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Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> writes:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2024 06:35:40 -0000 (UTC), Don <g@crcomp.net> wrote:
<https://jimmyakin.com/2006/09/im_my_own_grand.html>
In a major family reunion, re-uniting after decades the brother and
sister who, of the 11 children their parents had, were the only two to >>reach adulthood (life was hard in the 1880s or so on the Great
Plains), I met two young (8 and 11, IIRC) who were referred to as
"cousins" (American English being very liberal in the use of this
word) but who were, in fact, Aunt and Niece.=20
Technically, the definition of cousin (first) is that they
share a grandparent. A second cousin shares a great-grandparent.
Once removed if a generation apart.
Robert Woodward wrote:
In article <vho367$pele$1@dont-email.me>,
William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
Robert Woodward wrote:
In article <vhlsha$akbr$1@dont-email.me>,
Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
On 11/19/2024 1:21 PM, William Hyde wrote:
Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
In article <vhgg0u$1f9mv$1@dont-email.me>,
William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
Here we are again, possibly less late than usual with books from >>>>>>>> October.
As is traditional (and possibly required): The links below are >>>>>>>> Amazon
affiliate ones which could potentially earn me something should you >>>>>>>> choose to buy through one.
====
Acts of War: A World War II Alternative History
(The Usurper's War Book 1)
by James Young
https://amzn.to/3UAZsmc
Collisions of the Damned: The Defense of the Dutch East Indies >>>>>>>> (The Usurper's War Book 2)
by James Young
https://amzn.to/3AryUx3
Here's the first two books of what I believe is to be an alt-hist >>>>>>>> WWII trilogy.
The jumping off point for this universe is that the British take >>>>>>>> out Hitler in a bombing raid on Berlin. They had no idea where
he
was -- it was just one of those lucky accidents of war. Or, in
this case unlucky accidents of war.
Unlucky because taking out Hitler proved a very good thing for the >>>>>>>> Germans. Himmler came in after sidelining Goering (possibly >>>>>>>> fatally,
I don't quite recall),
Plausible enough, but I suspect that "Der Treue Heinrich" would have >>>>>>> been dead in the same ditch as Goering and the generals would have >>>>>>> taken
over, in effect at least. Perhaps with a nonentity like Hess as
titular
leader.
Of the leaders only Goebbels had any talent for backstabbing, but I >>>>>>> don't think the army would put up with him.
Besides, if the author wants a German leader who is keen on peace >>>>>>> Goering is the ideal choice. Having looted to his heart's >>>>>>> content, he
was happy to enjoy his wealth and status (and morphine) without the >>>>>>> risks of war.
 and said to the Brits basically: Look Hitler
was really a loose cannon and things got out of hand. What's
done
is done, and we're not giving back anything our boys died for, but >>>>>>>> is there really any reason we still need to be at war?
Churchill said 'yes', but was eventually turfed out in favor of >>>>>>>> Eden
Let me guess, the author looked up a list of UK cabinet members and >>>>>>> threw a dart? Eden was well down the list of possible PMs at this
point, with only the war having restored him to the leading circle >>>>>>> from
the pariah status he was consigned to in the late 1930s.
And if peace broke out certainly an appeaser like Halifax would have >>>>>>> been handed the job. Might as well say they gave the PM position
to
Brendan Bracken.
 who turned out to be what some people have always suspected >>>>>>>> and made peace.
And some people think that Washington was George III's illegitimate >>>>>>> son.
Or at least I could convince some of that.
Sounds like an author to avoid.
William Hyde
No, this is entirely my fault. Rather than going back to the book
while I was writing the review, I was going on my memory which was >>>>>> entirely wrong on at least two issues: battle cruiser vs battleship >>>>>> and Halifax vs Eden. I don't know why I had Eden on the brain when
I was definitely familiar with Halifax, but it was Halifax who was >>>>>> the accommodationist PM in this setting, not Eden.
Makes sense then.
An author not to be avoided.
I'm still going to run with the George III thing as soon as I can find >>>>> a
likely victim.
William Hyde
Seeing as George III was born in 1738 and George Washington was born in >>>> 1732, that did not happen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_III
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington
Now if you want to talk about George II, ...
I must point out that he was the grandfather of George III. It doesn't >>> appear that Frederick Louis (he died at age 44), son of George II and
father of George III, ever left Europe.
A scholarly work by noted historian Avram Davidson claims otherwise.
Davidson himself, of course, won the Hugo Award, named after noted
historian Hugo Gernsback, handed out by the American Historical society. >>
William Hyde
I am aware of his distinguished work, especially his history of the Scytha-Pannonia-Transbalkania empire, but I don't remember reading that work. What is the title?
I think it was "O Brave Old World" in his collection, "The Other 19th Century".
Churchill said 'yes', but was eventually turfed out in favor of
Eden
Let me guess, the author looked up a list of UK cabinet members and
threw a dart? Eden was well down the list of possible PMs at this
point, with only the war having restored him to the leading circle from
the pariah status he was consigned to in the late 1930s.
And if peace broke out certainly an appeaser like Halifax would have
been handed the job. Might as well say they gave the PM position to
Brendan Bracken.
On Mon, 18 Nov 2024 17:44:38 -0500, William Hyde
<wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
Churchill said 'yes', but was eventually turfed out in favor of
Eden
Let me guess, the author looked up a list of UK cabinet members and
threw a dart? Eden was well down the list of possible PMs at this
point, with only the war having restored him to the leading circle from
the pariah status he was consigned to in the late 1930s.
In real life Eden was the #2 in the wartime coalition maybe not
initially but certainly from 1942 onwards. That becomes clear if
you've read Churchill's history/memoirs of the war. Churchill had
several strong ministers but no question Eden was his #2.
Whether that would have made him his replacement had Churchill had an >accident (for instance in late 1944 when he insisted on joining with
the troops when they whizzed into the Rhine) is anybody's guess.
And if peace broke out certainly an appeaser like Halifax would haveWhile Halifax had his partisans in 1940, if you're writing an
been handed the job. Might as well say they gave the PM position to >>Brendan Bracken.
alternate history you still have to deal with Halifax's stated reason
for not seeking the top job which was that he did not believe one
could effectively direct the political side of a major war from the
House of Lords.
While Halifax had his partisans in 1940, if you're writing an
alternate history you still have to deal with Halifax's stated reason
for not seeking the top job which was that he did not believe one
could effectively direct the political side of a major war from the
House of Lords.
As I have said, it *was* Halifax. I got my antique English politicians
mixed up.
The Lords issue did not come up in any conversation. Presumably it
was dealt with. WP, quoting Robert Blake apparently, says:
Churchill's political position was weak, although he was
popular with the Labour and Liberal parties for his stance
against appeasement in the 1930s. He was unpopular in the
Conservative Party, however, and he might not have been the
choice of the King. Halifax had the support of most of the
Conservative Party and of the King and was acceptable to
the Labour Party. His position as a peer was a merely
technical barrier given the scale of the crisis, and Churchill
reportedly was willing to serve under Halifax
but certainly from 1942 onwards. That becomes clear if
you've read Churchill's history/memoirs of the war. Churchill had
several strong ministers but no question Eden was his #2.
Actually I've read those but I disagree. Churchill is not the best
source on the politics of his cabinet. He focuses on more important things.
Eden was his favourite, but if Churchill had died, it is far from clear
that Eden would have become the PM. He wasn't that popular among the >conservative rank and file. People find it hard to forgive those who
have been right when they were wrong, and they'd already had to do this
with Churchill.
Churchill's friend Beaverbrook recommended in mid war that the war
cabinet be scrapped and replaced with a three person version, including >Bevin, who he clearly regarded as the number two man in the cabinet.
Eden really shored up his position with the backbench conservatives in
the postwar years. Churchill was basically a part-time leader of the >opposition, and the work fell to deputy leader Eden, who did it well.