Let me start by saying that if you haven't read any of Peter Tsouras other works, do so post haste. Mr. Tsouras is a historian of excellence and a writer of some little merit. The charge has been laid by others that this book is dry and has a text book feel. I do not agree, but it is written less like a novel and more like a history than other comparable books.

This book is the first in a proposed trilogy (at least) dealing with how the American Civil War led to a far larger world war. It is well written and researched. It lays out the point of differentiation and lets us see how some small changes make large effects. I do not, for one, think that this book or series will turn into "ameriwank" as has been suggested. The history we work with is too limited to allow this to occur. This same history already had many roads not taken, and this simply shows how it could have changed the world.

I recommend that this book be picked up by anyone with an interest in the American Civil War or alternate history tastes. It will whet your appetite for more!

A very good tale about how a war with Britain and France starting in 1863 might have gone. Like most of Paul Trouras' books this reads like a modern history with footnotes and the characters are all based on real people.

The descriptions of combat are intense and the explanations of the difference between the English and American Weapons is interesting but the infighting on the American Side over the issuing of repeater weapons and keeping to the older more traditional seems a bit to contrived.

It it said that this book is part of a trilogy on this subject and the next book is eagerly awaited as it has started a good story line and

Tsoursas changes pace from his normal highly technical scenarios for a more story based format, but doesn't leave behind his keen eye for detail and accuracy. He makes this transition rather smoothly, not reaching the level of other authors in the genre but creating a real page turner. This is similar to his short story in the Dixie Victorious novel which was based off the Trent Affair, this novel is based off of the Laird Rams affair. Two ships were created for the Confederates in violation of international treaties. In our version of history they backed off after diplomatic pressure from the US. In this version they don't take the threats seriously and US takes action by sinking one of the ships before it can be transferred to the CSA triggering a declaration of war from the British government.

This book differs from others in the genre in that it offers a lot of background information, a majority of the action in the latter half of the book. It does a good job of letting the reader understand the political situation and introducing key characters, some fictional most behind the scenes. Little attention is given to General Lee, Longstreet, or Grant. A lot of attention is put to Sharpe, head of the first dedicated Military Intelligence Department, the well written but entirely fictional "Big Jim" Smoke (Copperhead Leader), or Garnet Wolseley the unofficial intelligence agent and observer for the British. This gives a clearer image of the complicated political climate of that era. Especially the Union, that is on a lot shakier feet that people realize. With rioters, copperheads, and other various anti-war democrats all wanting an end to the war and impeach Lincoln.

The book is lighter on the action that some will like. Most of the land battles save Maine are lightly touched on. The main action sequences involve the race to stop the Laird Rams from reaching the South, the British invasion of Maine and NE states, and a British task force attacking the blockade on Charleston. A majority of the book deals with the fledgling Union military intelligence department and how much potential advantage it has, the Copperheads, antiwar Union rebels planning to release POW's and arming them with stolen guns, and British soldiers carefully planning their actions based off of current intelligence. The battles of the South are mostly skimmed over. The Confederates seem to be wary after their losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, but get their second wind after Britain takes actions. They make some aggressive strikes and taking the initiative and putting some Union armies on the defensive. The French have little involvement, declaring war after the British, with plans to break the blockade in the Gulf of Mexico.

The main problem many will have with this novel is it sets up a lot of ideas, but doesn't go very far with them, it's pretty spread out trying to cover all angles. It focuses a little too much on technology, which is important but less could have been said about the cannons and more about the story. The novel is also relatively short considering how long it was delayed, hopefully this means there will at least be a trilogy. Most of the plots and battles inconclusive save for one, and the ones that did succeed were only touched on in a rather ominous nature. This is both good and bad. It is good that it gets you more interested in the outcome and next novel. It is bad in that we will probably have to wait another year to learn the outcome.

WARNING SPOILERS BELOW.

The Brits receive a bloody nose at the hands of new river monitors at Charleston for little gain. The blockade isn't broken and they loose more ships than the Union. The Battle for Maine ends indecisively, the British butting heads with the Maine divisions, fresh back from the frontlines. Hoping to quickly occupy Portland they weren't expecting to encounter more than militia and have to withdraw and prepare to attack a hastily defended town, unfortunately one defended by combat veterans. Albany is invaded by a small British force and they destroy anything that could support the war effort and loot the city. The Copperheads organize several prison breaks, most failing but one so successful Chicago is under the control of an armed and organized Confederate force who raise their flag. Longstreet takes advantage of a gap seen in Rosecrans forces and routs them. The British effectively end US international shipping, blockading every major port and hunting down the ships at sea. Russia declares war on the British in defense of the Union. The results of this are minor, only a few ships able to offer any support. I am curious what type of support the Czar would be able to offer considering the distance and the performance of the Russian Army during the Crimean War. Lee realizes Meade is in a weak position and hungrily marches on the offensive.

First the criticisms, it's far too short and unless the next two books are three times as long I can't see this series ending with three books. Secondly, it often read more like a history book than a novel, though that's not likely going to bother the audience of this work. Thirdly, as mentioned in other reviews he does have a fetish for weaponry, naval ordinance in particular.


However all that being said, the scenario laid forth in this book is vastly superior in its detail and plausibility to any other alternate history book I can think of. It puts Turtledove to shame. The maps and the footnotes are of excellent quality and add great historical flavor. The author has certainly done a great deal of research on the time period and it shows.

Although American victory is foreshadowed, the opening phase of the conflict is certainly balanced with both sides inflicting serious defeats upon each other. I can't wait to read the sequels.

By 1863, Great Britain had become an arsenal for the Confederacy. British built warships, with British crews, CSA officers, fly the CSA flag were raiding America's ships on the high seas. The CSS Alabama, built by the Laird Brothers of Liverpool, is scouring the shipping lanes destroying merchantmen. Under construction are two modern ironclads that can only be used as warships. Great Britain's government is looking the other way while rejecting mounting evidence that the United States will not allow these ships to join the Confederacy. Ambassador Adams said this was closest we came to war. Great Britain backed down, seized the ships and refused to allow them to leave port. That is history. The ability to write "what-if" history requires a good knowledge of history and the ability to alter events just enough to make a good story.
Peter G. Tsouras has an abundance of these abilities, coupled with a very readable style and the ability of a great storyteller. He put together a page-turner that is historically accurate and very plausible. The book has an excellent grounding in history with real people acting within their historical norms. Technology, training and experience have realistic major roles in the story. The battles are well done and realistic with both sides acting on historical plans.
This book is on par with the excellent Gingrich Forstchen alternate history of Gettysburg. Both contain a very plausible story line and are a joy to read. The worst part of this book is the sentence "To be continued." coming after a critical battle sequence. It leaves the reader hanging and waiting for the next book in what promises be an excellent series.

As a reader of the Alternate History genre, I have enjoyed tales told by several authors. Mr. Tsouras has earned a place with this work. I had not heard about either the Trent Affair nor the Laird rams in my prior readings about the Civil War.

The thing I like best about Alternate History stories is when I learn something new about the period. Britannia's Fist is well researched, full of incite about the people and events and his premises are reasonably plausible.

I would highly recommend this book to others and look forward to the next book in the series. It should be quite interesting to see how this story develops.

Britannia's Fist: From Civil War to World War is not a book about the Trent Affair. And given the number of alternate history books released in recent years (1862: A Novel, Stars & Stripes Forever: A Novel of Alternate History (Stars & Stripes Trilogy), etc.) that have revolved around that subject, I immediately gave Tsouras extra points upon cracking this book open. Instead of just another Ameriwank fantasy that has Gatling guns, repeating rifles, and ironclad warships magically produced and used by the most effective commanders in the Union by the end of 1861, what I found was a well-researched, interesting story with at least a semi-plausible backstory. Any potential reader should be warned that this is just the first book in a planned trilogy, however.

Rather than the Trent Affair, Tsouras chooses the diplomatic conflict surrounding the construction of the Laird Rams, a series of ironclad commerce raiders constructed in British shipyards for the Confederate States of America. In our history, American diplomacy and the desire of the British government to avoid war caused the seizure of the rams before they could be turned over to the British government. Here, that government is slightly slower to act, and an American ship attacks the first of the ironclads in British waters before it can be outfitted with guns and a full crew. A British ship attempts to intervene, and is sunk in the process. The public on both sides of the Atlantic is inflamed, and the war is on.

Unusually for an alternate history novel, which tends to assume a bit of familiarity with the subject by its readers, Tsouras spends a good quarter of the book establishing backstory and setting the scene. Given the relative obscurity of his point of departure from our history, however, the words are well spent. Particularly nice is a foreward in which he partially explains why he chose this subject. I assume that we'll see future volumes building upon the backstory established in this first volume, as there isn't much character development in the book -- Tsouras balances his time among three different theatres of war, and two others are hinted at.

That balancing act forces Tsouras to spread himself thin in showing readers the overall course of the war, and at just 255 pages (including approximately 30 of appendices and footnotes), I felt I didn't get as much bang for my buck as I hoped. This can be made up in future volumes, but if Tsouras spends too much time in the next volume recounting what we've learned here, it may limit what he's able to cover in the overall series. The footnotes and appendices are extremely useful for someone hoping to find out more, and there are dozens of allohistorical notes that provide hints of the future story.

Because the book is mostly written from the angle of a history recounting the war, we don't get much characterization. That fact may have prevented Tsouras from falling into the typical alternate history author's trap of giving past characters modern morals -- or Tsouras may be savvy enough to avoid falling into that trap. I simply can't tell at this point. That isn't the case with Tsouras' non-human characters -- the weapons used by the combatants.

I use the phrase "non-human characters" for the simple fact that far more attention is devoted to the details of Dahlgren Guns and Armstrong cannon than President Lincoln or the other figures who appear in the story. Tsouras' attention to these "characters" extends to the point of him seeming to set the stage for faster technological development of weapons -- Gatling Guns, repeating rifles, etc. -- in future books. He does manage to put this into the context of historical characters, however, and gives at least some basis for the movements in that direction.

In doing so, Tsouras avoids falling into the trap of Harry Harrison's Stars and Stripes Forever trilogy -- to which I think this series can be compared. Both deal with British/American conflicts during the Civil War, both will involve the quicker development of technology, and both (likely) deal with American victories. Although this is only the first book in the trilogy, Tsouras' writing heavily foreshadows an American victory in the war, even at this early point in the overall story.

Fortunately, the foreshadowing and characterization isn't absurd as it was in the Stars and Stripes trilogy. Tsouras seems to have a well-researched series in the works here, and if it can keep from advancing technology too quickly (or if it can at least provide enough justification for such a move) and if it can avoid falling into the bombastic Americanism of Harrison's series, this could be Tsouras' best work yet.

I'd recommend alternate history fans with an interest in the Civil War pick this up, but I'd warn alternate history fans in general or Civil War history fans in general to be wary of buying this at full price.

British troops barrelling through Maine on U.S. railroads. Russian, Union, and British naval vessels fighting it out near New York City. Citizens of Charleston, South Carolina, lining up behind P.G.T. Beauregard to greet a battered Royal Navy ship. Confederate flags flying freely over the Windy City of Chicago. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in his greatest battle since Little Round Top at Gettysburg. French troops march through Texas to relieve Union-held New Orleans. Lincoln and Stanton fighting a war on multiple fronts. Troops and ships rushing all over the map to confront one another.

Britannia's Fist, the first in a new trilogy from Potomac Books, can best be described as a believable and well written alternative history that "might have been." Replete with fictitious and real footnotes and references, George Tsouras's latest work at first glance might repel the die-hard Civil War buff who is looking for facts. However, this fascinating book is written in the fast-paced, free-flowing, "you are there" style developed so wonderfully by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Shaara in his masterful book, Killer Angels. Both books start a little slow as they set up the background and characters, but both build to a crescendo. Unlike Shaara's book, this one leaves you hanging and desperately awaiting the second installment.

Tsouras, an analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency, writes this book in a believable fashion, using actual Civil War characters and situations as the basis for his alternative fiction. He begins in the fall of 1864 after the Battle of Gettysburg and the New York Draft Riots. Diplomatic blunders and errors by overagressive military officers collide to set up a chain reaction that draws Britain, France, and Russia into combat in North America, while the Confederate army licks its chops and awaits the orders to advance on Washington. William Rosecrans is bogged down in Georgia and Tennessee, and secret CSA operatives match wits with George Sharpe, the Union head of intelligence.

What results is a fast-paced, action-packed book that frankly reads like a TV mini-series in the waiting. Alternating between the main )and some lesser) characters' point of view, Tsouras has fashioned a book that is sure to fascinate most readers, and especially those who enjoy this kind of alternative history. To me, it's much better written and more enjoyable than Newt Gingrich's series or even Harry Turtletaub's extensive line of "fictional history." At slightly over 200 pages, I read the book in a couple plane rides while on business this past two weeks, and, frankly, the flights whizzed by and I was disappointed to land and put down the book.

As you dive into the book and begin to get drawn into the action, be warned that the book ends abruptly, a ploy that is certain to draw fans back to their wallets for rounds two and three of this trilogy.

All in all, I was throughly entertained, something I cannot say for much of the alternative history that has crossed my desk in recent years.

When I heard about Peter Tsouras's new alternate history book, I had to read it. His compilations have always been varied and provocative, but always grounded in a good sense of historical possibilities. His latest book, Brittania's Fist is no exception. Solidly grounded in a shudderingly possible outcome, the author takes us to the dark days of America's Civil War. Following the defeat of the South at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, things looked up for the Northern cause. However, relations with Great Britain, never rosy due to their ill-concealed support for the Southern cause, reach a breaking point not seen since the Trent Affair. In an odd twist of fate, the two nations are suddenly battling at sea, shredding Lincoln's dream of "One War at a Time".
Not seen from the perspective of the iconic generals like Lee and Grant, instead we go down to the lower levels of command, from Garnet Wolseley, later one of England's greatest generals, to Thomas Meagher, the retired commander of the Irish Brigade, recalled to the colors when the redcoats are coming again. Faced with a three headed hydra of the Confederacy, England and France, the latter coming up from Mexico, the North seems ready to collapse, but unlikely allies like Russia and innovative designers like Dahlgren and Lowe prove that technology had give the edge to the underdog.
Still, its an uphill battle as British soldiers pour down from Canada and the mightiest ships in the British navy appear on the Atlantic Coast. At the end of this first book, the issue is still in doubt, but the North is not the house of cards its enemies expected.
Tsouras breathes historical figures to life for us, showing their hopes and dreams along with their grit and determination. Spies, Copperheads, inventors, government bureaucrats and others have their parts to play in this tightly woven tale of a nation at war on all sides. Technological matters of warfare are explained in detail so that the reader understands how battles can be won or lost if soldiers and sailors make full use of the equipment they are provided with.
The battle scenes, whether on land or sea, are breathtaking and terrible to behold. You feel the shudder of the deck as huge guns erupt in broadsides, with flame and splinters flying. Tsouras has given us an alternate history tour de force and I will be unhappily chafing for the next installment. Great read, highly recommended to buffs of history and alternate history
Andy Nunez
Editor, Against the Odds Magazine

This is another great about. A good old "What if". I didn't realize this would be a series of books when I purchased it, can't wait for the other books. Well worth your money.

Peter Tsouras provides the reader with a fascinating look at "what could have been" during the American Civil War in his latest book "Britannia's Fist". His true mastery is the identification of events and characters from today's footnotes to history that could have had profound influences on history if only the winds of fate had blown differently. Most importantly, Tsouras' gift as a storyteller makes this book a fantastic read.

As a responsible historian, Tsouras provides the reader with the actual historic accounting of events. He identifies the two points where America and Britain came dangerously close to armed conflict - the Trent Affair and the open construction of the Laird Rams, two ironclad commerce raiders destined for the Confederacy. Cooler heads prevailed in both instances ensuring the two nations would not begin open hostilities. Tsouras' story pivots on the question of what would have happened if the English government did not stop the trial runs of the two Laird Rams?

Tsouras cleverly intertwines historically accurate technology development, international relations policy, and actual events with the story of what could have happened. The story is told so well only historians will be able to discern where history and fiction diverge.

The main plot begins by centering on the events leading up to the release of the Laird Rams. President Lincoln, anticipating their escape during their sea trials, sends an adventurous young officer to intercept them before the ships can be married with their Confederate crews and weaponry. The intercept takes place in British international waters, instigating the implementation of the British warplans for a ground invasion from Canada and blue water naval operations. Tsouras also explores the opportunistic possibilities of two other world powers after the initiation of hostilities.

The one major sub-plot not fully developed in this story revolves around the Copperhead movement. Tsouras creates "Big Jim" Smoke as the fictional leader of the Copperhead movement in Indiana, who among other things leads a prison break at Camp Morton. The overall concept of a massive Copperhead uprising in the mid-West is visited often, but never fully developed. It looks to play a much larger role in subsequent books of the trilogy.

Leaving no detail unturned, Tsouras includes historic references for both the actual events and he creates fictitious references for documents that most likely would have been written if events had turned out differently. They are clearly marked to prevent the curious readers from pursuing non-existent documents.

This book is an absolute page-turner. I greatly anticipate the next book in the series.