Archive for August, 2012

Hurricane Isaac – The Flooding of Mississippi and Louisiana

Hurricane Isaac made landfall last night on southeastern Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane with winds gusting to 85 mph.

Ordinarily, a hurricane this weak wouldn’t draw the attention that this current storm is receiving.  The problem with Hurricane Isaac is where it made landfall and where the brunt of the wind, rain and storm surge is going.  And that direction is the Mississippi Gulf Coast along with New Orleans, Louisiana.

As we learned in school, hurricanes rotate counter-clockwise around the center of the storm, also known as its “eye.”  When you factor in the cyclone’s forward motion, the most intense part of the storm is the upper-right quadrant.  The winds are often slightly higher in this quadrant, and they increase in speed the closer you are to the eye of the storm. Read more…

PivoTrim (string trimmer head) – A Marketing Review

Summer is drawing to an end.

You know what that means.  It’s time to finally tackle some of those landscaping chores that you’re been delaying for the past three months.  As much as those snotty brats next door deserved to get lost in your weeds for three hours, it was rather annoying when the police had to rescue them and then have the nerve to give you a stern lecture about lawn maintenance.

Sigh.

The gasoline-powered string trimmer (or weed wacker or weed eater or whatever you call it) is still in the garage.  You dust off the cobwebs, top off the gas tank, and then yank the starter cord with all your might.  On the third try the engine catches, roaring to life in a sudden burst of power.

A choking cloud of white smoke from the trimmer’s engine envelops you as you slip on the safety glasses and head to the forest of weeds near the neighbor’s fence.  Revving the tiny engine to full power, you make a quick slashing motion, cutting down the first row of weeds.  The thick stalks of grass fall again and again as you cut through the overgrowth like a rabid lumberjack.

SNAP!

The still-standing stalks of grass confirm that your trimmer’s string just broke.  You pound the trimmer’s head against the ground and release more trimmer line.  A minute later the string snaps again.  More string is released but it also snaps in a matter of moments.  This process is repeated again and again until you finally slam the string trimmer so hard against the driveway it breaks the machine.

The overgrown weeds claim today as a victory.  The four-foot tall stalks of grass stand triumphantly as you drag the broken trimmer to the garbage can behind the house.  Perhaps tomorrow’s battle will end differently if you’re better prepared.

What’s this?

PivoTrim website — www.PivoTrim.com

The PivoTrim?  Aren’t there like a dozen “strong” trimmer string accessories on the market?

What makes PivoTrim different than every other ultra-tough string accessory that claims to be the best for your lawn?

PivoTrim TV commercial

Let’s take a closer look at the PivoTrim and see how it’s being marketed to the general public. Read more…

Tropical Storm / Hurricane Isaac – Update #4

It’s been almost 48 hours since our last update, and Tropical Storm Isaac has finally strengthened enough to reach hurricane status.

Hurricane Isaac’s projected path has finally narrowed and there’s little discrepancy amongst the computer models.  Yes, folks, Hurricane Isaac is taking aim at New Orleans, Louisiana.  The city is once again being targeted by a tropical cyclone.  At least this time the damage should be significantly smaller than when Hurricane Katrina struck the city back in 2005.

The latest advisory by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, places Hurricane Isaac about 55 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and roughly 135 miles southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana.  Hurricane Isaac has winds measured at 75 mph, just strong enough to classify the tropical cyclone as a hurricane.  Hurricane Isaac is currently tracking to the northwest at around 10 mph, though there was some reported wobble to the hurricane’s path. Read more…

Tropical Storm / Hurricane Isaac – Update #3

We’re now a couple of days later, and Tropical Storm Isaac is bearing down on the Florida Keys.

Over the past 48 hours, Tropical Storm Isaac has drenched Haiti along with parts of the Dominican Republic and the southern Bahamas, causing some damage along with mudslides from the torrential rains.  The tropical cyclone then passed close to Cuba and moved along the northern coast of the island nation, staying over the water most of the time.

Despite all of its time over warm water, Tropical Storm Isaac has only strengthened a little since we last examined the storm two days ago.  The latest advisory by the National Hurricane Center of Miami, Florida, lists the storm’s maximum sustained winds to be only around 60 mph.  Remember that a tropical cyclone needs to have winds of at least 74 mph to reach the strength of a hurricane.

As of an hour ago, Tropical Storm Isaac was about 50 miles to the south-southeast of Key West, Florida.  The storm’s maximum sustained winds were still only about 60 mph.  Right now Tropical Storm Isaac is tracking to the north-northwest at 18 mph. Read more…

Book Review – Clive Cussler’s “Night Probe!”

Today I finished reading another of Clive Cussler’s books, Night Probe!

Another book review?  Why are there so many of them lately?

The movie and marketing reviews will return soon.  For the past few weeks I’ve been working on a major project that has been requiring most of my attention.  I’m still reading here and there, and today I happened to finished my third book for the month of August.  Figured I might as well spend a few minutes talking about it before working on the next project.

Night Probe! is the fifth book in Cussler’s popular Dirk Pitt series of adventure novels.  The novel’s title is a term that divers commonly use (or at least they were still using back in 1981 when this story was first published) when exploring the dark of underwater caves.  That’s important for an event near the end of the story.

Night Probe! begins with a prologue set in 1914.

One night in May of 1914, there’s a robbery and hold up in a train station by the Hudson River in southern New York.  Held captive by the robbers, the two workers are unable to run outside and warn the approaching steam train, the Manhattan Limited, that the bridge over the Hudson River is out.  Supposedly the bridge was destroyed by the storm.  The train races past the station and crashes into the river, killing everybody on board including a passenger carrying a special document.

The only problem is that nobody could find the wreckage of the train.  Divers and crews checked up and downstream, but it appears that the train has simply vanished.  To make matters worse, on many nights a phantom train can be seen racing along those same tracks and stopping where the old bridge used to stand.

The same night that the Manhattan Limited crashed into the Hudson River, the ship RMS Empress of Ireland is sailing up the St. Lawrence River.  Suddenly, the Empress of Ireland is accidentally rammed amidships by a Norwegian ship.  The impact cuts a gaping hole into the side of the Empress of Ireland, and the ship sinks to the bottom of the St. Lawrence River in a matter of minutes.  Like the Manhattan Limited, the Empress of Ireland was also carrying a passenger with a very special document.

Fast forward to 1989. Read more…

Tropical Storm / Hurricane Isaac – Update #2

Tropical Storm Isaac has continued with its westward movement through the northern Caribbean Sea.  Impact on the western part of Hispaniola seems imminent.

The latest advisory by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, places Tropical Storm Isaac about 145 miles to the south-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  The storm has shifted slightly to the north and is tracking now to the west-northwest at 18 mph.  The storm’s maximum sustained winds are still only around 45 mph, keeping Isaac a relatively weak tropical storm.

The official forecast by the NHC has shifted Tropical Storm Isaac’s official path more to the west, putting it possibly in line with Mobile, Alabama and Biloxi, Mississippi.  The storm may pass over the Florida Keys, but right now it looks like the Florida peninsula may not be affected by the storm.  The Florida panhandle, on the other hand, is a different story. Read more…

Tropical Storm / Hurricane Isaac – Update #1

It’s been twenty-four hours since the last update, and Tropical Storm Isaac has now crossed the northern Lesser Antilles and entered the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.

According to the latest advisory by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, Tropical Storm Isaac is about 270 miles southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The tropical cyclone is currently tracking to the west at 20 mph.  Right now Tropical Storm Isaac still has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, keeping it at the lower end of the 39-73 mph wind speed requirement for classification as a tropical storm.

The official forecast is still keeping Florida in the sights of Tropical Storm Isaac.  The forecast has shifted slightly to the west and now places the tropical cyclone possibly striking the Gulf Coast of Florida.  The timing with this storm is rather interesting as this Monday starts the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. Read more…

Tropical Storm / Hurricane Isaac – A First Look

It’s been about two weeks since we were last discussing tropical storms and the potential for another hurricane in the 2012 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season.

The last couple of storms sort of fizzled out and posed no threat whatsoever to the continental U.S.  This latest storm, Tropical Storm Isaac, looks like it could be rather interesting for residents in Florida and the southeastern United States.

Tropical Storm Isaac recently strengthened from a tropical depression into a tropical storm.

The latest public advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, places Tropical Storm Isaac in the Atlantic Ocean about 390 miles east of the island of Guadeloupe.  The tropical storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, and it’s currently tracking to the west at 18 mph.

Computer models are predicting a decrease in the wind shear currently affecting the tropical storm, thus allowing the storm to increase to a hurricane within the next couple of days.  With this forecast in mind, hurricane watches are already in effect for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Read more…

Book Review – Tom Clancy’s “Op-Center – Mirror Image”

Late last night I finished reading the second book in Tom Clancy’s Op-Center series, Mirror Image.

Published back in 1995, Mirror Image takes us back to the days just following the end of the Cold War between the U.S. and Soviet Union.  In this story, the newly-elected president of Russia, Kiril Zhanin, is trying to install more of a western-style of government.  The problem is that Communist sympathisers lead by Minister of the Interior Nikolai Dogin along with Colonel Rossky want Russia to return to its old ways of running things.

Op-Center: Mirror Image begins in St. Petersburg, Russia as a couple of English spies are executed by some of Colonel Rossky’s agents.  We learn that Dogin recently lost the presidential election to Zhanin, but while accepting his loss, Dogin is already planning ahead to his personal vision of the future — a future with all of Russia and parts of eastern Europe and the Ukraine reunited again under the Soviet flag.  Dogin had been using funds and building the St. Petersburg Operations Center, a very sophisticated reconnaissance and communication facility built underneath an art museum and next to a television studio.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, things are quiet in Washington, D.C. at the National Crisis Management Center, also known as “Op-Center.”  Director Paul Hood finally takes some time off and flies with his family cross-country to southern California, leaving General Mike Rogers in command of the Op-Center.

Suddenly, a terrorist detonates a bomb in one of New York City’s many underwater tunnels, killing many people and wrecking havoc in the city.  It turns out that this was a Russian extremist who committed the act, and in a move that surprises everybody at the White House, he turns himself in to the authorities.  The attack was an attention-getter for the U.S. President.  The Russian warns the president specifically not to interfere with what’s about to happen in eastern Europe, or many other bombing will quickly be carried out throughout the country.

The Op-Center still wants to resolve this issue with the Russian extremists.  A specialized group of Op-Center soldiers, known as Striker, flies to Helsinki, Finland, for the first stage of their mission, something that’s still being sorted out by the commanders.  Op-Center is aware of Russia’s new spy center in St. Petersburg, but its details are unknown as all the spies who try to get close to the center are being executed. Read more…

Book Review – Clive Cussler’s “Vixen 03″

Earlier today I finished reading Vixen 03, book number four in the popular Dirk Pitt series of books written by Clive Cussler.

First published back in 1978, Vixen 03 begins with the tale of an ordinary Air Force cargo plane on a highly secret mission back in 1954.  The C-97 Stratofreighter, code named “Vixen 03,” has its crew awakened for an urgent night flight in the middle of the winter.  Its cargo – secret.  The Navy admiral in charge of the cargo informs the crew that in the event of an aircraft malfunction, they are not to bail.  They are required to stay with the aircraft at all costs.

The C-97 is fully loaded and barely has enough power to lift off a runway in Colorado.  Minutes into the flight there’s engine trouble.  One of the propellers is thrown from the engine, cutting a gash into the fuselage.  The C-97′s pilot tries to turn back to the airfield, but the aircraft just isn’t going to make it.  The flight crew spots a clearing in the Colorado mountains and they make a belly-up landing on the snowy field.  Unfortunately, they didn’t land on a field.  The ice cracks and before anybody can flee, the C-97 suddenly sinks into a deep lake.

There the C-97 and its deadly cargo sit and wait until fate places the right person in the right place at the right time for its discovery.

Vixen 03 jumps ahead to September of 1988.

Dirk Pitt, the special projects director for NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency) is spending some time with Loren Smith, a Congresswoman who represents a rural portion of Colorado.  They’re in a rustic cabin that was built and used frequently by Loren’s father, a man who was tragically killed in an explosion three years ago.

One day while looking for fishing poles, Dirk enters the cabin’s garage and spies some most unusual equipment.  He finds an oxygen tank and front landing gear from an aircraft hidden underneath a tarp.  Loren shrugs it off, claiming that her father was always tinkering with things.  Such a find is so unusual that Dirk’s curiosity drives him to investigate the peculiar aircraft parts. Read more…

InstaHang (hanging device) – A Marketing Review

DING DONG!

The dog starts barking, confirming the suspicion that somebody is at the door.  Looking out the window, you spy the delivery truck in the street.  “It’s here, it’s here!” you excitedly tell yourself while running to the front door.  You quickly pull open the front door, startling the deliveryman.  Before he can say a word, you yank the flat package from his hands and slam the door in his face.

“Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!”  You can hardly contain your excitement as you rip open the packaging material and open your long-awaited prize.  The dog gives you a puzzled look as you pull out the paperwork, as if he’s thinking, “What’s the big effing deal?”  Sure enough, it’s here.  After studying for three years and needing to take the examination four times, the General Educational Development certificate has finally arrived!  Yay!

The frame for this proud achievement was already purchased a week ago.  Using those skills you learned, you expertly slide the certificate into the frame and then secure it.  Luckily, it fits correctly.  If the frame was too small you were prepared to use those fourth-grade cutting skills to make the certificate fit correctly.  But that’s not needed.  Now you need to hang the certificate on the wall.  Easier said than done.

Selecting a finishing nail with a thin diameter, you approach a blank spot on the wall and carefully place the tip of the nail against the wall.  You hold the nail steady with your left hand, pull back the hammer your right hand, quietly say a prayer, try to ignore the dog’s sudden outbreak of flatulence, and then smash the hammer against the nail with a mighty blow!

F&$K!

You missed the nail completely and smashed a hole in the drywall.  The frame is going to have to cover that new hole.  You slide the nail up and two inches to the right.  Once again you steady the nail, pull back the hammer, and strike it again.

MOTH#&@*#$ER!

It takes three more tries before you successfully place a nail in the wall.  Unfortunately, the frame is not large enough to cover all of the gashes in the wall.  Standing back to admire your certificate, you can’t help but notice those two gashes in the wall sticking out underneath and next to your prized possession.  The neighbors will probably notice the holes, too, when you insist they come over and admire your latest academic achievement.

Oh, if only there was an easier way to hang pictures and other crap on the walls.  Using a hammer and small nails is just too challenging.

InstaHang website — www.InstaHang.com

What’s this?  The InstaHang?  Can it really make it easier to hang items on the wall?

InstaHang TV commercial

I don’t know about this “InstaHang” or whatever they call it.  Let’s take a closer look at the advertising and see if this is really a useful product. Read more…

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Lands on Mars

Early this morning we were treated to another feeling of pride as the Curiosity rover for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory made a successful landing on our neighbor in space.

I was part of the many who chose to stay up late and watch the coverage live on NASA’s website.  It was fascinating watching the footage from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and seeing the scientists and technicians in action while Curiosity made its historic descent and landing.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory – descent and landing of Curiosity rover

Of course, Curiosity is not the first U.S. rover to successfully land on the Martian surface.  The Sojourner rover as part of the Mars Pathfinder mission successfully landed and operated on Mars from July 4 – September 22, 1997.  The Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity both landed on Mars in January of 2004.  Spirit‘s wheels became stuck in the sand in January of 2010, and communication with it ended on March 22, 2010.  As far as Opportunity, that rover is still operating on the surface of Mars. Read more…

Tropical Storm Ernesto – Update #2

Twenty-four hours later and it appears more and more likely that Tropical Storm Ernesto is taking the southern route through the western half of the Caribbean Sea.  Right now the computer models are placing the tropical storm’s path on a direct path towards Belize and southern Mexico.

One of the interesting things about Tropical Storm Ernesto is that the storm has not really strengthened since it officially became a tropical storm a few days ago.  In fact, despite being in warm and calm waters, the storm is actually less organized now than it was the other day.

Right now Tropical Storm Ernesto is about 205 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 355 miles east of the Nicaragua/Honduras border in Central America.  The storm still has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph with gusts up to 65 mph, keeping it a solid tropical storm.  Its movement is currently to the west at a quick pace of 23 mph. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy (1999)

Back in 1999, Universal Pictures released The Mummy, a movie remake that loosely followed 1932′s classic monster movie of the same name.  While not as horrifying as the 1932 original film, the 1999 remake of The Mummy was an exciting and imaginative adventure movie.

The Mummy proved to be a hit with the theater audience, and the film earned over $400 million in worldwide revenue.  This film would produce two sequels to the theaters along with a hit thrill ride, “Revenge of the Mummy,” in the Universal Studios theme parks.

Set in Egypt in both the 1290s BC as well as the 1920s AD, The Mummy stars Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Arnold Vosloo in the lead roles.  The Mummy was written and directed by Stephen Sommers, and music legend Jerry Goldsmith provided the film’s score.

The Mummy begins in 1290 BC as Anck-su-Namun (Patricia Velásquez), the mistress of Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I, has an affair with the high priest, Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo).  When Pharaoh Seti I discovers the affair, Anck-su-Namun and Imhotep kill the pharaoh.  Imhotep escapes from the palace as Seti’s guards enter the room.  Anck-su-Namun tells Imhotep to resurrect her before she kills herself in front of Seti’s guards, the Medjai.

The Mummy (1999) – (c) Universal Pictures

Imhotep steals Anck-su-Namun’s corpse and takes it deep in the desert to Hamunaptra, the city of the dead.  Imhotep and his priests begin the resurrection ceremony, but the Medjai stop him before it can be completed.  As severe punishment, Imhotep’s priests are mummified alive, a horrific procedure.  Imhotep’s punishment is even worse as he endures the Hom Dai – his tongue is removed, and he’s buried alive and consumed by flesh-eating scarab beetles.  The Hom Dai ritual makes Imhotep immortal so that he can suffer from his wounds for all eternity.  His body is buried beneath a statue of Anubis, and his tomb is guarded by several generations of Medjai.  If Imhotep is ever released from his tomb, then the immortality granted to him by the Hom Dai ritual will allow him to unleash untold destruction. Read more…

Tropical Storm Florence – A First Look

The tropics are starting to get busy as Tropical Storm Florence is the latest tropical storm to develop during the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.

The good news for coastal residents is that Tropical Storm Florence formed waaaaaaay out in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.  This storm is so far to the east that you see large portions of Africa on the satellite views instead of the Caribbean islands or United States.  Storms that develop that far to the east historically pose little to no threat to the continental U.S.

The latest advisory places Tropical Storm Florence about 415 miles west of the Cape Verde islands off the coast of Africa.  Florence is tracking to the west-northwest at 16 mph.  The tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. Read more…

Tropical Storm Ernesto – Update #1

Thirty-six hours since the previous positing about Tropical Storm Ernesto, and the storm has tracked to the east is now churning away in the Caribbean Sea.

The latest advisory places the tropical storm still in the eastern half of the Caribbean Sea, roughly 270 miles south of Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic, and 550 miles to the east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica.  Although Tropical Storm Ernesto hasn’t strengthened since the last posting (it sill has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph), the tropical storm has become slightly better organized.

Tropical Storm Ernesto is currently tracking to the west at 18 mph, taking the storm to the warmer waters of the western Caribbean Sea.  The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, is forecasting for the tropical storm to continue its movement to the west-northwest, keeping the storm well south of Hispaniola and Jamaica.  Strengthening is expected to take place sometime on Sunday, with the tropical storm becoming a hurricane probably within the next 36-48 hours. Read more…

Tropical Storm Ernesto – A First Look

Today, the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, upgraded Tropical Depression Ernesto into a tropical storm.

Right now the tropical storm is still well south of the U.S. and located around 13.4 degrees north latitude.  The National Hurricane Center has Tropical Storm Ernesto tracking to the west at around 22 mph, bearing down on the Lesser Antilles islands in the Caribbean.  Although Tropical Storm Ernesto only has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, the tropical storm is forecast to slightly strengthen over the next 24-48 hours.

The latest public advisory by the National Hurricane Center places Tropical Storm Ernesto about 80 miles east of Barbados, and 185 miles east of the island of St. Lucia.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING is currently in effect for the following locations: Read more…

Book Review – G. Gordon Liddy’s “Will”

Willpower is perhaps the biggest difference between dreamers and doers.

If you have the willpower to do whatever it takes to conquer your fears, overcome your weaknesses, and the drive to make yourself succeed, then you will be unstoppable.  It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, black or white, fat or skinny, or anything else for that matter.  The bottom line is your own desire to succeed in your quest.

That quest for ultimate willpower is the basis for much of G. Gordon Liddy’s autobiography, Will.  Much of his book should be required reading for middle and high school students.  It’s that inspirational with positive examples of pushing yourself to be the best person.

Yes, that’s the same G. Gordon Liddy who was involved with the Democratic National Convention break ins at the Watergate hotel complex, a conspiracy that ultimately led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.  Take note that Will takes you well beyond the Watergate incident and much more not only in that event, but into the legendary man himself.

Will beings with a brief look at Liddy’s childhood days.  From an early age he learns to conquering his fears, from scary Zeppelins that flew over his home to even scarier thunderstorms full of lightning and strong wind.

Liddy’s later schooling involved challenging himself to be a top student in both athletics and his studies.  He quickly learned how to outsmart and defeat bullies, making sure none of them challenged him again.  He forced his body to overcome pain.  In college, Liddy pushed himself, striving to beat his father’s outstanding academic and athletic records.

After college, Liddy was an officer in the Army and close to being sent to Korea.  A medical emergency took him off a listing to be eligible for Korea, but even in severe pain and at risk for further injury, Liddy still participated in a gruelling physical challenge to prove his combat readiness.  The Army had the final say, and Liddy was kept state side at a few different posts.  His smarts kept control of the men under his command, and his seriousness and toughness prevented them from challenging his authority. Read more…

Movie Review – Total Recall (1990)

What did you do yesterday?

How about last week?  Do you remember of the details and feelings last time you went on vacation?

Now what if you were told that those memories are just a lie?  You really didn’t live those events.  Those “memories” were physically implanted into your brain to cover your true identity.  Just how well do you think you know yourself?

That’s the basic premise for 1990′s science-fiction thriller, Total Recall.

Total Recall stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid, a construction worker in the year 2084.  Quaid lives an ordinary life with a beautiful wife, Lori (played Sharon Stone).  Although he accepts this lifestyle, it’s clear to see that he’s desperate for something else.  Something bigger.  Many nights he dreams of exploring Mars with a mysterious woman.

One morning, after waking from another nightmare about Mars, Quaid expresses his interest to Lori about going to Mars.  She disagrees, reminding him how bad things are on the Red Planet with the current war between rebels and the Martian government, run by governor Vilos Cohaagen (played by Ronny Cox – RoboCop, Beverly Hills Cop, etc.).  Lori suggests taking a space cruise to Saturn, but Quaid rejects her offer.

Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures

While travelling to work at a construction site, Quaid sees a TV commercial for a company called Rekall.  According to the marketers at Rekall, why go on a vacation to deal with lousy weather, bad service, and lost luggage when you can just implant the memory of a “perfect” vacation instead, remembering it like you just came back yesterday?    “For the memory of a lifetime, Rekall, Rekall, Rekall.”  Douglas Quaid mentions Rekall to one of his co-workers, Harry, but his friend suggests he stay away from that company.  Apparently a friend had a “special offer” from Rekall and nearly had to be lobotomized. Read more…

Book Review – Harry Turtledove’s “The Great War: American Front”

When it comes to history, you could always go back in time and ask yourself “what if this happened?” or “what if that happened?” or “what if . . . ” anything.

In this case, author and historian Harry Turtledove, went back to the American Civil War and asked a “what if . . . ” question.  What if the Battle of Antietam (one of the bloodiest battles and a turning point of the war) never occurred?

The Battle of Antietam was the result of a Confederate messenger losing General Robert E. Lee’s Special Order 191, plans that detailed an invasion of the north.  A Yankee soldier discovered the lost battle plans, gave them to General McClellan, and General McClellan forced the Confederate to turn back south at the Battle of Antietam.

In his alternative history novel, How Few Remain, Harry Turtledove ran with the notion that General Lee’s lost battle plans were rediscovered by a Confederate soldier.  The Confederate army continued with General Lee’s Special Order 191, and through a series of events the Confederacy defeats the Union army and wins the Civil War.  The Confederacy remains its own individual country.

The novel How Few Remain takes that a few steps further and ultimately has the Confederacy gaining territory westward to the Pacific Ocean.  Later in the novel, a scenario known as the Second Mexican War takes place, pitting the United States against the Confederacy once again.  It’s mainly a defensive war for the Confederates this time, and with battle locations stretching across the country and foreign armies and navies joining in the fight, it’s a massive war.  The war ultimately ends badly for the United States, and they’re forced to surrender.

So why all of this talk about How Few Remain?

The answer is that The Great War: American Front is actually the second book in a large series of alternative history books starting with the Civil War and lasting through World War 2.

Unfortunately, I was not aware of the scope of the entire series when I began reading The Great War: American Front.  I knew that it was the first book of an alternative history series, but Turtledove has several series in part of this massive storyline.  It wasn’t until later that I learned that another book came before this one and helps explain a lot of the story.

The Great War: American Front starts with a prologue taking you to the ending of the alternate version of the Civil War.  It doesn’t go into a whole lot of detail (you’ll have to read How Few Remain for that information), but General Lee is finishing the Army of the Potomac in Pennsylvania in October of 1862.  United States’ President Lincoln is forced to the negotiation table to discuss the surrender of his country.  The Confederate States of America is officially recognized as an independent country. Read more…