ALTERNATE HISTORY FROM A MASTER. Best known for his genre-defining Ring of Fire novels, Flint continues his alternate look at Jacksonian America in 1824: The Arkansas War.
The relocation of the southern Indian tribes to Oklahoma engineered by Sam Houston following the War of 1812 also swept up many black inhabitants of North America. Many of the states in the USA—free as well as slaveholding—have passed laws ordering the expulsion of black freedmen. Having nowhere else to go, they joined the migration of the southern Indian tribes and settled in Arkansas. What results by 1824 is a hybrid nation of Indians, black people, and a number of white settlers as well.
The situation is intolerable for the slaveholding states, which find a champion in Speaker of the House Henry Clay, whose longstanding ambition to become President of the United States looks to be coming to fruition. But Sam Houston and his friends and allies —the freedman Charles Ball, a former gunner for the US Navy and now a general in the Arkansas army, and the Irish revolutionary Patrick Driscol — are building a powerful army of their own in Arkansas.
The crisis is brought to a head by the election of 1824. The war that follows will be a bloody crisis of conscience, politics, economics, and military action, drawing in players from as far away as England. And for such men as outgoing president James Monroe, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, charismatic war hero Andrew Jackson, and the violent abolitionist John Brown, it is a time to change history itself.
Eric Flint was a New York Times bestselling American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works were alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures.
Sequel to The Rivers of War, but it moves in a different direction. What if the calamity of the US Civil War could have been avoided? An independent confederacy of chiefdoms is established as “Arkansas,” in the vicinity of the current state of that name. The Arkansas Confederacy was (somehow) recognized by the USA as a sovereign, independent country by Flint’s behind-the scenes handwaving, and I guess that was the main point of departure for this episode. OK, authors are always allowed one impossible thing. As before, most characters are historic people, and Flint has tried to stay pretty close to real history.
Ex-sergeant Patrick Driscoll, a hero of the defense of the Capitol and other victories in the first book, gets his own private Chiefdom in southeastern Arkansas, at the Mississippi River. Unexpectedly, most of his settlers turn out to be Negro freedmen who are being pushed out of the slave states, and are fleeing illegal ‘slave-catchers’ who try to capture and re-enlave them. The men are keen to sign up for the new Confederacy Army Driscoll is creating and training, around the nucleus of veterans he brought with him from the US. The plot summary at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1824:_T... has the details. CAUTION: heavy SPOILERS!
The gore and graphic atrocities are, well, not to my taste, but historically accurate. Once I twigged to Flint’s new direction to the book, I became a happier reader, and the ending worked well for me. Avoiding the Civil War by creating a successful Black-majority nation that’s able to defend itself militarily from the US Army, became an irresistible exemplar. Around 1840, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that slavery was “the most formidable of all the evils that threaten the future of the United States.”
For me this was a weak 4-star book. It’s more of a hodgepodge than the first book, but ends well. Flint was a remarkable story-teller. He’s missed.
Bad, implausible alternate history that revolves around Indians but pretty much relegates them to stock background characters, indistinguishable from one another. And the notion of Andrew Jackson as a progressive force for racial tolerance is flatly ludicrous.
I'll try the pros and cons approach this time, just for a change.
Pro:
Flint's been writing for a while now, and I believe he's getting better at it. In the past I've found his style to be heavy-handed, prone to repetition and very unsubtle handling of emotion. There's elements of this remaining here, but it seemed much reduced in frequency and degree.
A lot of historical research has clearly gone into this - it's not a period I know well, but as luck would have it I've recently done a bit of reading on it, and what little I knew from that was correctly presented in the book.
Related to that, Flint clearly doesn't just want to use his premise to set an adventure story in a differently-evolved America; he tries hard to show why those differences have arisen, advancing both political facts and personalities in support of his vision. This isn't particularly surprising, for anybody who's been reading his better known 1632 series, but it's something that I like in theory - the practice does have some drawbacks, as we'll see below.
Finally, the plot itself did keep my interest.
Con:
A minor one first: it's been a long time since the first entry in this series was published, and no allowance is made for this. Given the heavy referencing of previous events, I think the omission of a recap of those events is a disservice to readers.
The biggest issue though is related to the research and ambition of the series. There's simply too much talk, and the plot can't carry a book of this length. While I applaud the desire to produce a book that's more than a series of battle descriptions, I think the determination to delve into every single facet of 19th century American politics is misguided. At times it feels like the author is bragging, as he throws in yet another detail about some minor person or has somebody launch into a speech in support of some policy or another (how many people these days care enough about the debate over a national bank that they want to read rehashed contemporary speeches about it?).
And to finish on a nitpick, I was very unconvinced by the description of the climactic battle. It seemed to me that the way it unfolded made no sense in a military context, but was set up simply to give the reader some emotional satisfaction. No real explanation was given as to why the leaders involved would have made those choices.
Overall though, as the rating showed, I did like it - more than I do most of the 1632 books, which have in spades all the disadvantages described here, with few of the good points.
This is the follow-up to 1812 – The Rivers of War and picks up the story of Sam Houston, Patrick Driscoll and the other characters from the first book a decade or so later. The Confederation of Arkansas is growing and becoming a magnet for freed slaves, displaced Native Americans and others who are not welcomed in the growing Republic of the United States.
This is a pure alternate history novel and while Eric has teamed up with David Weber and others on the 1632 series of alternate history, those have the sci-fi base of the ring of fire which transplanted the characters from 20th century West Virginia to 17th century Europe. This series “turns’ on the fact that Sam Houston was not seriously wounded in the war of 1812 and became a driving force in establishing a nation of freed slaves and native American tribes displaced in the war.
The thrust of this story is the issue of abolition and how it will destroy the Southern way of life. The people who were influential in the politics of the day were also slave owners and the feared that the safe haven of Arkansas would encourage more slaves to seek freedom and bring about the abolishment of slavery very quickly. In this story Henry Clay is most capable of garnering enough support to run for President and then calling for an invasion of Arkansas.
I won’t give away the ending but you will find it interesting. As with all Flint books his characters are well written and likable. A young, just freed slave becomes a pivotal officer in the Arkansas army and finds himself in love with a girl that at first is unapproachable. The other thing about the characters in this book is that only a few are not actual historical characters. Eric knows his history and it is obvious he has become intimate with many of these people from our past.
If you like Harry Turtledove and other alternative fiction you will enjoy this book. I would strongly recommend reading the first one though since it paves the way for this and makes this one much more enjoyable.
This is an alternative history of America, and though it's not perfect, I found the tidbits dropped in really interesting, and the characters compelling, and the pacing good.
There'd be a bit here or there that seemed out of the way, but they were short and interesting anyway.
I read this without having read the first, and it was largely fine. I do wish the different Native American tribes played more of a role. They are largely window dressing.
It looks as though a manuscript for the long long delayed third book is already being done, so maybe we will get a sequel soon.
This story feels timely, with how politics are going right now.
The country of Arkansas has been established as a free state willing to provide loans to any freeman that makes it to the boundaries of the easternmost lands controlled by the Cherokee nation and joins the Arkansas military. In this alternate history, Henry Clay defeats Andrew Jackson for the Presidency of the United States and quickly declares war against the Republic of Arkansas to perpetuate slavery.
Sadly Eric Flint passed away not long after this book was published and it seems unlikely right now that book three shall ever be completed. However stranger things have happened so a tiny part of me is holding out hope. Book One is 1812 The Rivers of War where we are introduced to our cast of characters during the attack on Washington D.C. during the War of 1812. In this second book we pick up with those same characters twelve years later in 1824 when the Arkansas Territory which includes Oklahoma has become an independent republic created by free African-Americans and native Americans who are resented as an obstacle by powerful slave owners in the old south.
Probably one of the worst books l have ever read. The author is so politically correct it hurt. Every historical person he likes is good and everyone he doesn't like is evil, and that's how he draws up the lines of the story. It's like when we played with g.i.joe figures when we were kids, all the cool characters on one side, and the rest were baddies and thus died. Real life and history ain't like that. There are shades of grey everywhere and there are both galant and despicable characters on both sides. Stay clear of this one, unless you want an ulcer on purpose
Excellent alternate history, a genre that also fits science fiction-- What if there had been an early Arkansas confederacy opposing slavery, composed of former slaves, Cherokee and Creek clans and white abolitionists? Peopled with an fair scattering of historical figures-- James Monroe, Henry Clay, John C Calhoun--and Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor, John Brown, Charles Ball and Henry Shreve, the story did a few things for me. First, it allowed one to consider what the US wold look like if slavery and the South were challenged, much earlier than the 1865 date. Flint manages to weave in a few details on women, too-- including a women's council in the confederacy. It is also the first thing I've read since "Johnny Tremayne" back in high school which made war interesting -- about questions of morale and capacity, along with troop movements. A friend always urged me to watch football because it's really a war game. THAT didn't work. This did - perhaps because Flint is never really just writing about the battles. I also started it as an escape. The news this week, on the Zimmerman(Trayvon Martin) trial makes it not escapist at all, but a salutary putting into context a long and bloody history of oppression- and a pleasant consideration of how it might be challenged.
Well, to begin with: I didn't realize this was the second in a series. So the events that led up to the Arkansas Confederacy are a total enigma to me. That didn't help when I began, although it's not uncommon for books to avoid exposition.
In any event, it's an interesting view of alternate history, and I do like the author in general. However, the fact that the Arkansas Confederacy is in no large part Indian was a little annoying considering there were really no indigenous people in any major roles. And Andy Jackson as anti-slavery and essentially backing the Confederacy? I laughed. I had to.
There's also the problem of how abruptly it ended, though the fact I've learned it's part of a series may mean a continuation. However, I doubt it, and the sudden stop in the middle of what was essentially a pre-Civil War of sorts is really quite annoying. Arkansas Post was taken by the Americans, and....what? Nothing? Everyone goes about their day despite the slow advance of an army? That was a little odd, almost as if Flint decided no one cared for anything that happened afterward.
An enjoyable alternate history book, but with flaws.
In the second book of the series, the new nation of the Confederacy of the Arkansas has become a haven for freed slaves, abolitionists and Indian tribes forced out of the United States. The upcoming presidential elections of 1824 will play a pivotal role in its future since Arkansas and slavery are both hot issues with the candidates - Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay and John Calhoun. This is where a major divergence in Flint's history occurs - in our history Clay allied with Adams to make Adams president, here Clay becomes president with the support of the Southern states concerned about Arkansas. This plunges the United States into a war with Arkansas with surprising results. Flint creates a completely plausible alternative history in a fast-paced story with dozens of major characters most of whom are actual historical figures. The action is described in vivid detail whether its during the 19th century political process or on the battlefield. Highly recommended and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
The "Confederacy of the Arkansas" (the nation established by a treaty between the Cherokee Federation and the USA after the War of 1812) is thriving on the alliance of its Native American and African-American citizens. The independent nation puzzles Northerners but affronts slavery-bound Southerners, who are determined to put these inferior races in their place. Having finagled his way into the White House, a cynical, self-assured Henry Clay launches an invasion of the upstart country, while brawling frontiersman Andrew Jackson and New England intellectual John Quincy Adams become unlikely allies in a new political party based on individual rights. Flint deftly juggles historical details and asks important questions: if America had confronted its institutionalized racism earlier, could our Civil War have been prevented? And can enlightening firsthand experience overcome prejudice?
I really enjoyed this book. Without spoiling the story, let me say that I enjoyed the real characters such as Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and Zachary Taylor. I also enjoyed the fictitious characters, especially the Laird of Arkansas, Patrick Driscol.
The previous book in the series wasn't in my library, so I had to pretend like I knew the alternate history from the first book. It wasn't too much of a stretch, Flint made it almost stand alone.
I thought I was reading a Harry Turtledove book some of the time. Compared to the Grantville / 1632 series, these books have characters who I find broader and deeper. I prefer this series to the other.
If you like alternate histories, I recommend that you find two days and read the 417 pages.
I greatly enjoy these books. That being said, it is _incredibly_ frustrating that there aren't more of them. You get to the end, and it's a pause, not a stopping point. I keep forgetting that and re-reading. Argh.
Originally published 2006. I'd really given up on there ever being any more. Even when a contract was signed, there were so many other projects that Eric wanted to do first. And then in 2021 in the notes on forcoming projects - there it was. Potentially on the writing schedule within a few years. F* CANCER. Damn, I'll miss Eric for many reasons, but the my selfish lizard brain thinks that this is the tragedy. I'll never know how he would have resolved this. I'm sure I would have been surprised. And also loved it.
I want, nay, NEED, the next book to come out. The whispers in the aether says there is at least one more story to be told, but Flint is so prolific that I don't know when it will ever happen. This is a worthy sequel to 1812: Rivers of War and if you read the first one and enjoy it (as any bibliophile probably will), you will be very pleased with the progression of this story. The pathos, adventure, and pure emotion in this story grabbed me by the heartstrings. I didn't think it was possible for the series to get better, but it did. Do not read this book first; with some series you can get away with reading out of order, but I don't feel this is one of them.
As a sequel to 1814, it is good. If you are just looking to continue with the characters introduced in 1814 then it is absolutely worth the read. On its own, however, it is an incomplete narrative. What the book says its about and what it is really about are two different things. I looked online and could find no word of a third novel in the series. If that is the case, this book is even worse, because it ends smack dab in the middle of most of the major plotlines that it introduces.
A good part two in a trilogy, but by no means is it good if this is a two part series.
1824 is a sequel to 1812: The Rivers of War (Trail of Glory, Book 1), and if you enjoyed that book, you'll enjoy this one. Taking place ten years after the end of the first book, it explores the new nation that's come into existence in that time, and the effect it has on the US, especially with regards to slavery. My only disappointment is that while the title is the Arkansas War, it really only covers the beginning of that war, so it feels somewhat unfinished. Maybe the author plans to write a third book to wrap things up?
Eric Flint is a national treasure and this is Eric at his finest. His ability to take readers into his worlds and let them experience what living there would be like is phenomenal. As is his ability to craft characters that the reader cares about. Put all that into a historical context and you have a superb educational experience almost as a side effect.
The Confederation of Arkansas is an independent nation populated by free blacks and five Native American tribes, and its existence is resented by pro-slavery factions in the US. The historical characters who inhabit this hypothetical situation are vividly portrayed - JQ Adams, Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, William Henry Harrison, Henry Clay, Zachary Taylor...
Immediately after finishing the first free ebook, I raced out and bought this one in hardcopy. Loved it, absolutely loved it, and I'm waiting eagerly for a third installment.
I really enjoy the characterization of Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston. Nothing feels forced or out of character for any of the historic figures.
a page turner; i could not stop reading once i started. the ending was a bit abrupt since the war between the US and the Confederacy of Arkansas was not resolved.
there are plenty of alternate universe / points of divergence but that did not detract. in fact, it made me actually go look up the original characters and how they lived and died.
Ten years later, I finally get around to reading the second volume of the Rivers of War series. Dammit, it's better than the first! Some of Eric's finest writing.
(It does not hurt that my American hero John Brown is a minor character.)
Someday, Red Bear, you really have to finish this saga.
In history, John Quincy Adams was accused of having a corrupt bargain with Henry Clay. In 1824: The Arkansas War Clay becomes president instead and Adams and Jackson form an alliance....find out how. Read this sequel to Flint's novel about the War of 1812.
Read part one of this series some time ago and never listed the follow up. An alternate history with the western bank of the Mississippi remaining Indian territory and very disputed. Not a bad story but a bit hard to accept some of the alternate concepts from book one and now two.
I hope there is more coming of this alt history! What an interesting idea of the changes one little thing can have on history! Please read his other book that starts this whole shebang off!
Very slow, little action, did not believe that the growth of Arkansas as separate country as presented was possible, nor the actions of the people realistic.