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Danish Scheme #2
The Battle for Newfoundland
From the Introduction by Eric Flint:
What if the colonization of a large portion of North America had been dominated by one of Europe’s small nations instead of, as actually happened, by the great powers of France, Britain and Spain?
Specifically, Denmark. In real history, Denmark did have a few small settlements in the Caribbean, but they never amounted to much. But what if, given the very different parameters of the power equations produced by the arrival of Grantville, Denmark had been able to dominate a large portion of what is today called “Canada”?
The possible ramifications were fascinating to me. A nation like early 17th century Denmark didn’t have the military power or the population to simply overwhelm the indigenous peoples of North America. Willy-nilly, whether they wanted to or not, Danish settlers would have to develop a modus vivendi with the people they encountered in the New World. The hybrid societies which the French settlements originally produced such as the metis, which were cut short by the British victory in the Seven Years War, might have emerged and become more stable and long-lasting.
Who could say? It seemed to me that Herb’s project was interesting enough to support—and no matter what the final outcome, was bound to produce a number of good stories.
So, here we are, with the second volume of that project. I hope you enjoy it.
What if the colonization of a large portion of North America had been dominated by one of Europe’s small nations instead of, as actually happened, by the great powers of France, Britain and Spain?
Specifically, Denmark. In real history, Denmark did have a few small settlements in the Caribbean, but they never amounted to much. But what if, given the very different parameters of the power equations produced by the arrival of Grantville, Denmark had been able to dominate a large portion of what is today called “Canada”?
The possible ramifications were fascinating to me. A nation like early 17th century Denmark didn’t have the military power or the population to simply overwhelm the indigenous peoples of North America. Willy-nilly, whether they wanted to or not, Danish settlers would have to develop a modus vivendi with the people they encountered in the New World. The hybrid societies which the French settlements originally produced such as the metis, which were cut short by the British victory in the Seven Years War, might have emerged and become more stable and long-lasting.
Who could say? It seemed to me that Herb’s project was interesting enough to support—and no matter what the final outcome, was bound to produce a number of good stories.
So, here we are, with the second volume of that project. I hope you enjoy it.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 20, 2018
98 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 21, 2018
Very good short story.
October 6, 2018
I am enjoying this story arc immensely. The alternative history of the settling of North America along with good characters have kept me interested.
March 13, 2018
In this follow-up to The Danish Scheme, Herb Sakalaucks continues his story set in Eric Flint's Ring of Fire Universe. In the former book, the King of Denmark with some advice from English explorers (no longer welcome in King Charles court after he decided that the American colonies were more trouble than they were worth and sold them all to the French), began a project to establish a Danish presence in Newfoundland/Cape Breton and the Hudson Bay region of Canada with the goal of mining the region's mineral wealth. The Danish-English leaders of the expedition used up-time knowledge to guide their selection of sites and to make better preparations for the needs of their colonists while also making a determined effort to ally with native groups by offering them the benefits of a real partnership as well as new medical knowledge out of Grantville and the knowledge and education opportunities to prevent their people from becoming a footnote in history. Things went fairly well for the settlers in book 1, but after their successes, the French government has taken notice and between this Danish encroachment on what is seen as French territory and the depredations of a pair of Dutch frigates (survivors of the Anglo-French betrayal of the Dutch in 1633), the French are determined to secure North America for themselves and launch a campaign to remove the colonists from Newfoundland and Hudson Bay.
The Battle for Newfoundland is a fun addition to the Ring of Fire universe, and Herb Sakalaucks is doing a wonderful job of stretching the Ring of Fire to the New World with a gripping narrative full of the political complexities of life in the colonies (as the saying goes, there's no peace west of the line) and all the difficulties of keeping a colony healthy and growing (and not burned to the ground by marauding rivals be they European or Native) with a cast of likeable characters that make the story a quick and enjoyable read. Also kudos for resurrecting the Danish submarine from 1634: The Baltic War. Likewise, we find out a bit about how Plymouth and New Netherlands are dealing with the strange new world (oddly, the larger English colonies (Massachusetts Bay (although the newest of the three English colonies, thanks to a mass migration of Puritans led by the energetic John Winthrop from ~1630 onwards, its population would have been significantly larger than Plymouth's by the time of this story even assuming that immigration from England ceased after the sale of the colonies to France (1633)) and Virginia) aren't mentioned, presumably Virginia has already been occupied by French forces (I seem to remember Richelieu sending somebody to do so in 1633), and it's out of the general geographic region of the story, but Massachusetts Bay is smack in middle of the region, so I suppose for the sake of the story we'll just have to assume that the colony was so new that the Danes didn't realize it was there and make that the excuse), which isn't quite going like Cardinal Richelieu intended (that's the problem with losing the better part of your Army and facing a civil war, you can't really afford to send anybody to sit around on the other side of the ocean and tell some colonists who are most just trying to carve farms out of wilderness that they belong to France now). All in all, I had a lot of fun reading it, and I'm eager to find out how things will shake out in the next installment.
The Battle for Newfoundland is a fun addition to the Ring of Fire universe, and Herb Sakalaucks is doing a wonderful job of stretching the Ring of Fire to the New World with a gripping narrative full of the political complexities of life in the colonies (as the saying goes, there's no peace west of the line) and all the difficulties of keeping a colony healthy and growing (and not burned to the ground by marauding rivals be they European or Native) with a cast of likeable characters that make the story a quick and enjoyable read. Also kudos for resurrecting the Danish submarine from 1634: The Baltic War. Likewise, we find out a bit about how Plymouth and New Netherlands are dealing with the strange new world (oddly, the larger English colonies (Massachusetts Bay (although the newest of the three English colonies, thanks to a mass migration of Puritans led by the energetic John Winthrop from ~1630 onwards, its population would have been significantly larger than Plymouth's by the time of this story even assuming that immigration from England ceased after the sale of the colonies to France (1633)) and Virginia) aren't mentioned, presumably Virginia has already been occupied by French forces (I seem to remember Richelieu sending somebody to do so in 1633), and it's out of the general geographic region of the story, but Massachusetts Bay is smack in middle of the region, so I suppose for the sake of the story we'll just have to assume that the colony was so new that the Danes didn't realize it was there and make that the excuse), which isn't quite going like Cardinal Richelieu intended (that's the problem with losing the better part of your Army and facing a civil war, you can't really afford to send anybody to sit around on the other side of the ocean and tell some colonists who are most just trying to carve farms out of wilderness that they belong to France now). All in all, I had a lot of fun reading it, and I'm eager to find out how things will shake out in the next installment.
July 14, 2022
Lets have more. Another of the spin off Grantville Gazette short story series has the French learning of the Danes in Newfoundland. The French crown is stretched to the limits with its defeat by the new armies of Adolphus and the poor returns from taking over the English holdings in North America. So the Cardinal uses his authority and some funds to dispatch more spies and then forces to rout the new colonists and take over their mining and production sites. Things end with a whimper and enough questions we await more books in this spin off setting.
March 20, 2018
Good book in a new series
The prior book, " The Danish Scheme" starts the New Time Line's (NTL) attempt to settle in the Americas. This book addresses the first colonization efforts of the Danes. Good mixture of the challenges natural to a colonization effort and preparing for the actions of the French. I like the writing style and his plotting. I will look forward to the next installment.
The prior book, " The Danish Scheme" starts the New Time Line's (NTL) attempt to settle in the Americas. This book addresses the first colonization efforts of the Danes. Good mixture of the challenges natural to a colonization effort and preparing for the actions of the French. I like the writing style and his plotting. I will look forward to the next installment.
November 26, 2018
The Danes vs the French in a new new world
Enjoyable book in the 1632 series about Danish settlers trying to hold Newfoundland and parts of Canada from French forces. Generally likeable characters. Book has historical flavor but doesn’t get bogged down in details as some secondary Ring of Fire stories do.
Enjoyable book in the 1632 series about Danish settlers trying to hold Newfoundland and parts of Canada from French forces. Generally likeable characters. Book has historical flavor but doesn’t get bogged down in details as some secondary Ring of Fire stories do.
February 15, 2018
Great addition to the 1632 universe
The characters are well rounded and believable. It highlighted the sfriffles.of early colonists to north America, especially those on the high north latitudes with short growing seasons and rocky soil
The characters are well rounded and believable. It highlighted the sfriffles.of early colonists to north America, especially those on the high north latitudes with short growing seasons and rocky soil
July 5, 2018
Middle Books
Like many middle books of trilogies, this one was not as satisfying as the 1st nor as decisive as the 3rd will be. Hopefully. Much shorter than the usual 1632 novel it reads like something cut in half for book profits.
Like many middle books of trilogies, this one was not as satisfying as the 1st nor as decisive as the 3rd will be. Hopefully. Much shorter than the usual 1632 novel it reads like something cut in half for book profits.
September 27, 2019
Anoyhet good read in the continuing saga of Grantville and the Ring of Fire.
A nice altrrnative history of the new world with the Indians getting a fsir shake this time. A nice cast of characters from all sides.
A nice altrrnative history of the new world with the Indians getting a fsir shake this time. A nice cast of characters from all sides.
January 13, 2019
A solid novel in Eric Flints 1632 universe. I kinda wish they developed the North American threads more in the coming years.
June 24, 2020
In 1635, Denmark colonizes Newfoundland.
September 11, 2020
The Danes have established a significant presence in Newfoundland and the French are not happy. The battle for North America is on.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews