1812: The Rivers of War

This is the first "alternate history" book I've read that I've liked. It's only the second one I've ever read, so that's not surprising, but what I learned is that I like these "alternative history" stories better when they involve historical periods with which I am reasonably unfamiliar. In this case, it's the War of 1812, and the life of Sam Houston. I didn't know enough about what actually happened to be bugged when the author (Eric Flint) made a choice I found unlikely. In fact, the author, in the notes at the end, makes mention of the fact that he only made one teeny, tiny change as his "hinge" and everything else flowed from that. It was very effective.

The thing is, this book just reads like excellent historical fiction. Sam Houston interacts with Andrew Jackson at the battle of Horseshoe Bend, and a friendship is born that will change the nation. The battle scenes are as fascinating as anything by Bernard Cornwell (which, if you know me, is high praise), and the political "predictions" are not only plausible but make sense. Next on my list is "1824: The Arkansas War", where the real upheaval happens. But I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.