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What If...? Vol 2 (Abridged): Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been Audiobook
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(3.01) - 505 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Historians and philosophers alike have pondered the crucial turning points of history -- events that forever altered the course of civilization and set the stage for the world in which we live today. In this audiobook, some of the most respected minds of our time ask the question "What if..."
–George Washington had never made his miraculous escape from the British on Long Island in the early dawn of August 29, 1776?
–A Confederate aide hadn't accidentally lost General Robert E. Lee's plans for invading the North?
–Alexander the Great had been slain in battle, instead of being saved at the last instant by a loyal bodyguard?
–The Allied invasion of D-Dav had failed?
–The Mongols had succeeded in conquering Europe?
Both fascinating and frightening, What If?™ offers in-depth reflections on the monumental events of the past and amazing speculations as to what our world might be like had things gone differently in a singular moment in time.
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"I'm a sucker for alternate ending scenerios. This is a great source from a military strategist who ponders the idea of "what if" something happened differently during major military engagements and how the alternate outcome might affect today. Fascinating!"
— Linda (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Fascinating and provocative.”
— The New York Times Book Review -
“Counterfactual supposes, would-haves, might-haves… in all their dizzying permutations.”
— Time -
“Great fun. You'll have the vertigo-inducing sense that everything, you and me included, could have been very, very different.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“Lively exercises in a fascinating game historians call the 'counterfactual.' ”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“ What If? shows us that…history is not an inevitable march of dusty names, dates and places, but a precarious, careening ride that could have taken us to any number of destinations.”
— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
What If...? Vol 2 Listener Reviews
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" More of the hypothetical questions of history, not fiction, but musings on what might have been. Some of the essays are better than others - the most convincing is the discussion of what might have happened if the U.S. had not dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (hint: it's all bad). "
— Gordon, 12/12/2013 -
" Take one of my favorite things, add a twist of "what if" too it and you get a nice collection of intriguing theories of how different the world could have been. "
— Matthew, 9/24/2013 -
" This was great. The chapters are short and fascinating. I could read 30 of these. "
— William, 6/20/2013 -
" I like the alternate history genre, but like these essays more for what they tell me about what happened then for any of their speculation about what might have been. Perhaps it's that most seem to come down on the side of Pangloss that this is the best of all possible worlds. "
— William, 11/17/2012 -
" Definitely not a cover to cover read. The scenarios were all military encounters with more effects relating to the rest of the conflict rather than how it would have changed the world today, which is what I was looking for. "
— Jason, 10/15/2012 -
" Pretty interesting as well. I enjoyed the possibilities. It really makes you think. The Pope one was really sad. I wish that had happened. "
— Katie, 6/12/2012 -
" I enjoyed this book, although I disagreed with some of the possibilities presented. For what it promises to do, it's an enjoyable book. "
— Matt, 5/29/2011 -
" A pretty thorough analysis of what might have been if (several) key turning points in history had played out differently. Purely theoretical... "
— Tim, 4/16/2011 -
" A great collection of some of the best historians and their take on past events and people. "
— Clay, 3/17/2011 -
" Just ok, the topics weren't of great interest. "
— Kevin, 12/5/2010 -
" A fun collection of short essays of alternate history. "
— Susanna, 6/29/2009 -
" so far, so good. I now bought the first book, which apparently focuses more on war and battles. This one is about general historical events and directions. Interesting alternate history book. Since it's a compilation, some of the chapters are better than others. A few I didn't bother finishing. "
— Vinny, 11/2/2008 -
" A mixed bag. Not up to the level of consistent quality seen in the first book but still worth the time to read and consider. "
— Ericmgb1974, 8/1/2008 -
" I enjoyed this much better than the first book, mostly because the emphasis is not on military history, which doesn't interest me as much. Some of the essays were better than others, but overall this was a very satisfying read. "
— Jen, 12/13/2007 -
" Good bathroom book - but nothing earth shattering... "
— Kelly, 8/10/2006 -
" Interesting, though fairly dry and academic, with some authors exhibiting a penchant for storytelling. "
— Brian, 4/1/2003
About Robert Cowley
Robert Cowley is the founding editor of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, which was nominated for a National Magazine Award for General Excellence. As an American military historian, he has written on periods from the Civil War through World War II and has travelled the entire length of the Western Front—from the North Sea to the Swiss border. He has held several senior positions in book and magazine publishing and has edited several collections of essays. He lives in New York and Connecticut.