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From: William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: RI October 2024
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:21:34 -0500
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Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
> In article <vhgg0u$1f9mv$1@dont-email.me>,
> William Hyde  <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>>> Here we are again, possibly less late than usual with books from October.
>>> As is traditional (and possibly required): The links below are Amazon
>>> affiliate ones which could potentially earn me something should you
>>> choose to buy through one.
>>>
>>> ====
>>>
>>> Acts of War: A World War II Alternative History
>>> (The Usurper's War Book 1)
>>> by James Young
>>> https://amzn.to/3UAZsmc
>>>
>>> Collisions of the Damned: The Defense of the Dutch East Indies
>>> (The Usurper's War Book 2)
>>> by James Young
>>> https://amzn.to/3AryUx3
>>>
>>> Here's the first two books of what I believe is to be an alt-hist
>>> WWII trilogy.
>>>
>>> The jumping off point for this universe is that the British take
>>> out Hitler in a bombing raid on Berlin.  They had no idea where he
>>> was -- it was just one of those lucky accidents of war.  Or, in
>>> this case unlucky accidents of war.
>>>
>>> Unlucky because taking out Hitler proved a very good thing for the
>>> Germans.  Himmler came in after sidelining Goering (possibly fatally,
>>> I don't quite recall),
>>
>> Plausible enough, but I suspect that "Der Treue Heinrich" would have
>> been dead in the same ditch as Goering and the generals would have taken
>> over, in effect at least.  Perhaps with a nonentity like Hess as titular
>> leader.
>>
>> Of the leaders only Goebbels had any talent for backstabbing, but I
>> don't think the army would put up with him.
>>
>> Besides, if the author wants a German leader who is keen on peace
>> Goering is the ideal choice.  Having looted to his heart's content, he
>> was happy to enjoy his wealth and status (and morphine) without the
>> risks of war.
>>
>>   and said to the Brits basically: Look Hitler
>>> was really a loose cannon and things got out of hand.  What's done
>>> is done, and we're not giving back anything our boys died for, but
>>> is there really any reason we still need to be at war?
>>>
>>> Churchill said 'yes', but was eventually turfed out in favor of
>>> Eden
>>
>> Let me guess, the author looked up a list of UK cabinet members and
>> threw a dart?  Eden was well down the list of possible PMs at this
>> point, with only the war having restored him to the leading circle from
>> the pariah status he was consigned to in the late 1930s.
>>
>> And if peace broke out certainly an appeaser like Halifax would have
>> been handed the job.  Might as well say they gave the PM position to
>> Brendan Bracken.
>>
>>
>>   who turned out to be what some people have always suspected
>>> and made peace.
>>
>> And some people think that Washington was George III's illegitimate son.
>>
>> Or at least I could convince some of that.
>>
>> Sounds like an author to avoid.
>>
>> William Hyde
>>
> 
> No, this is entirely my fault.  Rather than going back to the book
> while I was writing the review, I was going on my memory which was
> entirely wrong on at least two issues: battle cruiser vs battleship
> and Halifax vs Eden.  I don't know why I had Eden on the brain when
> I was definitely familiar with Halifax, but it was Halifax who was
> the accommodationist PM in this setting, not Eden.

Makes sense then.

An author not to be avoided.

I'm still going to run with the George III thing as soon as I can find a 
likely victim.



William Hyde