J. David Markham

Napoleon is recognized as one of the great people of action of history and yet his story is often too remote, too unfamiliar and with too little connection to the ken of Americans for them to know much more about him than his name and nationality. For those seeking an understanding of his life, careers and importance, “Napoleon For Dummies” is the go-to volume.

It is organized into 26 chapters. The first 16 are generally arranged chronologically from his youth on Corsica through his military and political careers. The next seven address various accomplishments that justify his place in history while the final three suggest battlefields to visit, convey advise from the author to Napoleon and sources of further information.

I find the sections on his accomplishments to be the most interesting. The promotion of a French middle class, establishment of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, progenitor of a Polish nation state, the promulgation of the Civil Code, known as the Code Napoleon and spread of religious freedom, not only for Christian sects but also Jews and Moslems, and his beginning steps toward European unity are enduring effects of Napoleon’s rule that many of our contemporaries may assume to have always been there.

I wanted to know more about Napoleon so I have read at least four whole life or partial biographies of him. I learned a lot about their subject but nothing pulled it all together as well as “Napoleon For Dummies” has. Consistent with the “Dummies” format, information that is “Legend” or something to “Remember” is noted as such in the margins. Author J. David Markham, a renowned Napoleon scholar, has chronicled a life in easy-to-understand segments leavened with humor and wit, a lot of wit. For anyone desiring an understanding of Napoleon’s life, career and significance to the world in which we live, “Napoleon For Dummies” is the place to start.… (plus d'informations)

History Revisited: The Great Battles
Edited by J David Markham and Mike Resnick

In concept, this is a great idea. Take some classic military oriented AH short stories: Southern Strategy by Michael Flynn. Must and Shall by Harry Turtledove. The Lucky Strike by Kim Stanley Robinson. Having some classic AH stories in one volume is a great idea in general. Then, each of these stories, pair them with an essay from a bonafide historian exploring the divergence, and its plausiblity.

Such are the lines that History Revisited are built upon. In practice, however, its a failure.

Uniformly, the essays by the historians are long, dull, and unimaginative. The historians mostly reject the scenarios posited by the science fiction writers, and in the worst offenders, seem to look down upon the very idea of the alternative. It is the exception, not the rule, when a historian actually likes the story that he has been paired with, rather than at best bemusement. This sort of condescension takes the wind out of reading the story, if one reads the paired essay immediately afterwards.

This, in my opinion makes the reading experience of the stories less pleasurable and it is for that reason that I don't really recommend this collection--unless you *like* to poke holes in Alternate Histories. If you read AH stories to see where Turtledove or Flynn "clearly got it wrong" and grouse about it, then this collection is definitely your cup of tea. If, instead, you enjoy AH stories on their own merits, you can either read the stories and skip the essays, or if you read the essays, I recommend you read them removed in time and space from the story itself. Otherwise, the pleasure of reading the stories will be diminished, as it was from me.… (plus d'informations)