See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside another edition of this book

Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals (Paperback)

by Niall Ferguson (Editor) "Between 1638 and 1640, when not distracted by fiscal crises and Scottish wars, Charles I turned his attention to a more congenial task: the plans..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


16 used from £2.00
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (New edition) 8 used & new from £17.85
Paperback (New edition) 10 used & new from £12.30

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World

Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World

by Niall Ferguson
4.3 out of 5 stars (51)  £6.99
Colossus: The Rise and Fall of The American Empire

Colossus: The Rise and Fall of The American Empire

by Niall Ferguson
3.8 out of 5 stars (10)  £7.69
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World

by Niall Ferguson
4.4 out of 5 stars (30)  £5.99
The War of the World: History's Age of Hatred

The War of the World: History's Age of Hatred

by Niall Ferguson
4.0 out of 5 stars (20)  £9.09
The Pity of War

The Pity of War

by Niall Ferguson
3.9 out of 5 stars (21)  £9.09
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 548 pages
  • Publisher: Papermac; New edition edition (6 Mar 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0333647289
  • ISBN-13: 978-0333647288
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.2 x 4.1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 182,108 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Product Description
What if Britain had stayed out of World War I? What if Germany had won World War II? These are just a couple of the questions answered in this book. The text is a collection of pieces exploring what could have happened if nine events had turned out differently.

From the Publisher
Revolutionary book challenging history's inevitability
What if Britain had stayed out of the First World War? What if Germany had won the Second? Historians have traditionally refused to ask questions of the past, preferring to assume that whatever happened was inevitable. But Virtual History challenges this complacency as leading historians apply 'counterfactual' arguments to decisive moments in modern history. "Ferguson...constructs an entire scenario starting with Charles I's defeat of the Covenanters, running through three revolutions that did not happen and climaxing with the collapse of the West, ruled by an Anglo-American empire, in the face of a mighty transcontinental, tsarist Russian imperium...A welcome, optimistic assault on an intellectual heresy that has done much, much more harm than good" Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times; "Quite brilliant, inspiring for the layman and an enviable tour de force for the informed reader...A wonderful book...lucid, exciting and easy to read" Claus von Bulow, Literary Review; "Sizzling essays hot from the academic griddle" Piers Brendon, Mail on Sunday
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
Between 1638 and 1640, when not distracted by fiscal crises and Scottish wars, Charles I turned his attention to a more congenial task: the plans for a new royal palace at Whitehall. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(1)
(1)
See all 5 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals
65% buy the item featured on this page:
Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World
11% buy
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World 4.4 out of 5 stars (30)
£5.99
Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World
9% buy
Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World 4.3 out of 5 stars (51)
£6.99
Colossus: The Rise and Fall of The American Empire
7% buy
Colossus: The Rise and Fall of The American Empire 3.8 out of 5 stars (10)
£7.69
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating concept, good book, 22 Jan 2003
By A Customer
Ferguson is an extremely readable historian, and in Virtual History he certainly raises a host of thought-provoking questions. The book deals with what my history professor calls 'if history'--what would have happened if circumstances had been just a little different, or if individuals had made different choices. Ferguson's introduction deals with any reservations people may have about this idea--he discusses conventional historians' dislike of 'if history', the need to avoid the 'Cleopatra's nose' ideas, and the reasons why it is so important to think about what could have happened.

The different chapters in the book discuss various scenarios--what would have happened if America had remained a British colony, what if Hitler had invaded Britain in 1940, and so on. Most are extremely readable. The essays discuss possibilities and detail why the choices which were made were actually made before considering what could have occurred. I found those dealing with WW2 to be the most interesting--perhaps this was because the Nazis left their plans for the Thousand Year Reich, allowing historians to reconstruct Hitler's Europe with reasonable certainty. Obviously the essays vary; I felt that the essay dealing with JFK was far from subjective. Certainly he was an extremely flawed man, and a continuation of Camelot might not have been in anyone's best interest, but it is more of an attack than a construction of Virtual History, and JFK's finest hour in the Cuban Missile Crisis is not even mentioned.

Despite this, I recommend this to any history students or anyone with a general interest. It's a book to dip in to and to think about, and one which might just change the way you view the past.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and thought-provoking, 7 Mar 2007
By J. Aitcheson (Wiltshire, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals (Paperback)
"Virtual History" has a very modern slant - its earliest subject is Charles I and the Civil War and 7 of the 9 essays relate to 20th-century events. As a reader with an interest in ancient and medieval history I was a little disappointed that there was not a little more variation. That does not undermine the quality of the writing at all, but some prior knowledge of the subjects covered is definitely helpful. To be fair, however, care has been taken to ensure that the subjects chosen are all fairly well-known events - the (English) Civil War, the American War of Independence, World War Two, the assassination of JFK for example.

Ferguson's introductory chapter is perhaps the best section of the book, being both excellent and informative. In it he takes a careful look at the development of counterfactual history over the ages, making reference to the literary world and to the development of science too. Some might find this section too dry, especially if their interest is more in the actual 'what if' scenarios presented in the following chapters. To me, however, this was one of the most engaging parts of the book, with plenty to consider.

One of the best essays is Andrew Roberts' "Hitler's England: What if Germany had invaded Britain in May 1940?" Here he explores plausible alternative courses based on contemporary attitudes, German strategies and British contingency plans. This is the kind of counterfactual history this book is really concerned with, rather than simply telling fictional stories. For this reason there seems to be little value in the last chapter, which attempts to tie together all the scenarios into a continuous narrative.

It is also useful to point out that it has an extensive list of endnotes so it is possible to follow up certain points. At the same time, though, it would have been nice to have a bibliography or 'recommended reading' list. However, this is a minor flaw in what is generally an excellent read for anyone interested in 'what if?' history or even just looking for a new and imaginative take on what are well-covered subjects.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars History is an accident - brilliant, 19 Mar 2006
By J. C. Okonkwo "JennyO" (London, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals (Paperback)
A slow start, and gets bogged down at times. However so shocking and controversial it will turn your head around 180 degrees. Absolutely must.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Counterfactual history done properly
This book is a fascinating insight to counterfactual history.

The benefit of the book is it claims to be academic, which is justified to do so. It is clever and insightful. Read more

Published on 16 Nov 2000 by johnkitson@btinternet.com

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Origin and Prevention of...

The Origin and...

Since the development of the modern state system in Europe four... Read more
£24.69

›Find similar items

 

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

›Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

  

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver
Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

›Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (76)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (464)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (166)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (87)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates