Redcoat's Revenge

67th Tigers

Banned
It has arrived and the first quick scan leaves a very favourable impression. I'll review it when I've finished.
 

MacCaulay

Banned
67th Tigers said:
Oh, it's a Harry Harrison book... :D
Click to expand...

I think people give the Stars and Stripes series too much crap. It was written as an old timey adventure tale, just like Peshawar Lancers. Alternate history doesn't just have to be used as a robotic "this is probably what would've happened" regurgitation like we do on this site 99 percent of the time.

It can also be used to recycle old storytelling devices or to tell stories in new ways that can make them stand out and seem fresher or different. I think there were alot of folks who opened up the Stars and Stripes books expecting some sort encyclopaedic tome of a war that never happened. And when they got a book by the same guy who wrote The Stainless Steel Rat, (a fucking awesome series) they couldn't switch gears.

And it sucks because they're fun books when you just stop worrying about the reality and treat them like he wrote them: pulp fiction.
 
Thande

Thande

Donor
MacCaulay said:
I think people give the Stars and Stripes series too much crap. It was written as an old timey adventure tale, just like Peshawar Lancers. Alternate history doesn't just have to be used as a robotic "this is probably what would've happened" regurgitation like we do on this site 99 percent of the time.

It can also be used to recycle old storytelling devices or to tell stories in new ways that can make them stand out and seem fresher or different. I think there were alot of folks who opened up the Stars and Stripes books expecting some sort encyclopaedic tome of a war that never happened. And when they got a book by the same guy who wrote The Stainless Steel Rat, (a fucking awesome series) they couldn't switch gears.

And it sucks because they're fun books when you just stop worrying about the reality and treat them like he wrote them: pulp fiction.
Click to expand...

I get where you're coming from, but the problem is that Peshawar Lancers demonises Tsarist Russia, and at that a version of Tsarist Russia so warped that it's barely recognisable. As with the Draka series essentially demonising apartheid South Africa on steroids, no-one is going to get offended by that.

Whereas the Stars and Stripes series demonises 19th century Britain, which is just offensive.
 

Grimm Reaper

I'm almost afraid to see the sequel.:(

The one starting from the premise that without the Duke of Wellington and so many British regulars Waterloo was a clear victory for Napoleon seeing the effective destruction of the Prussian Army and the death of Blucher. With Austria coming to terms the last hope to defeat Napoleon was the Tsar...



;)
 

avon1985

I read it not to long ago. Jackson vs Wellington at 2nd Saratoga was interesting battle. Not going into any real spoilers but I thought the whole book well written was a believable ending. Worth what I payed for it. The author also did a great non fiction book on the USS Constitution. It is also an open enough ending for there to be a second book.
 

67th Tigers

Banned
2/3rds of the way through (it's my tube reading). I'm getting very annoyed with the author keeping referring to "rifles" when he means smoothbore muskets, and his lack of understanding about the organisation of armies (15,000 R&F organised as 3 bdes? That is a standard British 8 bde Corps de Armee strength formation. Since when did British bdes have a 2i/c?).

Knocks spots off a lot of other stuff because the author knows his logistics though....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top