More What If?: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been

I am very happy to buy in this rare book. This book is very good quality.Thank you AMAZON Authority.

Passing these essays off as 'counterfactual' is actually downgrading their value. In the main, most of these essays actually consist of well argued cases of historical turning-points, with the 'if' speculation only a small element of each essay....*They are a reminder that much of history is frequently determined by small but crucially pivotal events - a sort of human Chaos Theory in action.There are a host of meaningful insights to be gained from these thought-provoking well written pieces. Cowley's synopses of each contribution are excellent. * No contemporary anthology of this nature is complete without the tiring prognostications of the dreadful fate that would have befallen life on Earth had the 'Austrian corporal' prevailed in WWII.....Several essays cover this now obligatory mantra.

Book seems to continue on from ideas already suggested in the old book eg. Napoleon the third not losing at Sedan was already mentioned in the first book. This one suggests he avoids fighting Prussia and thus first world war doesn't happen - already in the first book in a short article, and we get an early common market and no world war one. As for Jesus not being crucified, of course this would change history - we wouldn't even use the same dates ! Has anyone ever wondered what would have happened if Guy Fawkes succeeded in killing King James in 1605? Like how does Jamestown, Americas first successful place (1607), get it's name from a dead king? Or get started at all if Spain gets dragged into an earlier English civil war, a kind of "War of the English succession?" England could not have established a presence in the Americas without a peace treaty with Spain. These are only ideas of course, but the book seems, with a couple of exceptions, to have only new ideas on the same points in history as the old one. Loved the "William loses battle of Hastings" article, that was new, but it seemed to suggest there would be still be a war of independence in the USA when, in actual fact, history would be so changed we can't even postulate the effect on borders of countries 700 years later. One thing is for sure, it wouldn't have been George Washington who would win for USA, his ancestors came over with William from Normandy !A good book though, and I'm glad I bought it.

Separate essays by historians who theorise what the outcome would be if key events in history panned out differently. Certain events will mean more to the reader than others, depending on your knowledge of history.The book was originally published in the USA, so some of the essays are more of interest to an American readership, for example the results of certain U.S. elections or alternative Presidents throughout their history.Clearly some of the speculations are arguable, but altogether the book is a good romp for anyone interested in history.

The content was well written and researched. The book itself was not satisfactory. The print was small on off color pages and it was hard to open. I guess it was the binding.Jack B. Walters

Again a birthday gift to an American friend who had borrowed my husbands copy and was very reluctant to return it