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Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM |
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This Day in Alternate History Blog
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American Indian Victories Dale Cozert has been an inspiration to me and many other
CTT writers, so when he published a Print-on-Demand book, entitled American
Indian Victories, I was more than willing to shell out the cash (owwww) to buy
it. Dale tackles an area of history in which it is hard to get
good and plausible divergences with skill, in-depth knowledge and panache.
That part of history is almost inevitable, as far as any part of history
can be said to be inevitable, as the technology, tactical and disease advantages
of the European conquerors were overwhelming.
Dale, however, does not despair and puts forward a number of interesting
ideas. He takes several paths to a radically different world.
He starts with the addition of a disease that is native to America that
hits the Spanish and then spreads to Europe.
It is a very depressing idea, but it is well written and outlined.
A similar idea, along the same lines, is a disease that only kills
horses, which levels the field between Cortes and the Mexica. This is one of the most interesting AHs, but
-and this is a reoccurring problem with the shorter AHs in the book –
it is not carried very far. For example, what are the effects on Europe of there
being no horses? He then explores building up the technology of the Indians,
though contact with Cartage to trade between the Inca’s and the Aztecs.
Both ideas have radical effects and are very interesting to read. He also explores the possibility of other wars, including
an independent Inca kingdom and the Huron’s winning their war, and the effects
individual Spanish might have had on the politics and technology of Mexico. There are also sections on the OTL background of Mexico.
Those are interesting, but he often does not provide any sources or
references for the information.
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