelt, George A. Custer, Alfred von Schlieffen, Frederick Douglass and Stonewall Jackson. This broad cast of characters allows Turtledove to present several different viewpoints of the situation and add depth to the world he has created without seeming to give any single individual an unreasonably open or broad mind. This method also makes it easier for Turtledove to avoid portraying his world in simplistic black and white terms, as too much speculative fiction still does.
For the most part, Turtledove handles his cast well. Samuel Clemens sounds very realistic and Mark Twain's voice keeps peeping through despite the fact that Turtledove wrote his entire part. Similarly, Turtledove's use of Abraham Lincoln's authentic speeches give the former president the sound of realism, although the politics he espouses may surprise many people.
In fact, Turtledove's portrayal of the Republican party as an whole will seem odd to anyone without some knowledge of American political party history. The 1880's, Republican Party Lincoln is a member of is more akin to the modern Democratic party than the party of Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole. Similarly, Turtledove drops hints about the Democratic Party's agenda which are not in line with what that party has become in our own world.
It has been said that generals begin each war by fighting the previous war. In How Few Remain, Turtledove allows the generals of the North and the South to fight the trench warfare of World War I, albeit in a Louisville, Kentucky (destroyed as thoroughly as Turtledove had destroyed Chicago in the "Worldwar" series) rather than on the fields of France and Belgium. By providing European observers, in the form of von Schlieffen and others, Turtledove is making sure that the Europeans have knowledge of the new warfare before enterring into their own conflict. Whether or not the Europeans (or Americans) learn from these experiences will have to wait until Turtledove's related "The Great War" series debuts in the Fall of 1998. Indications show that many military minds in Turtledove's world will remain slow to adapt to change even when they witness the benefits first-hand. In How Few Remain, Colonel George Armstrong Custer refuses to see the gatling gun as more than an interesting toy even though his regiment uses the weapons extremely effectively against Indians, Mormons and British.
The changes in the relationship between the United States and the Confederate States throughout the course of the novel are subtle and serve to set the stage for the ongoing saga which Turtledove will write in "The Great War." He has stated that Roosevelt and Custer will both play roles in the later series showing the continued growth of their relationship which began on the Montana plains in 1881. Given their ages, it is most unlikely that very many other characters will play a return engagement when the next series begins thirty-three years later.
Nevertheless, while How Few Remain can be read on its own, it leaves the reader with the feeling that there is more to come. Still, it is nice to see Turtledove tackle an alternate history in which no deus ex machina in the form of aliens or time travelers play a role. Based on the situations set forth in How Few Remain, "Return Engagement" should be a series to watch for.

Great stuff again from Turtledove. We have Abraham Lincoln, Samuel Clemens, Frederick Douglass, Custer, Teddy Roosevelt, and that's just on the union side. The author has the Union taking it on the chin from the Confederate's(Stonewall Jackson, Jeb Stuart, etc...)and for good measure the Royal Navy has shelled and sacked everthing from New York to San Francisco. Ouch. Lincoln, is a well versed Marxist and proud of it. Custer is quite career oriented as you may have guessed. The author must have studied these characters actual histories down to the most minute detail otherwise, no way he could write their "what it" personas so fluidly. I am hooked. Next up for me the "the American Front" the second book of this series. P.S. Don't let the negative reviews dissuade you in any way. This is worth the money.

If Turtledove would just spend a little researching his ideas for books befrore writing them, he could have tremendous stories. He again , like in 'Guns of the South', does not use the black Confederates. They were a pivital part of the Southern war effort. AND YES THEY DID FIGHT! It seems as though he does not want to use them. Well to that I must ask him to quit writing about the Southern Nation. Also, this whole thing of," I am white man, master of all I survey.", is stupid and offencive. Everybody in the book who is not white, is concidered to be ignorant. Yes, history was consulted there, but not that much. He did however illustrate the Union army's feelings toward slavery pretty well, being the Yanks really did not care about the slaves. Do not get me wrong this was a good story but if History would have been consulted more this book would have been alot better.

In 1863, the Confederacy successfully seceded from the Union. This book tells of a new war between the USA and the CSA, taking place in the 1880s. Warfare has changed a lot in twenty years, and the military leaders of both sides must come to bloody terms with Gatling guns, fast-firing artillery, and trench warfare. The viewpoint characters are amusing and interesting portrayals of real people. Sam Clemens (Mark Twain), for example, is working as an editor in San Francisco, while the aging Abraham Lincoln wanders the country spreading Marxist ideology. Such individuals give the book a great sense of period. There is also Fredrick Douglas and numorous other cameos by other famous people of this period
Overall-While it may not be th ebest of Harry's books it does provide good background for the rest of the "World War" serise

After reading The Guns Of The South and then parts of the Worldwar series, I was nearly salivating until my copy of How Few Remain came to my doorstep. Though the book was an interesting look at a possible history, it seemed far too reaching. There are too many people and situations profiled, such as Jeb Stuart's campaign in Mexico, a Mormon conflict, Abe Lincoln's socialist movement, Frederick Douglass' work to free the slaves in the Confederacy, Stonewall Jackson's campaign in Kentucky and Indiana, as well as the military exploits of Teddy Rooselvelt and George Custer and the journalist career of Sam Clemens. In The Guns Of The South, there were only maybe two main stories linked together. There was also a main character, i.e. Robert E. Lee. How Few Remain tries to explain the entire world of this time while name-dropping every person. Besides the people I already named, the book gives cameos to such people as Geronimo, Ulysses Grant, William Sherman, James G. Blaine (as President no less!), as well as other political and military figures. Though I remain loyal to the writing of Harry Turtledove, I must believe that How Few Remain could only be remembered as an excellent try that comes up there. I just hope that Turtledove's book about the Great War will fulfill my thirst.

Great idea, not such a good story.
Turtledove's alternate history -- the South won the Civil War and, plausibly, the North is starting a second war -- is generally well thought of. My opinion is more negative than most, I think, so take it for whatever it may be worth.
The basic idea here is a good one, and Turtledove has the facts of the period down. To me, though, he doesn't get the feeling. I never felt transported to the times. And the characters, most of whom are historical figures, seem shallow; caricatures of the real people. The result is low drama and tension, even given that the theme was one in which I was interested already. I wanted more action and battle scenes, and more vivid characters with whom I could identify. A limited-POV soldier character would have been a godsend.

How Few Remain is about a fictional second American Civil War (the Confederates having one the first in 1863), set in 1881. The war kicks off, as the Confederacy tries to purchase two large provinces off the Empire of Mexico, in a bid to expand westwards to the Pacific. The U.S. wants to stop this from happening.

There is a wide range of characters in the book, mostly real people, e.g General Custer, Theodore Roosevelt, General 'Stonewall' Jackson etc, and a few fictional ones thrown in as well.

The book is fairly well paced, and there is quite a lot of action going on, in many parts of the continent, to go along with the diplomacy in both Washington and Richmond. I found the book an enjoyable read, and I would highly recommend it.

Having read Turtledove's previous work, "The Guns of the South," I greatly anticipated "How Few Remain" though it follows a different time line. Overall, I was not disappointed. He does a great job capturing the flavor of the times, the personalities and especially the weapons. Having the Rebs use a copy of the Martini Henry and the exploration of the potential of the Gatling guns was inspired. I couldn't put it down but as I read on, I felt like the U.S. couldn't buy themselves a lucky break. Surely all their leaders didn't have to be incompetents or glory hounds. The exception of course being the portrail of young Theodore Roosevelt which I thoroughly enjoyed. A great read overall. Can't wait to get the new one which I hope continues this story.

"How Few Remain" is an immense disappointment following on the heels of the author's successful "World War" series, and the alternate Civil War novel, "Guns of the South". The sole purpose of this book is to set up Turtledove's alternate WWI series, "The Great War". As a result, this book's flow is artifical, forced, and unbelievable.
In this alternate novel, the South won the Civil War and achieved independence, aided by France and Great Britain. The Confederate States of America (CSA) purchases an area of Northern Mexico, giving the CSA access to the Pacific Ocean. This results in the USA, which is still seething from its defeat, and the high-handed manner of the British and French, declares war on the CSA. Britain & France declare war on the USA. With the exception of a group of volunteers against a British incursion from Canada, Turtledove has a woefully unprepared USA fight the war with a stupidity almost unparalleled in human history. There is an obvious comparision to the Franco-Prussian war, but one doubts if even the French were this stupid and incompetent. Even incompetence by Union generals during our Civil War was matched by the competence and skill of other Union generals.
While this book fails as a novel, it contains some wonderful character studies. Abraham Lincoln as a prophet of socialism; J.E.B. Stuart commanding camel cavlary in the western war; Frederick Douglass as a war correspondent who when captured, is interviewed by the commander of the CSA army, Stonewall Jackson; Teddy Roosevelt as the commander of volunteers who has to work with regular army Colonel George Armstrong Custer; Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, as a San Francisco newspaper man who doesn't approve of this war; the president of the CSA James Longstreet; and Alfred von Schlieffen, of WWI's von Schlieeffen plan, as a German observer in the USA, who begins the formulation of a USA-German alliance.
Although the character studies are enjoyable, they cannot hide the artificial feel of this book. This book is one of Turtledove's weakest efforts to date.

I have to honestly say that I was very disapponted with HFR. Especially after the treatment Turtledove gave "Guns of the South" you expected a better potrayal of post-war America in the 1880s. All you really saw was a not-well-thought-out story of a stalemate which sets the stage for "The Great War" series. Turtledove could not have begun the GR series without HFR since the timeline of "Guns of the South" is so different (President Lee, AK-47s, South African time travelers, etc.), so this is a necessity. I recommend you simply read "The Great War" series, beginning with "American Front". He will fill you in on all the backstory that you will need

Harry Turtledove is the master of alternative history. In this continuation of the series of "what if" novels, where the Confederacy and Union divide to become two new North American countries, he may have produced the best in that series. It was a delightful read and kept me on the edge of my seat. The story is so convincing and so much of it based on what did happen that you are hardpressed at times to determine where the real history ends and the alternative history begins. Longstreet, Custer, Lincoln, they're all here doing what they would have done had history taken just a slight detour. Sit down with a cool glass of lemonade and enjoy, you won't want to put it down.

Harry Turtledove once again plunges into the troubled history of America in the last century, this time asking what would have happened had a Confederate courier _not_ mislaid an action despatch, only to have Federal soldiers recover it? Turtledove's answer: The South wins, and within twenty years North and South are having at it all over again, with Britain and France on the side of the South--while pressuring the South to give up slavery. The controversy here is that Turtledove has Abe Lincoln turning to socialism--indeed, it is _communism_ which Lincoln espouses. Whether you believe that Lincoln would have done this depends on whether you think that Lincoln's "public face" of concern for the less-fortunate was sincere or hypocritical. Also, since the campaign to abolish slavery in the Western world began with British evangelical Christians, some authorities maintain that Britain would never, _never,_ have recognized the South. Finally, Turtledove has General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson supporting slavery, when Clifford Dowdey and other historians and biographers state that Jackson, being a mountaineer, did not believe in this "peculiar institution" at all. Still, we're left with a very, very good read, and one that is at least consistent with the theories which Turtledove has set forth. I do find one other fault, however: Turtledove does not give a satisfactory conclusion to the brutal treatment of the Mormons at the hands of the U.S. Army. Instead, he leaves us hanging, like the six Mormon elders who go to the gallows in this version of history. One keeps waiting to hear what happen to them at the war's end, and gets no answer. At least Turtledove does not make that mistake in his treatment of the uneasy alliance, eventually broken, between Jeb Stuart and the Apache Chief Geronimo. In sum: a definite improvement over "The Guns of the South" (of which this is _not_ a sequel), and sure to provoke some rather heated debate between and among Civil War buffs and professors everywhere.

I never read "The Guns Of The South" (something about Robert E. Lee holding an AK-47 just doesn't work well with me), so I didn't have any background on Turtledove's feelings and opinions regarding the Civil War. I did read "The Two Georges", which I found delightful and fun, so bearing that in mind, I dove into this book.
I can honestly say that the two days I spent reading this novel are two days of my life I can never have back; i.e. I wasted my time.
Some of the previous reviews entail many of the plots and characters, so there isn't much need for me to rehash them. I will admit to finding surprise that Turtledove was willing to step into a potential mine field regarding the Mormons and their actions, and must confess my deep disgust at the plotline involving Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain to the layman). The Clemens storyline added NOTHING to the plot, and more than that, made no sense whatsoever. It's obvious Turtledove admires and respects Samuel Clemens, and he injected him into this book as a respectful memorial perhaps. But it was not a wise move. I found myself skimming the pages involving Clemens and moving on to the other stories (and lets face it, who in the world wants to read about Samuel Clemens making love to his wife? Not I, that I can assure you...I'd rather witness Colonel Sanders fry chicken with the pig-tailed Wendy's girl).
Turtledove's approach in this novel is that of a utopian state (CSA) against a socialistic one (USA). The conclusion that the Confederacy would thrive twenty years after the war, while the Union would be literally hanging by a thread, is folly to say the least.
I did find one glaring ommision that I wish was addressed...what about the slaves? Aside from Fredrick Douglas (who is turned into a pulp comics version of Henry Kissinger for this story), the plight of the black man in the south isn't discussed. Oh yes, it is mentioned in passing, usually in the thoughts of a white main character. But for a race of people who would have been heavily affected by a Confederate victory, their voices were silent. Perhaps that is what Turtledove intended, which in itself would have been a brilliant philosophical statment...but having read the book, I think it's just dumb luck.

I was a little disappointed with the ending, but I was left with the impression that it wasn't supposed to have an ending, and that Dr. Turtledove was just setting us up for his next series. When one views the book as the first chapter in the GREAT WAR series, one gains an appreciation for what the author is trying to accomplish. The way Dr. Turtledove brings historical figures to life, and the depth he adds to actual historical events, are all here. My one complaint is that the novel tries to accomplish too much, and that it covers too long a period of time. The story would have read better as a two volume set.

The start of another great series by this prolific writer, the old Generals of a Civil War that the South won get involved in a border conflict that turns into another war between the states. It is the 1880s, and the war parallels the development and technology of the Franco-Prussian War of that time. A very entertaining book that sets up the series of World War 1- World War 2 Between the States that is a triumph of alternate history. I love Turtledove, and this is alternate history at its best.

This is among the best alternative history novels written. Unlike Turtledove's earlier Civil War alternative history, "Guns of the South," this does not turn on a deus ex machina. There's no real science fiction gimmick in this novel, just an honest to God what-if, and a good one. What if Lee's attack on Washington DC HAD succeeded. Lee's battle plans being discovered wrapped around cigars after being dropped by a courier has always seemed like a bad plot device anyway. "Correcting" that error makes for a solid novel.
Turtledove portrays the South honestly and effectively. He is clearly against slavery, but he also understands that much of the South was fighting for what they saw as honorable intentions. He also makes some solid points about "wage-slavery" in the North. Turtledove's continued use of the Mormon uprisings in Utah works as a bit of a plot device, but it's also historically accurate.
As an English teacher with both English and history degrees, I find this sort of mind-play fascinating. The follow-up series based on a completely different World War I coming out of the consequences of this book also gets my highest recommendation.

The best part of Harry Turtledove's "How Few Remain" is the first six pages, in which he develops a completely believable alternate history which would have resulted in a Confederate victory in 1862. Turtledove could have built an entire novel around these six pages, but instead pushed forward to 1881, and a second Civil War, whose premises were far less believable. I did not find it credible that the U.S. would find a casus belli in the Confederate purchase of two
Mexican provinces, yet would permit the Confederate Army to plant artillery on Arlington Heights and other strategic points overlooking Washington, D. C. without any protest or military action against such an obvious threat to national security.

Turtledove also portrays the U.S. as the economic power it really was in the 1880's, which also makes a premise of the book--a nearly non-existent U.S. Navy, an essential for a nation engaged in such trade and commerce--also hard to believe. It is also inevitable that Great Britain would have had hundreds of millions of pounds invested in the U.S. by 1881, if this scenario were true. It would have thus been incredible for the British to wage war against the U.S. on behalf of the Confederacy, as is portrayed here, without risking the expropriation of all that capital by the U.S. as reparations.

Finally, given the rise of such young Union army leaders in the armies in the western U.S. theatres during the Civil War, such as James McPherson, Philip Sheridan, and John Schofield (the latter two actually became generals-in-chief of the U.S. Army), it was really a stretch to believe that the best the U.S. could come up with to oppose Stonewall Jackson in Turtledove's book were Orlando Willcox and William Rosecrans. Surely, at least one of the former three would have risen to prominence in the Indian wars afterward, and to higher rank.

Even with these flaws, Turtledove does make you think about the alternatives to historical events, and that these were not foregone conclusions, as historians often portray them. The reader can imagine the subsequent historical changes which will result from these twists of history. The future which is foreshadowed here is actually quite ugly and foreboding, compared to actual history.

Turtledove certainly does not mask his prejudices toward such characters as Longstreet, Custer, and James G. Blaine, which is the author's privilege. Whether you agree with him or not on his portrayal of these men and the events that unfold, the book is worth reading to Civil War enthusiasts if only to provoke further debate among them.

For anyone who wants to read Turtledove's famous alternate history books and stories, How Few Remain is the THE work to start from.
The most masterfully written part of the book are the characterizations. In Turtledove's other books, his charceters harbor a rather thin basis, due to his "skipping" style that tries to cover as much of his alternate worlds as possible. However, How Few Remain lacks this flaw. Turtledove's portrayals of Samuel Clemens and Alfred Von Schliffen particularly show some complex thought.
The storyline itself is very well-drawn, with numerous familiar figures like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Stonewall Jackson inserted for reader enjoyment. (I particularly enjoyed the political debate between a young brash TR and an older Lincoln who never met the fatal bullet). Although serious historians may disagree with some of Turtledove's characterizations (especially that of James Longstreet), overall, this book shows some of the best reasons for Turtledove's great success as a writer. His ability to make a world so different from our own, and yet, create a reality that seems so tangible is his great strength. The flawed, shallow story lines and awkward dialogues of his other books do not appear in this masterpiece; How Few Remain is defintely Turtledove's finest work.

Because I'm not an American but a European (Dutch) books, films etc. about the American Civil War don't interest me as much as they probably do most Americans. But I've always been interested in history and in science fiction... and since the beginning of the 1990s in alternate history. I read this novel some time after I read "The Great War: American Front". THAT one got me interested, and I looked for and found "How Few Remain".
Yes, what would have happened if the South had won the war in stead of the North? In "How Few Remain", Harry Turtledove (HT) makes them doing this by not making a silly mistake, and then winning the war in the first year. Both sides are relatively unharmed by the war. But the CSA is now an independent country, recognized by Britain and France. Slavery goes on, and the USA is suddendly surrounded by potential enemies.
Twenty years after the second American war of independence, the CSA manages to buy 2 Mexican provinces because the Mexican Empire is in need for money and can spare some of its territory (like it always has been...) The USA gets mad because they would have liked Sonora and Chihuawua for themselves and because it's the CSA who gets them. The USA decides to start a war against their former countrymen. They expect a short war and victory, followed by the occupation of the rebel states, and thus bringing them back into the USA. The CSA does not want war, and succeeds in keeping and holding the position of the underdog in the eyes outside the continent.
Unfortunately, the civilian and military leaders in the USA are not as competent as their counterparts in the CSA. It does not matter much that the 'damnyankees' have twice the men the 'rebs' have or that they have a much bigger industry... what does matter is that both sides now have breech-loaded firearms, and that the French and the entire Brittish Commonwealth (including Canada!) are now the allies of the CSA. Both the USA as the CSA will have a high price to pay at the end of this war...
There are a couple of things that I liked in this book, for example HT's use of really existing historical figures: Abraham Lincoln is not dead but lives on (as a scapegoat); George Custer lives on but still has no knowledge of military tactics; German military attache Von Schlieffen gets ideas how to win a war against France; Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt goes to war much sooner in life; 'Stonewall' Jackson is an important CS general, whereas several US generals who reached high places in our own universe are now quite unimportant; George Samuel Clemens (better known as...)is almost getting killed during a British naval attack.
I also like HT's use of irony, like giving Custer a couple of Gatling guns to crush an enemy attack that without those 'hellish contraptions' most certainly would have succeeded, and putting Lincoln behind bars for speaking in public, spouting communist propaganda. These are the things you HAVE to do when you write an alternate history novel: changing and twisting people and events into something they never were, something they coulnd't have been in our world, but got a chance for in this world.
I have to admit I don't know a lot of people in this novel, simply for the fact that yes, they are important figures in American history and culture, but outside the US they are hardly known - even though I am a history buff. Longstreet? Who was that? The reporters interviewing Roosevelt, and Clemens's fellow newspapermen? Zip. (Jack London? Oh, him...) CSA officer Stuart? Was that a historical figure or did HT invent him for the purpose of the book?
What I did not like in the novel was the lack of enough references in place and time. Besides being a history buff I am also a map freak. I don't mind a lot of different fronts and matching casts every six pages, but I do mind the single two-page map HT gives in the beginning of the novel - remember my European background? I simply don't KNOW all these litle towns. And what is the exact time of the events through the days, the weeks, the months?
But still, "How Few Remain" is a fascinating novel. I am now hooked onto Turtledove's "The Great War" series. I wonder who will win...

Unlike Turtledove's previous novel "Guns of the South", where the Southrons win the Civil War with the help of time-travelers, "how few" takes place in an alternative 1881 where the war has been won thruough "natural" causes. In this 1881 a new war is just about to break out, following the Confederate annexation of Sonora and Chihahua.
"How few remain" is a prelude to Turtledove's "The Great War" trilogy, where WWI is fought on American soil. The novel thus gives much concern to the political implications of the events portrayed, showing how the Confederates' alliance with Britain and France finally drives the US into allying with Germany.
"How Few Remain" is also the story of Abraham Lincoln's subsequent career after having lost the Civil War, and the part played by him in creating an American Socialist movement. It thus sets the stage for an America where history unfolds in a pattern much more similar to contemporary Europe than it eventually did in our world.
And, of course, "How few remain" is an exiting, action-packed story which is almost impossible to put down. It progresses from scene to scene with very few quiet interludes.
So, how does "How few remain" compare to "Guns of the South"? I would say, fairly good. As stated in the beginning, "How Few Remain" does not use the "Deus ex machina" device used in "Guns..." ;while this reduce the element of playfulness and "pure entertainment", it also makes the novel far more interesting and thought-provoking.
Indeed very recommendable.

Yes, this book is an enjoyable alt-history read, full of colorful characters of the time. The problem is that once you've read it, you will feel compelled to read the Great War Series (3 books), and then American Front series (3 more books.) 'How Few Remain' is the best of the bunch and then there is a steady, but not precipitous, decline with each new book. In these books, there are the movers and shakers, and those that are moved and shaken. Early on, there is a good mix, but with each subsequent book, the movers/shakers decline, while the less compelliing moved/shaken dominate. I will admit that I have not yet read the last book in the 'American Front' series, but it will be hard pressed to justify the 5 preceding books. If you must, go ahead and read this book, but then STOP!

In this novel Turtledove tackles the "what if?" concerning a victorious South without the low-grade sci-fi tricks, but a different ending to a real-life event that cost the Confederacy dearly in the Civil War. The story takes place in 1881, a generation after the South won their independence. A second war breaks out between North and South over expansion into the West, thus adding further fuel to their mutual enmity. An interesting look at what might have been if the events of the Civil War had not occurred as they did.

I finished reading this book with an empty feeling about the plot of this novel. Probably because the plot WAS empty. Like many other reviewers, I had previously read Turtledove's "Guns of the South" and enjoyed it immensely, leading to high expectations for this novel. The setup for conflict between the two American nations was decent (U.S. angered by C.S. attempts to obtain territory in Mexico which will allow them access to the Pacific), and I was pulled in. The typical Turtledove character hopping annoyed me a little, as it slowed the action down a little to gauge everyone's view of the war, but it wasn't enough to bore me. The war started between the two sides in about the first 100 pages. Okay, I thought, here comes the good stuff. There was stuff alright, but I wouldn't exactly characterize it as "good". It wasn't terrible, mind you, but it was far from satisfying, kind of like eating carrot cake. Maybe I was spoiled by the pure fantasy and speculation of "The Guns of the South", but this novel was just not realistic (well, as relatively realistic I would believe an alternative history of a second civil war between a new Southern nation and it's former government of the U.S. could be)in it's portrayal of the two warring sides. The South, roughly twenty years after gaining its independence from the Union after winning the battle Chancellorsville when it found Lee's Lost Order, decides it wants to have a Pacific seaport. Unfortunately, it has no Pacific coast waters, Texas being the closest thing to the Big Ocean. President James Longstreet fixes this geographical fix when he buys the Mexican provinces of Sonora and Chihuahua, therefor making the Confederacy a two ocean nation. The United States, embittered and humiliated for the past two decades, jumps on this transaction as a cause for war, as the Confederates intend to threaten the U.S. with a new Pacific naval base. When war breaks out, France and Britain side with the Confederacy (Britain having certain interests in U.S. territories near Canada) while the Union is without an ally. When the U.S. is invaded by Jeb Stuart-led forces in New Mexico they are also up against the Apaches and their chief, Geronimo. It gets so bad for the bumbling U.S. forces that they are almost attacked by Utah Mormons! With the deck stacked against them, the U.S. has little chance to win their war of revenge with the best general in charge. Perhaps the author had this in mind, for he portrays the Union Army General Staff as the worst prepared and studied officers this side of the 1904 Russian admiralty, while the Confederates are led by their secession war heroes of Stuart and Jackson. I find it hard to swallow the idea that Union army was so incompetent that it had no idea how to draw up a planned campaign map against an enemy before an actual war broke out between them. Yet, Turtledove describes such Northern idiocy with a straight face, going so far as to have general Orlando Wilcox naively ask a neutral German army attache (a young Albert von Schlieffen) how the Prussians were able to win a war with French by using well-laid out battlefield strategy instead of slap dash frontal assaults. Yeesh. There were many interesting characters to follow (an unharmed Abe Lincoln and Stonewall Jackson, Mark Twain, Frederick Douglass, young TR, von Schlieffen, and George Custer) but some characters' roles (Douglass and Twain) were unneccessary to the plot and seemed only to speculate on how these men would have acted had they seen this war personally. They do nothing to affect the plot other than speak to other unnecessary characters. At the same time, potentially important characters (William Sherman and U.S. Grant) were mentioned briefly and then ignored from thereon in. Turtledove doesn't even mention what happened to Robert E. Lee after the war of secession, and he won it for the South! How can Turtledove include two steamy (and meaningless) forages into the sex lives of Custer and Roosevelt without mentioning what happened to the South's best leader? What about Jefferson Davis? He's not out preaching Socialism in Chicago to factory workers like Lincoln (which was one of the few realistic parts of the book, as Turtledove writes Lincoln as continuing a political career based on his lecturing about Socialism, a political persuasion many people do not he often subscribed to as President) but he has to be somewhere, dead or alive. I want closure, dagnabbit! I guess this book can be considered tolerable solely because it lays the groundwork for the next Turtledove series, The Great War in America and the new American Empire series. That's about it.

Starting from a very mundane and likely occurance (What were the odds of the Union getting ahold of those battle plans the way they actually did?) Harry Turtledove takes us to another world where the South asserts its independence. And he makes it not only believable, but also highly enjoyable.
Capturing both the personalities and the voices of his cast of characters, Turtledove paints a very bleak picture for the USA in this world. But in some ways it is even worse for the CSA. While the USA is alone facing multiple enemies, they at least have the resources and abilities to rise above their present circumstances. The CSA on the other hand is very limited on their options and are in fact so constrained they are dependent on the British and French to the point of compromising their beliefs and principles.
It is easy to see that in a few short years that the USA and CSA will once again go head to head. And the foreshadowing evident in HOW FEW REMAIN would seem to show that the next conflict will be even bloodier and more intense than the last two. I can hardly wait for Harry to write it.

Extremely disappointing...and this from a fan who has enjoyed most of Turtledove's other "alternative history" efforts. This one is sluggish, vapid, and baseless. I searched in vain for any unifying thread to connect the antics of Lincoln, Clemens, Jackson, Custer, et. al. And Orlando Willcox as a major character??? One almost feels that the luckier characters were the Mormon leaders hanged by Pope and Custer. At least THEY didn't have to muck through the rest of this overblown humbug of a novel! I certainly hope Mr. Turtledove returns to form with his Great War project.

This novel extends Turtledove's Civil War theme begun in The Guns of the South, but the premise here under which the Confederacy won the Civil War (The Second American Revolution) does not rely on the sci-fi gimmick of time travel that was used in the first novel. Here the South won the Battle of Camp Hill (Antietam) in 1862 thereby causing England and France to support the South. Faced with that combination, President Lincoln calls for peace to avoid further bloodshed and the Confederacy is firmly established. This novel begins in the year 1881 and focuses on a second war between the North and the South, which results from the North under President James G. Blaine attacking the South after Confederate President James Longstreet arranges to purchase two northern provinces from Emperor Maxmillian of Mexico (The South has already acquired Cuba). The acquisition of those two provinces would enable the South to build a rail connection to the Pacific (on the Gulf of Mexico), a situation which gives US President Blaine an excuse to declare War on the South in an effort to undue the results of 20 years before. Historical figures are portrayed in new roles, all stemming from the premise that the South won its independence early. Lincoln, who is blamed for losing the States from the Union has been defeated in the 1964 election and is now an itinerant socialist advocating the protection of the rights of the working man. Samuel Clemens appears as an antiwar newspaper publisher in San Francisco who has to defend his editorial positions from charges of sedition. The British, aligned with the Confederacy, invade the US from Canada through Montana where they are resisted by Theodore Roosevelt and George Custer ..... they also bombard San Francisco, Boston and New York as they effectively blockade the US ports. (Longstreet had to pledge to begin the abolition of slavery as the price for British and French support.) Stonewall Jackson (the war ended early enough that he was not killed and he is now the General-in-Chief of the Confederate States) repells the Union Attack on Louisville. JEB Stuart, the Confederate Cavalry Commander, based in El Paso, leads his troops - including a Cavalry Unit mounted on camels - - into the provinces acquired from Mexico and has to face the US forces based in New Mexico. Stuart makes an alliance with Geronimo, which creates problems for the US - and then for the CSA. It is a well written "what if" novel with familiar people from history popping up in new and different roles.

Harry Turtledove has done it again. I thought that "How Few Remain" was just as good as his excellent "Guns of the South". I really disagree with other reviewers who thought they were boring. Turtledove excels in his use of historical detail, which amateur historians like myself enjoy. Seeing how historical people's lives turn out different makes one think how our lives would have turned out differently. To make alternate history succeed, an author has to get to the level of "suspended belief" where you can really say to yourself, "I can see how events could have turned out like this." This is where Turtledove succeeds far better than other alternate history authors. With other authors' books, once the narrative gets too implausable, the whole magic is lost. Alternate history comes alive with his characterization of ordinary folks more than just the leaders. If you like alternate history, there is no author better than Turtledove!

Harry Turtledove is called "the master of alternate history," and for good reason. He did an excellent job rewriting the Civil War in "Guns of the South," and he does it again in "How Few Remain." He does a good job in portraying what a divided America might be like, although it would have better if the author had explained better such post Civil War events as "the Panic of '63."
Nonetheless, the events that unfold in his work are excellent and painstakingly laid out; he does a good job with the interior motives and psychology of the characters, which is an important part of any work. The historical characters just seem to jump out at you with their realism.
The plot is also excellent, he describes the situation very well given the players and the time period. As always, Turtledove did his homework and researched things and thought them out very well. This book is highly recommended to everyone, especially to history students and history buffs. An excellent read.

Another enjoyable alternate-history work from Harry Turtledove. Worth reading even at the hardcover price (and I'm a cheapskate). Those who enjoyed The Guns of the South will enjoy this one. One minor criticism: his later works seem to have taken on almost Herman Wouk-like "sweeping epic" characteristics. I have nothing against that, but sometimes I wonder if he needs so many characters, or if he just gets carried away in his historical research. Still, a very interesting and enjoyable book.

I was disappointed to find that this was not Guns of the South II, but it turned out to be better, since it makes you consider what history would really be like if the South had won. Makes you sit around the extend Mr. Turtledove's reasoning to the present day. Very well written, and very compelling, my only complaints would be that a) he clearly loves to beat up on the North -- apparently he's a frustrated Southerner -- and b) some of his plot devices you see coming from a mile off.

Unlike other alternate history books by science fiction novelist, Harry Turtledove, How Few Remain is most notable in that it is a "what-if" novel that comprises no element of the sf genre and instead chooses to concentrate on the concept of a Confederate victory in the war of secession and its aftermath. The real problem with this novel, as I see it, is its pace. The plotline often rambles, the dialogue between the characters much the same recycled material throughout the novel. Moreso, the course of the war (with a great majority of the book centering on a failed campaign in Louisville) is mundane and unexciting. Also, Turtledove canvases his novel with a number of characters to cover such an issue of broad scope, namely the war. However, this is done at the expense of well-developed characterisation. Characters are farely one-dimensional and often unbelievable (thinking of Teddy Roosevelt as well as General Custer shouting "By jingo!" in the heat of battle almost brings tears to the eyes). And, as for the ending of the novel, it is left with too many loose ends, an unsatisfactory conclusion especially in the case of Confederate Captain Jeb Stuart. Yet, Turtledove's novel is not the total bombshell I make out. At times it is quite engrossing, the meetings of General Jackson with President Longstreet and the San Francisco invasion are points of particulsr interest. Likewise, the German attache, von Schlieffen, is totally engagaging, with special touches added to him for history buffs to smile knowingly at. And a cynical Sam Clemens is a delight in the novel as well. In the end, this novel fails in that it strives to achieve a scope perhaps out of the range of a single book yet, at the same time, would be painfully stretched out if turned into a series. Still, when I was finished, I was glad I had read it all the same and await developments within the following Great War series.

Turtledove's How Few Remain was at best disappointing. In Guns of the South, he took us on a thought provoking ride through a brand new history. In this book we get more "Gee, what if Jeb Stuart fought Indians?" approach. Turtledove forgets the most basic rule of alternative history, once the fabric of histroy is torn it changes from that point. Famous people would vanish while the unheard-ofs would rise. In this book though the acts of historically famous people dominate the narative. This goes to the point that characters seem to be in the book only to meet the authors whimsy. The Jeb Stuart in the Southwest subplot, for eaxmple, could have been removed from the book with no significant impact. There are moments of light in the darkness. Teddy Roosevelt serving under the command of George Custer provides us with the wonderful sight of two of the century's greatest egos meeting. Abe Lincoln as the former President turned Socialist is a bit more strained but none the less enjoyable. Over all the book provides no real incite into the characters or their times, and its narative does not seem to want to drive home any particular point. But then again, it was easy to read at the beach this summer so perhaps it serves some small purpose.

I thoroughly enjoyed Harry Turtledove's "How Few Remain." I think this is one of his better alternate history books. It was gripping; I could hardly wait to find out what would happen. As usual, the last hundred pages were slow; I wish he could write better endings. The ending also left one up in the air, so it was a let down. I probably liked this more than most because I read a lot of military history.
This book was not what I expected. I expected a continuation of his "Guns of the South" where Afrikaners go back in time with automatic weapons to help the south create a haven for anti-black sentiment. The basic premise of this book is that the Confederate States won in 1862, and it is 20 years later after winning a major victory and with the intervention of the British and French. The Union resents the loss. Longstreet is the Confederate president, Stonewall Jackson is in command of the Confederate Army with Stuart in command of the West. The Confederate States buy two Northern Mexican provinces such that they now have access to the pacific. The American president, the first Republican to be elected since Lincoln (who is still around and advocating workers rights), uses this as an excuse to go to war even though the Army has not been maintained in the intervening years.
I have issue with many parts of the book:
- Custer started the book as a colonel with his own regiment. He did not do that well at West Point, and would probably not have been popular with most of his superiors. He also did not have the family connections.
- Harry Turtledove did not take advantage of a very successful Confederate General who did well at West Point, had the family connections a to be appointed a lieutenant colonel in 1861 at the age of 23. Joe Wheeler was apparently also charismatic. The most telling is the fact he fought in the Spanish American War as a Major General.
- Why would the British invade through Montana. Supply would have been almost impossible, they could not use their strong Navy, and the! re would have been little gained except to cut the railroad. It would make much more sense to invade the Oregon territories. There would not be many more people to deal with in this territory than Montana.
- Once the Union invaded Mexico, there would not have been much political impact of the Confederates invading the New Mexico Territory. I do not think the Union East would have cared much what happened in this desert. Might have been some issues with an invasion of California, but the New Mexican Territories! From there could have threatened railroads in Colorado. Also, helping the Mormons would have helped them. Usually helping the enemy of my enemy is
- Why didn't the Confederates take advantage of regular units be pulled from Kansas to put down the Mormon insurrection, and why, after Custer's Unit left Utah, didn't the Mormons revolt again, especially considering how badly they had been treated. Even a better question is why throw in the Mormon insurrection at all considering how little it seems to have impacted the rest of the story. Also, considering
- Why throw in the Custer's affair and Roosevelt's one night stand. They appear to have nothing to do with anything else.
- When he created a regiment for the Spanish American War, Theodore Roosevelt signed on as a lieutenant colonel because he did not think he had the experience to the colonel. He found someone with experience to be the colonel. I would expect him to do the same thing as a young man. I am sure there would be some people in Montana with experience during the Civil War as a senior officer.
- What was the point in having Stuart assassinated by the apaches, and why would he be personally worrying about the apaches with the Union still effectively at war with the Confederates. Chasing the apaches put him way up in the mountains, where it would have been difficult for him to personally deal with any effort by the Union. I could understand sending a regiment after the apaches, but that would not have required Stuart to be there.<! P>- Why didn't the Confederates have enough men available to more readily contest the second crossing of the Ohio River. They knew that the Union was preparing such a crossing, and could have conserved men in Louisville since they were on the defensive in highly defensible terrain. Would have expected Stonewall to do the same as the Germans did in Italy.
Despite all these comments, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys alternate history. Turtledove is probably the most significant writer ever in this field, and this is one of his serious works in alternate history. Due to problems with accuracy, I would not be so enthusiastic to recommend it to Civil War Buffs, although they might not consider the problems in the book that serious.

I have read many of Harry Turtledove's other books, Guns of the South and the alternate World War Two Series, all of those books I have read and could not put down.

However, How Few Remain, has left me wishing I didn't spend the time reading the book.

The book, howver, started out pretty good, where some Southern soldiers found Lee's plans for the invasion of the north, where in real life they were lost. This aspect got me really excited for the book. However, from there, the book went down hill. The plot, if there was one, was dry, unimaginative, and put me to sleep many a sunday afternoons as I tried to plod through the book. I was disappointed in the character development, the character's interactions, etc., the long drawn out political speeches made by Abe Lincoln, boring hard to read editorials by Sam Clemens, etc. The book kept jumping from five or six main segments and many times I would forget what was happening in one as I went through the others. Overall, How Few Remain is not one of Harry Turtledoves better works. If you are looking for a great Civil War alternate history, check out his Guns of the South.

I enjoyed this book.Begins twenty years after the civil war.U.S.A and C.S.A have been separate nations and diverge even further.Lives are explored such as Lincoln living beyond 1865.Well written,even if Turtledove ignores the Russian factor.I learned of this recently.Also,read series and he grows in skill.HT has quirks which he uses in all his books.They remain effective.

Yes, I have read others' reviews of this book, and they have valid points. Turtledove's dialogue is not the best, but that isn't the point in my mind. I read Turtledove for his ideas on how things could have been. It is very interesting to look at what could have been. Sometimes what he writes isn't the most plausible, but you need to suspend disbelief here and enjoy a well thought out and intelligent account of what MIGHT have happened.

Turtledove's historical research and "ear" for accurate dialogue serve this book well. My first reaction to Lincoln's radical Marxist politics was disbelief- until I found phrases similar to those from the novel appearing in Lincoln's actual historical speeches. At that point I was hooked. Watching Lincoln confront a belligerent (of course!) Teddy Roosevelt sewed it up for me. A wonderfully entertaining read.

This was my first exposure to Harry Turtledove, and overall it wasn't a bad one. Some of the characters are cliches, but I did enjoy his conjecture of Lincoln. However, this book, as all others of Mr. Turtledove's novels I have read, suffers from overkill--he could have left out at least a third of it without harming the story at all. Still, I'd recommend it, particularly to readers who enjoy lighter historical novels.

Compared to such masterpieces as The Guns of The South and Worldwar series, How Few Remain is a poor cousin. If viewed by itself, the book makes too many assumptions, the biggest one being that the United States were so much less prepared for the war than the Confederacy. I don't quite understand the criticism of some of other reviewers who call the idea of Lincoln propagating Socialist ideology ludicrous. By then, Socialist doctrine was well-spread in Europe, and for Lincoln, who adhered to some of these principles in his writings, it should not have been a huge leap to switch to them altogether once ousted from the White House. Overall, though, the book doesn't have much to offer aside from Turtledove's familiar widely entertaining narrative style. It looks better if considered a prequel to the Great War series, but not by much.

In this alternative history, some South Africans Afrikaners, go back into the past with AK 47s to help the South win the Civil War. But they have dark designs of their own....
I really like Harry Turtledove, but this book just seemed too far fetched. I did not get the feeling, as I do with many of his works, that it is based on some reality. Even his Aliens invading during World War 2 Series (Worldwar) is more realistic.
It is hard to really put one's finger on what dissapoints in this book, but perhaps it is that Harry did not really have his heart in it and the characters seem one dimensional.

Okay book overall, great idea that the South won and kind of started his other series, and it didn't need to have unrealistic, and for that time, futuristic means for winning. If you plan to read his other books in southern timeline history, this will get you started, but the later books are unrelated in how the South won and doesn't have the future weapons involved etc.

A good use of historical characters to create a vivid alternative history. Enough introduction for international readers. More plausible than Guns of the South, because little suspension of disbelief is required to imagine Lee forcing a peace on the USA in 1862/63 by successfully campaigning in Pennsylvania. Others will disagree, but at least it's plausible! I thought the liberties with Abe Lincoln and Mark Twain et al fair: a Confederate victory would have changed a lot. It isn't racist - the past is another country. We shouldn't be surprised at the Army's reluctance to embrace new technology! A good yarn.

How Few Remain is a fast paced, very believable book about the world that could have been had the South won her freedom in 1865. Turtledove uses the known traits and characteistics of many historic figures to weave as story that one in drawn into and can easily accept by the true rendering of the characters drawn from our time-line. I higly recommend this book!

i started reading this series out of order .but when i got to this one i realized that even though i was not in the correct order this was still an amazing book.for one thing this has kindled an interest in the civil war(i had no idea who longstreet was)and what if has always intriqued me ,but ive never had the patience to read novels.well not only has this book and the series grabbed me its so well written that i insist my friends read them too.the book sets up the series .i love the imagining of the growth of the CSA as an independant country .my point is simple-i hate reading either because i am lazy or impatient.this book and the rest in the series-ive been reading them at about one a week.they are that good . do yourself the favor.

Harry Turtledove can write gripping alternative histories. Look at "Guns of the South" and the first volume of the "Worldwar" series for examples. "How Few Remain" has many sins, it is ponderous and cliche ridden but it's greatest sin is that it is boring. In the end I was left with the feeling that not only is the idea of editorial supervision dead and buried but, even worse, that I had devoted precious reading time to a novel that is only a prequel to his next one. It's one thing to imagine how history might have turned out differently but to imagine how people might have turned out (J.E.B. Stuart survives the Civil War) is merely alternative psychology. If I was Turtledove I would have had the blowhard Custer get slaughtered by Indians in exactly the same way as at Little Big Horn. That would show us that history often doesn't change all that much.

Harry Turtledove has done it again. His command of history is again at work in this fascinating book of "what if". After reading the book, I actually found myself struggling to remember how history really happened. Mr. Turtledove's tale was that convincing.

After reading "Guns of the South", my expectations were high. Sadly, I was enormously disappointed. The plot plodded and ultimately went nowhere. The characters were cardboard and poorly drawn. I could not believe this was a Harry Turtledove novel! The author proclaimed that it was not a sequel to "Guns of the South" but it was so different from that novel, yet on the same subject, the disconnect was very annoying. I felt like Harry was simply filling up pages to sell a book. This novel brings new meaning to the old adage "resting on your laurels!"

By itelf this book is only fair. Characters aren't as well developed as other Turtledove books, and there are fewer that are followed. By itself I wouldn't recommend it at all. However, as A prequel to the Great War series, I think it is almost essential. Lays the ground work for the series.

I found this book to be entertaining and historically plausible.
I do agree that the Union should have won more victories than they manage, but on the whole they were on the offensive against prepared positions.
The international relations are well protrayed, and the book sets the scene for the American Front series in a well executed way.
It would have been nice to see some more battles, from an infantrymans or warship officers' point of view. But overall In was pleased with this book.

Rather than write a conventional review, where I could complain about Turtledove's wooden characterizations of historical figures, I will instead focus on just how historically ridiculous this much-touted first book in the "Southern Victory" series is.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

* Confederate independence is won at the fictional Battle of Camp Hill, which replaces Antietam. Supposedly the famous special orders wrapped around the cigars were never found by the Union, leading to Lee's Cannae, but if you know anything about how the Antietam Campaign unfolded or about Civil War combat in general, you'll find the idea that Lee's 45,000 could beat McClellan's 87,000 on the tactical offensive ridiculous, even pathetic. With a larger army in better shape, Lee couldn't beat Meade a year later, whose led more or less the same army. It's just stupid, and of course, Turtledove never tells us how it happened... probably because he can't!
* The South abolishes slavery on its own. Such a thing would have been inconceivable in the 1850s and '60s, and in the 1880s it would be even more unimaginable, as the country would be full of war veterans who would never countenance it. This is both moronic and naive.
* Despite it being Britain's avowed and primary foreign policy principle to avoid entangled military alliances, for some reason they make an exception and create a precursor to the Triple Entente (the UK, France, and the CSA). Dumb, dumb, dumb.
* Defying all international security logic as we know it, the rump of the United States sits there for nearly 20 years, without a real army or navy, and behaving as if a hostile UK, France, and CSA weren't out there waiting to pounce on them.

They call Turtledove "The Master of Alternate History." My ass. This book was garbage, as was the entire Southern Victory series. People are only just now starting to see through all the marketing hype with his crappy "The War That Came Early" series, but the same tripe was all there for anyone to see right here in this book, if only they had looked at it with open eyes.

Mr Turtledove managed to keep me interested until the end. The "What If" concept is always a dangerous tool, but he pulled it off again. It's interesting to see such characters as Abe Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and others in this new setting: a second civil war. It never happened, but this is as close as you will come...

The Plot is exceptional!!! I was recomended the book The Guns of the South by my History Teacher and was in utter awe of the world of alternate history. I read the book in two weeks at about 20 pages a day. I was almost late for school one day because i read the book until midnight! It is amazing the way thing may of turned out if a tiny, insignifigant event as dropping a cigar box could change the course of history.

If i must choose a favorite Turtledove series beginning novel, I will all ways choose How Few Remain. This novel is a great look at a post-Confederate victory. The amazing thing about this novel is that this particular scenario could have very,and I meen VERY, easily have historically happened. A great read for the "What If" buff and history fans.

This is my favorite alt history novel. I can understand if you prefer Guns of the South. This is the most believable book of the series. I had been studying America's Civil War for the last few years, and along with the History Channels CW series, it is not hard to place the events in this story. The development of Abraham Lincoln is brilliant. Start here

Thanks Harry