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What If?: Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been
 
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What If?: Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been (Paperback)

by Robert Cowley (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Frequently Bought Together

What If?: Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been + More What If?: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been? + What If? America: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been
Price For All Three: £21.37

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Product details

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Pan Books; New edition edition (6 April 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0330487248
  • ISBN-13: 978-0330487245
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 27,218 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #61 in  Books > History > Military History > Strategy, Tactics & Military Science

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
American editor Robert Cowley has brought together those whom his meaty book dubs "the world's foremost military historians" to describe details of significant human conflicts and to construct plausible "counterfactual" events. The balance between the actual and the speculative varies between essays but the counterfactual is always used as "a tool to enhance the understanding of history".

Beginning with the siege of Jerusalem in 701 BC and ending with the Cold War, the contributors posit some amazing historical alternatives. Christianity and Islam, for example, may never have existed and Hitler might have been killed in the First World War. Generally taking a "Western" (sometimes specifically American) perspective, the far-reaching repercussions of real and imagined events are shown. Information gems include the fact that Genghis Khan's soldiers wore silk underwear and that the Kaiser almost met his end in a Wild West show stunt in 1889. What If? reveals that the path of history is a mix of action, reaction and chance. As the editor writes, "milliseconds can influence centuries" and "the difference can be as slight as the path of a bullet". A book of both facts and opinions, it can be argued with as well as learnt from. It might provide perfect fodder for an intellectual dinner party--although pondering the frightening unpredictability of past and future could damage your appetite! --Karen Tiley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"'Anyone interested in military history or indeed history in general will find it fascinating to read.' Spectator 'Pure, almost illicit pleasure... What makes these essays tremendously diverting is how little they strain one's sense of credibility.' Andrew Roberts, Sunday Telegraph 'These informed, elegant essays authoritively analyse incidents over the past 3,000 years.' The Times 'One of the delights of the book is that broad speculative analysis is built from a mass of exciting detail. This make for a top-class bed-side read.' Financial Times"

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What If?: Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been
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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars What if the book had more detailed follow-up?, 8 Dec 2002
By U. Schwela "iperboreano" (Thornton, Lancs., England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
As a book, this was certainly hard to put down and was a quick read, the various scenarios it presents are very interesting, although the great emphasis on 1770's America should perhaps be highlighted on the book's cover. There was one greater frustration though, each scenario is built up vividly but there is a lack of detail as to WHAT the consequences of an alternate history might have been. You end up finishing the book feeling you have been on a roller-coaster ride where none of the drops lived up to the expectation built up in the climb. A good introduction to alternate history, but no more.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, 16 Feb 2005
By T. Lynch (Newcastle Upon Tyne, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
As a history student myself and with an interest in alternative histories and what might have been, I found this book to be very entertaining. The book covers scenarios such as Thirteen ways the Americans could have lots the revolution, a Roman Victory over the Germanic tribes in the Teutoburg Forest, a victorious Spanish armada, a failed D-Day, and the cold war turning hot at the Berlin Wall in 1961 to name but a few. In each scenario events are pin pointed in which history could have diverted off into an alternative path. It is thoroughly entertaining to read, although I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed that the alternatives weren't explored in a bit more detail. Nevertheless, the book is an interesting and entertaining read to anyone with an interest in history.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting view on what might have happened....., 16 Jan 2001
This review is from: What If? Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been (Hardcover)
The author has pulled together some of the most emminent military historians of our time and has produced a fascinating book with short chapters dedicated to studying the possible outcome had the fortunes of war gone the other way.

The books starts with the Persians and the Greeks and leads up to modern day conflict. Some of the essays are quite convuluted, dizzying in their breadth of possibilities and permutations, what if, what if, what if....?

A very enjoyable, thought-provoking read and I highly recommend it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb read!
A cracking romp through the what ifs of military history. Perhaps a tad too much on the American revolution, although that is inevitable given the mainly US contributors. Read more
Published 1 month ago by M. C. Vibert

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just for history anoraks!
An excellent read, never gets too technical or detailed to turn off the casual non-expert reader. Great both to learn more about the actual events and to think about the impact of... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Refusenik

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and thought provoking
Most fans of history have often asked themselves "What if" certain historical events had turned out differently. What is [...] attack on the Soviet Union had succeeded? Read more
Published on 12 May 2007 by M. McManus

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic fun
well, i just think this is a superbly interesting book, perfect for dipping in to and re-visiting. If more people were to read this sort of book on trains etc. Read more
Published on 9 Jul 2006 by M. Lyle

1.0 out of 5 stars Not history but entertainment.
I read this book expecting a work of well researched history and read it alongside Creasey's Decisive Battles. I was disappointed. Read more
Published on 15 Sep 2004 by El Loro

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
What if? What if the authors had spent more time in developing alternative scenarios rather than in presenting the historical background? Read more
Published on 10 April 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
I'd been anticipating reading this book for some time, and as soon as I got it I dived in - and what a pity! Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2003 by mogrim

5.0 out of 5 stars An alternative history lesson
What if? on the one hand had me gripped, interested and really made me think, and on the other, I found it quite scary to see how close we were, during certain historical events,... Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2002 by Philip Roberts

2.0 out of 5 stars Great concept, disappointing end product.
I would have loved this book if it had actually done what it originally set out to do - which is to write alternate histories for various pivotal events in the... Read more
Published on 17 Oct 2002 by silver_blue

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking, frightening - sequel needed!
This book of "counter factual" history essays provides a thought-provoking, sometimes frightening look at what might have been, particularly those essays concerning the... Read more
Published on 30 Jun 2000

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