I recently had a chance to read several books which may be of interest to the readers of the Heliograph.

Harry Harrison has crafted a well written alternative history novel in Stars & Stripes Forever (Del Rey Book - Published by the Ballantine Publishing Group, October 1998). Set during the American Civil War it follows a lot of what really happened but the key turning point is that Great Britain goes to war against the US as a result of the Trent Incident. Things go terribly wrong for the British when they attack a port on the Confederate mainland instead of the Union controlled Island off the coast. The novel has combined action with a feel for the period. Mr. Harrison has allowed the possibility of a follow up book.

Another book, non-fiction, set during the Civil War is The Great Souix Uprising by C. M. Oehler (DaCapo Press, 1997). This book is a reprint of the 1959 edition. It tells the story of what is perhaps the bloodiest massacre in the history of the West - when the Souix killed over 800 settlers. It is this incident which triggered the entire Indian Wars. It is both interesting and eye opening. For those who game the American Plains Indian Wars there are several battles which may be gamed.

The third book is Ivan Musicant's Empire by Default: The Spanish-American War and the Dawn of the American Century (Henry Holt & Co., 1998). This is a massive work covering the period before, during and after the Spanish-American War. Mr. Musicant has written a history book which is enjoyable to read. It is well worth reading.