Review; Guns of the South

I finished reading Harry Turtledove's "Guns of the South" last night. It's not what I would call a short read, and it requires the reader to possess some knowledge of Civil War history in order for it to be truly understood. "GOTS" was still a brisk read and very enjoyable. It was remarkable to read these characterizations of historical figures and to see how Harry Turtledove thought they would react to the circumstances detailed in the plot.

Mr. Turtledove is excellent at weaving together plot threads from multiple vantage points, the braid being looser in the beginning and tightening to a firm rope by the end. The connections between all the major characters become apparent, and the story of each character within that narrative is resolved in manners pleasing to the reader. Mr. Turtledove also engages in the moral and ethical arguments central to the novel, a practice I hardily approve of. Mr. Turtledove's writing style is polished and lends itself to being read easily.

I would give "GOTS" a 9.5 out of a 10. It's an excellent book, and Turtledove keeps the plot moving along nicely without getting bogged down too much in extraneous details. He does do so occasionally, but I've never read a book that didn't. On my scale there will probably never be such a thing as perfection, but "GOTS" comes  damned close.