Dixie Victorious: An Alternate History of the Civil War - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1853675954 ISBN 13: 9781853675959

Publisher: Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal, 2004

Synopsis

Based on a series of fascinating "What ifs" posed by leading military historians, this intriguing new alternate history reconstructs moments during the American Civil War which could conceivably have altered the entire course of the war and led to a Confederate victory. Commencing with real battles, actions and characters, each scenario has been carefully constructed to reveal how at points of decision a different choice or minor incident could have set in motion an entirely new train of events altering history forever. What if Sherman was stalled outside Atlanta, and Lincoln lost the crucial 1864 election? Or if Stuart's Cavalry at Gettysburg arrived in time to give Lee the freedom of operation he lacked in reality? These and many more convincing scenarios are played out against the dramatic and colorful backdrop of this critical and bloody era of American history.

About this title

About the Author:

Peter G. Tsouras has written a number of books, including Disaster at D-Day (1853676039), The Greenhill Dictionary of Military Quotations (1853675865), and, as editor and contributing author, Rising Sun Victorious (185367446X) and Cold War Hot (185367530X).

From Publishers Weekly:

A well-known series of alternate history anthologies now adds this solid and provocative exploration of the American Civil War. Seasoned alt-hist veteran Tsouras and nine other scholars offer 10 ways in which the South could have won its independence, beginning with European intervention or the construction (with British help) of a blockade-breaking navy. More subtle suggestions include Lee's lost order at Antietam being a deliberate deception, or the Union going bankrupt. The high points are probably Edward Longacre's Gettysburg campaign in which Jeb Stuart does his duty (he notoriously did not) and the editor's own somewhat implausible but enormously powerful scenario in which the South adopts General Cleburne's plan to free and arm the slaves. After that, Southern victories change the political equation, leading to Lincoln's defeat in the 1864 election. Evaluating these possibilities, one has to remember Shelby Foote's comment that "the North would just have brought the other hand out from behind its back." This latest entry in a series that's a byword among alternate-history fans succeeds in avoiding white supremacist fantasies and is well up to the very high standard set by earlier entries.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1853675954
• ISBN 13: 9781853675959
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272
• Editor: Tsouras Peter G.