Rating: 
Summary: The Great War American Front
Review: The possibility of the South winning the Civil War was so real that it warrents a book like this to show some of the possibilities of what could have happened. Turtledove does a wonderful job of guideing the reader through an interesting plot. The only aspect of the story that I wanted more of was the interactions with the European powers. If turtledove had written them into the story more this book would have been worthy of five stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Too many character point of views.
Review: In this book about an alternate timeline where the US and Confederacy choose opposite sides during the Great War, everybody has a story to tell, and Turtledove spends the entire book doing just that. It's impossible to remember who the characters are because there are so many of them and the story switches to a different character's point of view after every couple of pages. It would have been far superior to limit this book to 3 seperate character's stories. Then the reader would be able to relate to the character and follow their stories easier.This book was really a dissapointment considering it contains two of my favorite subjects, alternate timelines and WWI.
Rating: 
Summary: somewhere out in left field
Review: The book is poor as literature. Alternate histories are good because they give us things to think about, but in order to be good it has to be based in some truth. It is my opinion that the South was missrepresented in this novel. I mean, blacks become communist? That's a bit extreem. I did like the concept of the book though and I do agree with Turtledove that if the South had won Lincoln's War they would have sided with the allies. Weather the North would have gone with the Central Powers is food for thought. I give this book 1 star for idea only. The concept is good even if the basis of the story is very poor.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a good book
Review: I really liked this book. I was rivited to it, and couldnt put it down. It took me 2 1/2 dats to read. Although it is quite choppy, because of the numerous poeple involved, I find it is still a good book. Even though I have read sequel, I still can't remember who all the characters are when I read about him. What Harry Turledove is trying to do is show what is happening in the war, but also show it from various perspectives. Writing like this is quite hard to do, so it is hard to follow along sometimes. Some examples of this are :a U.S soldier, a U.S Airman, several, white people in both U.S territory, and several white peole in Confederate territory. He also tells of a english speakin Candien, and a French speaking Candien. He also tells of a black man in U.S territory, and of a black man on a plantaiton in the Confendercy. As you can see there are a lot of characters in this book, and he is trying to show all the view points, so it is hard to keep track of them all. I noticed that he has no black women as main charactors, so he left out that view point, as well as the view points of other minorities. Another book by Harry Turtledove, that you should read before this one is "HOW FEW REMAIN". Although it is no technicly in the sereies, it takes place in the same universe in 1881-82. This book helps explain the world of 1914, by showing you some important steps in the processe of this history. The first chapter, tells how the Civil War ended, which is quite important.
Rating: 
Summary: A nice yarn
Review: My habit of reading AH began way back when I picked HT's books the Guns of the South. Since then I have read almost all of his books enthusiatically. I found this book entertaining, though not as exciting as his worldwar sagas. Turtledove does tend to get long-winded at times. Throwing in too many latin and french phrases than is necessary. At times his many characters can get confusing to follow at times. What with each one playing a small part in the book. Often I wondered if Turtledove couldn't decide what would be the major focus of the book. The humans or the war. In the end you get a little of both, and wishing you had more. You never quite know where the war is at, and how it is proceeding. Which I believe doesn't allow your imagination to start flowing with juicy ideas. Which is vital to alternate history, letting you the reading picture in your mind the ebbs and flow of combat. Since their is so many characters in this book (Probably more than in any other of his books)we are not able to follow any character for long. Which sometimes works as a good cliffhanger, but all too often leaves us asking ourselve why I should know this character. The idea as a whole is intriguing, but I think is hard for me to imagine. I don't think anybody quite pictured this what-if before. Having said all this I will still buy the the next book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book on a "guess" as to what might have been.
Review: Turtledove is by far the Master of Alternate History. I enjoy the way in which he describes separate events through the different perspectives of individuals of factual history and fictitous characters. The diplomacy, battles, and social events described by Turtledove are great. I would have given this book five stars had it not been for the sex scenes described herein. They are crude and almost sophomoric. They take away from a great book. I often found myself caught up in a rapidly progressing story, only to have to wade through 2 pages of crudely described sex. Other than that, I truly enjoyed the book, it is in my all-time top 50.
Rating:
Summary: Writing alternate history out of ignorance fails...
Review: Harry Turteldove has an entertaining writing style and does originate some interesting vignettes concerning individuals which seem to be a logical extension of their historical character. However, since most of his projected "alternate history" is based on poorly-researched historical fact, the projections into the future are inaccurate at best, and maliciously defamatory at worst. Turtledove's knowledge and understanding of the factual history of the South immediately before and during the Civil War seems limited to the "Our Weekly Reader" sort of "facts" which bear little, if any, relationship to genuine history. It seems obvious that his "research" has consisted of reading history books written at the grade school level and that he is satisfied with that background. The author has ignored the concept of in-depth research in favor of blatant sensationalism, portraying the South as it never was and creating a false perspective of the North as "noble crusaders" when, in fact, invading Union troops savagely raped, robbed, and looted slaves and Free Blacks with a gusto comparable to the Waffen SS in the Caucasus. Alternate history has to be grounded in fact to begin with, and since the author has only a rudimentary and erroneous concept of history, his admirable writing style is wasted on a tawdry piece of garbage written to sell for its sensationist effect. Maj. Michael Kelley, CSA, Commanding, 37th Texas
Rating:
Summary: A pretty good start to another series
Review: This is a very interesting book. Much better than "How Few Remain" which takes place 30 years before and which I guess you could say is the 1st book of this series. What I like about this book is the twists on established history it plays. The USA does a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor which the British control. The Japanese are allies with the British and Russians and they have taken over the Phillipeans back in the early 1900's. What I think is missing is comment on how an alternate America fighting the CSA and Canada would have affected the war in Europe. Without those Canandian troops over there might not the Germans have won it all? Anyway I am hooked again and will have to read the 2nd 3rd and 4th novels that he produces.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent story . . .
Review: I liked it it a lot! The premise of the book was sound, and the writing was very well done. I liked how Turtledove both focused on individuals while conveying larger events in the war. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely RIVETING!
Review: The book "The Great War: American Front" is yet another masterpiece by Harry Turtledove, who has not disappointed me yet! When Casius jumped into the Yankee trenches, and was given rifles to give the Congaree Socialists, I was flabbergasted. But what I loved best was that Turtledove left me hanging at the end, instead of ending the book in a nice little package like so many books do.
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