1632

Rating:
Summary: A patriotic romp
Review: So it's not a Pulitzer winner, and it probably won't become the subject of graduate level seminars in the American novel. But you know what? This book is fun! I picked it up because I needed an escape, and _1632_ gave me that, plus some food for thought along the way.

In short, a rural town in West Virginia has been transported by mysterious means into the middle of the 30 Years' War. The town's inhabitants must somehow survive their new surroundings, and in doing so, find a way to remain true to their American ideals. Even if those ideals haven't been invented yet.

What a romp! The good guys triumph right and left, all the right people fall in love, and a nation is born 144 years early. What's not to enjoy?

Moreover, after the events of past months in our world, reading this joyfully patriotic novel satisfied something in me. Anyone can point out flaws in our system of government, but occasionally it's nice to remember the many benefits. To Flint's credit, he includes the viewpoints of both Right and Left in all major debates. Even better, this book roused my interest enough to send me in search of books about the ACTUAL founding of the United States-- something my own history teachers never quite accomplished.

It's been a long time since I've found a science fiction novel that captured my interest on this many levels. I can even put up with the occasional two-dimensional bad guy. A perfectly written novel it isn't, but I still recommend _1632_ as a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Exciting, inspirational _and_ educational
Review: I will freely admit that I haven't read science fiction in over a decade. And I suppose this book doesn't qualify as true SF... it is, instead, alternative history that is written in a plain-spoken, yet truly enlightening style.

Set in the year 1632, near the epicenter of the bloody Thirty Years War in Germany, a tiny West Virginia coal town mysteriously appears. Its population, infrastructure, vehicles and dwellings are intact. Most importantly for the citizens - some of whom witness a bloody war crime - their modern weapons are functional.

The scope of 1632 is daunting - it deals with issues of religion, warfare, nation-building, politics and citizenship - but it does so in an engaging and entirely non-threatening way. The book is truly exciting and inspirational - not to mention instructive in its explanation of the Thirty Years War and the cast of historical characters that played roles in it.

The only minor issue I would take with it are that some of the West Virginian characters come off as too righteous to ever exist in real life. The author's afterword, in fact, attempts to address this topic - and does so effectively.

It's my belief that Robert A. Heinlein would be quite a fan of Flint. His _Farnham's Freehold_, _Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ and _Starship Troopers_ all are siblings to 1632. Very well done, Mr. Flint!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Twisted History
Review: This is a really enjoyable and fun alternative history book. It doesn't bog down with technical explanations of how the relocation of a portion of modern-day West Virginia into medieval Germany occurred. It just happens, and the story moves on from there. There is no "trying to get back". The focus instead is on the people involved and how they learn to cope and function in their new world, how the people of the Old World adjust to technologically superior people in their midst, and just how a new nation is created.

Another reviewer was of the opinion that there wasn't enough tension. I don't know about that. There was tension, there just wasn't a lot of heartbreak, which was truly a nice change of pace. In many books, there is a lot of specious tragedy, just to exemplify the difficulties encountered. I liked the fact that in this book, confrontations didn't always go as expected, and people didn't always live up to their sterotype.

This was a great book to while away a lazy day, and at 597 pages, a good book for travelling.

Rating:
Summary: 1632
Review: this time travel story is techinoligicaly feasable,which keeps the storie's charaters identifible and bondable to the reader I have read it 2times now and it stayes exciting all the way through. the charaters inter act as one would imagine if modern people actually went back to 1632

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable fluff
Review: I picked up this book from the Baen Free Library on the web (a *great* service, by the way). It's a good thing I did it that way, because I don't think I would have been as pleasantly disposed to it if I had paid for it. There are some books that you enjoy for what they are, but you might feel you wasted your money if you had bought them, and this is one of them.

The book is an exciting read, for the most part. The characters, while not drawn very 3-dimensionally, are kind of fun. There is no real stand-out, though. All of them are of a type, rather than fleshed out. However, the action is fast and furious, with not a lot of let-up.

My main problem with this book is that everything is too easy. There really isn't a whole lot of tension involved. There is a little bit in the climactic battle, but even that has a foregone conclusion that doesn't surprise the reader. The characters go through the motions for the most part. They are very intense in their feelings and speech, but they appear almost to know that they're in a book and not much will happen to them.

The intensity mentioned above adds to another problem. The characters almost seem to be mouthpieces for Flint's opinions. Yes, Eric, we get the picture that unions are wonderful and the "bosses" are scum. Thank you. We don't need it drilled into our heads. Because of things like this, the dialogue (and sometimes the narration) seems stilted at times.

The historical detail is very good, but some of it comes in huge infodumps that aren't that interesting. I don't know enough about the time period to know whether Flint's off on his history or not, but it certainly doesn't appear so.

I like alternate history novels, even more so when it's something coming from the future to affect the history (Turtledove's "Guns of the South" is a masterpiece of the genre). I think that's why I enjoyed this novel more than my review says. It's a page-turner, that's for sure. Just turn your brain off before starting it.

Rating:
Summary: Hurray for Democracy
Review: 30,000 residents of Grantville West Virginia, suddenly experience a brilliant, white flash of light and ground shaking. Mike Stearns, while attending his sister's wedding reception along with his coal miner buddies and family members, thinks there has been an explosion. Noticing smoke on the horizon he and his buddies jump in their pickups with their rifle racks to investigate. They quickly experience the brutality of that era and they soon realize they're not in West Virginia anymore. Apparently a 6-mile sphere (6-miles across, 3-miles deep and 3-miles high) piece of land, including the people property and belongings, has been transported back to 1632 Germany. Now Grantville's residents must come to grips with how to survive during this most violent period of civilized history (This is the period of the inquisition when Catholics were trying to exterminate Protestants). Though out numbered, modern day technology (sniper rifles and other weapons) makes for some interesting reading. The people in town work together to leverage their respective skills and they collectively find a way to maintain their standard of living. There are some twists to the ending that caught me off guard, but put a smile on my face. I found the characters easy to like and believable. For those who enjoy time travel type books, this is a must read.

Rating:
Summary: alternative hillbillery
Review: A very fun read, perhaps a little eager at times, but this makes it all the more entertaining. He develops characters nicely, and while there are a few cliche moments, at the same time there's a nice sense of realism to the 20th century characters' responses to the 17th century's residents and lives. Contrary to a previous reviewer, I thought he did a good job explaining the historical environment (though of Germanic heritage, I knew virtually nothing about the virtually pan-European nature of the 100 Years War before reading this book, for example), as well as capturing the true Mountaineer viewpoint (both proud of their state and their way of life, yet open to new experiences).

Rating:
Summary: Allmost, but not quite
Review: Granville, West Virginia falls through a "plot hole" into 17th Century Europe in the middle of the 30 years war. The book deals with the 3000 people in town and what they do when they get there. I found the "Cheerleader turned sniper" annoying and less than believable as a cheerleader cheering when new allies arrive in town. There were several "sub-plots" that should have either been dropped, or given more attention for example some out of town wedding guests "imported" to be advarsies almost dismissed for the rest of the book, they are a problem, but a very minor one. Which leads me to the bigest problem I had with the book none of their problems were "major". Every battle they fought was very one sided. And some other battles they were concerned with, they should have been able to open a history and figure out who will win. This could be a good "first" book, but it doesn't do as well by itself.

Rating:
Summary: nauseating (and unfounded) patriotism
Review: there are few books I have consigned to the bin, the day I purchased it, this is one of them.
Sure is the author tried to create engaging characters, but form the beginning they are blemished by a strange aggressiveness. It is true the 30 years war is not a very charming period in german history, but the author on all these pages he wrote does not once deem it necessary to explain what this conflict is all about, and why the forces of the king of sweden are so deep within germany, and what the mercenary forces of mackay and his scots are doing there and with what justification.
From the beginning communication of the americans transported across time and space is limited. Mainly by the fact, that they do not speak german.
How fortitious it is then, that they find themselves accosted by the forces of General Mackay and his scottish troops.
Furthermore it is clear that all the americans are protestants and they choose to side with the protestant side of the war.
This is certainly permissible, were it not connected with moral and political judgement, excluding the possibility of moral justification an the catholic side.
Early on the king of sweden, Gustav Adolf is introduced into the tale as a distinctivly positive character.
Yet, unexplained remains, what the sovereign of a foreign country has to do in germany, in defyance of the law of the land and contrary to the lawful authority. To wit the imperial chancellor, The Archbishop Elector of Mainz or the direct imperial authority Emperor Ferdinand II .
Yet those two are but indirectly named.
I myself am not catholic, but the rabid protestant stance of the author makes it difficult to read the book.
Also the author projects the foundation of a american republic in thuringia which is a ludicrous concept and very unelegantly put forward.
It is a good thing that this book remains a single item. Other alternative histories are far more interesting, particularly those by s. m. stirling.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the original,. but still a fun book to read
Review: The only problem I have with this book, is that is has been done before. And fairly recently. The obvious connections between this book and S. M. Stirlings "Island In The Sea Of Time" series is more then obvious. A section of modern America is thrown backwards in time. They then use (or recreate) more modern technology to help fight the local bad guys. There are some things that are interesting in this book though. They actually give a cause for the time displacement (a kind of silly one, but it is fun to read). While it is very obviously influenced by S.M. Stirling, the story does have it's own feel. It is different enough that I still enjoyed it. And I will probably read any sequels that might follow. While not up to the level of Harry Turtledove and S.M. Stirling, Mr. Flint does have a lot of promise. I hope that his future books work more on originality, because he very obviously has it.