American Empire

Blood and Iron

By: Harry Turtledove

Narrated by: George Guidall

Best-selling master of alternate history Harry Turtledove offers a new vision of America after World War I. In 1920, as veterans question the very nation they fought for, socialist Upton Sinclair challenges Teddy Roosevelt for the presidency. And in the defeated Confederacy, a fiery racist whips his followers into a frenzy.©2001 Harry Turtledove (P)2008 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"[His] skill at dramatizing historical forces proves magisterial once more." ( Booklist)

Missing Something

It was a well described world, but something was missing. Possibly a climax? Most of the characters in the story were to put it bluntly, Boring.
This could have been an epic story, but I'm just left feeling Meh about it.

Transistional entry in Southern Victory series

The Great War is over and the winners and losers scatter in varying directions. A few too many romances in the many subplots for my taste. But several very big dramatic moments save the day. WW2 looms.

Good Story

I love how the story is going and the building of the climax in the story.

It's okay

The concept is good, but there isn't enough story at the end to make me want to read/listen to the next books in the series. The Narration is great.

"Freedom!"

Would you consider the audio edition of American Empire to be better than the print version?

I would. Excellent narration.

What did you like best about this story?

The plotline.

Which scene was your favorite?

Featherston taking over as leader of the Freedom Party.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction whatsoever.

Any additional comments?

A must-have for any Harry Turtledove and alternate history fans.

Tip Toe thru The tulips with me.

narrative was good.loves Harry Turtledove books. I got this book as part of series. thanks

Please offer more Turtledove books

Great author, easily the best alternate history story in the genre

please release the rest of this series!

Another great entry in the Southern Victory series.

For a book that takes place in peacetime and not in a full blown war, this book still managed to be entertaining for the majority of the time.

Turtledove does a great job using influences from real history to give this alternate timeline a realistic feel. Like the Freedom party’s struggle to rise to power, the Great Depression taking place in the CSA, and so on.

One of my few gripes with this was the timing of the audio. Normally the spacing between sections of the story and transitions between characters is more defined. Letting the silence linger for a few moments before going on. This time, though, a lot of the transitions are so fast I almost get tricked into thinking we’re still talking about the same person. So, a little spacing out wouldn’t hurt. Other than that, any of the other few complaints I have are too much of a nitpick to be worth mentioning.

The story’s progress in this book feels like a slow burn. It may lack speed at times, (especially in a 24+ hour long book), but you can feel the rising tension that will pay off in the next book. And it makes me anxious to find out more about this world. And some of the payoffs and resolutions that have already happened for some of our characters in this book are pretty satisfying. I won’t say what, in order to avoid spoilers.

Overall, another great entry in the Southern Victory series. And I look forward to what the rest of the series has in store.

Well written & thought provoking

I have read the whole series, although the first book in the series is, unfortunately, not available through Audible (but all the rest are). Very well written, researched, believable, complex and thought provoking. If you are a history buff, or, for that matter, a science fiction reader, this will really scratch a whole bunch of itches all at the same time. Guidall is, as usual, excellent.

The Master of Alternate History!

I started reading Harry Turtledove with The World War series. As someone who truly enjoys the alternate history sub-genre I have read pretty much all of his books.
His work is a lot of fun to read and has that addictive quality that compels you to pick up the next book in the series. His writing style, particularly his dialogue is quite distinctive and can at times become repetitive but people who enjoy his work are able to overlook this because his formula is solid and he avoids pretentious flights of fancy.
The American Empire series picks up after the end of World War One in a universe where The Confederacy won The Civil War. In the aftermath of a U.S. victory over The C.S.A. the story renders this universe through the viewpoint of several characters from The U.S. and C.S.A. The viewpoints encompass all walks of life and include historical figures. The story tells a more or less beat for beat analogue of post WW1 Germany including an autocratic psychopath and a chilling version of an American Nazi party. The book and the entire "Southern Victory" arc work because it rings of plausibility. It allows a glimpse into a world that never was and connects the dots in a way that allows you to believe that this world could have easily existed. For fans of alternate history this checks the most important box.
For a certain reader/listener this will be a very satisfying experience. I hope this review gives such a person the impetus to have that experience.