Fulminata reviewed Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove
Review of 'Guns of the South' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
I have to admit that when I read this back in 1993 I liked it, but that's because I was a young man educated in the South who still bought into a lot of "Lost Cause" lies about the nature of the Civil War. The premise of time traveling afrikaaners finding themselves isolated on the world stage trying to create an ally by providing the South with the ability to make AK-47s is an interesting one. The idea that they discover that the Southerners turn out to not be nearly as racist as they supposed is ludicrous.
This is pure Lost Cause propaganda. It portrays the leaders of the Confederacy as not really racist to the point that once they win the Civil War they begin dismantling the institution of slavery.
The only thing this has going for it compared to the author's later alternate histories, is that at least …
I have to admit that when I read this back in 1993 I liked it, but that's because I was a young man educated in the South who still bought into a lot of "Lost Cause" lies about the nature of the Civil War. The premise of time traveling afrikaaners finding themselves isolated on the world stage trying to create an ally by providing the South with the ability to make AK-47s is an interesting one. The idea that they discover that the Southerners turn out to not be nearly as racist as they supposed is ludicrous.
This is pure Lost Cause propaganda. It portrays the leaders of the Confederacy as not really racist to the point that once they win the Civil War they begin dismantling the institution of slavery.
The only thing this has going for it compared to the author's later alternate histories, is that at least it's just one volume.
