{"id":3210,"date":"2006-07-11T03:31:00","date_gmt":"2006-07-11T08:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brianjnoggle.com\/blog\/?p=3210"},"modified":"2017-12-15T17:10:39","modified_gmt":"2017-12-15T23:10:39","slug":"book-report-stars-and-stripes-triumphant-by-harry-harrison-2003","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brianjnoggle.com\/blog\/2006\/07\/11\/book-report-stars-and-stripes-triumphant-by-harry-harrison-2003\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Report: Stars and Stripes Triumphant by Harry Harrison (2003)"},"content":{"rendered":"

This book represents the third book in the Stars and Stripes<\/i> trilogy, but I didn’t know that when I threw it in my box at the St. Charles Book Fair. All I knew is what the front cover told me (A Novel of Alternate History, Harry Harrison, and the title), and that was enough for me. I’ve done a Turtledove in the recent past (Ruled Britannia<\/i>, reviewed here<\/a>) and another Harrison novel earlier this year (The Stainless Steel Rat for President<\/i>, reviewed here<\/a>), so of course<\/i> I picked this one up, even though it’s an ex-library copy and I would later realize it cost $2.00<\/p>\n

The premise of the series: At the onset of the Civil War, Great Britain seizes a Confederate diplomat and unites the Union and the Confederacy into a war against Britain. Apparently the books deal with the initial conflict, subsequent conflict, and finally (this book) an invasion of Britain itself. It’s a quick read and stood well enough apart from the others in the series that I was not lost in it.<\/p>\n

Unlike Turtledove, this book is pretty straight-ahead action without a lot of reflection or repetitious, almost extraneous character development. On the other hand, it does skip a bit on actual drama and conflict, since the technology and the battle-hardened nature of the American side and its brilliant strategy pretty much ensures that events unfold as planned without significant hinderance from the British.<\/p>\n

That simple, almost logical progression not only plays to my jingoist American sensibilities, but also acts as fast forward buttons on the reading.<\/p>\n

So I liked the book and wouldn’t mind reading the others in the series, but let’s face it: I’ll try not to pay $2.00 for ex-library editons in the future. Unless the book fair bug strikes again.<\/p>\n

Books mentioned in this review:<\/b><\/p>\n