THE MAELSTROM THAT IS EUROPE,
COMPLICATED BY IRON,
LOVE AND 20TH CENTURY AMERICANS
The Thirty Years War continues to ravage 17th century Europe, but a new force is gathering power and influence: the United States of Europe, forged from an alliance between Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, and the West Virginians from the 20th century, led by Mike Stearns, who were hurled centuries into the past by a mysterious cosmic accident.
This troubled century was full of revolutions and plans for more revolutions before the Americans arrived, and gave every would-be revolutionary an example of a revolution that succeeded. Europe is a pot coming to a boil, and Mike Stearns finds himself walking the fine line between keeping the pot boiling while keeping it from boiling over and destroying the USE in the process.
The USE has the know-how of 20th century technology, but needs iron and steel to make the machines. The iron mines of the upper Palatinate were rendered inoperable by wartime damage, and American ingenuity is needed on the spot to pump them out and get the metal flowing again—a mission that will prove more complicated than anyone expects. First, because the expedition sent to revitalize the mining industry in the upper Palatinate walks into the middle of a ferocious battle between the USE and the Duke of Bavaria. Second, because in the maelstrom that is Europe, even a 20th century copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica can precipitate a crisis from the most unexpected quarters. The young and beautiful daughter of the Austrian emperor, sent to marry the Duke of Bavaria for reasons of state, comes to an unforeseen conclusion based on her study of up-time history. The decision she makes as a result transforms the Bavarian war into a crisis for all of Europe.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Eric Flint is a popular star of SF and fantasy. 1634: The Baltic War, a collaboration with David Weber, was the latest New York Times best seller in the Ring of Fire series. His first novel for Baen, Mother of Demons, was picked by Science Fiction Chronicle as a best novel of the year. His novel 1632, which launched the Ring of Fire series, won widespread critical praise, as from Publishers Weekly, which called him "an SF author of particular note, one who can entertain and edify in equal, and major, measure." A longtime machinist, and labor union activist with a master's degree in history, he currently resides in northwest Indiana with his wife Lucille.
Virginia DeMarce, after jobs as peculiar as counting raisins for the Calif. Dept. of Agriculture, received her Ph.D. in Early Modern European History from Stanford University. She has published a book on German military settlers in Canada after the American Revolution and has served as president of the National Genealogical Society. She taught at Northwest Missouri State University and at George Mason University. She has had stories in the Ring of Fire anthology and Grantville Gazette (#1), and more stories in the online Grantville Gazettes. She has three grown children and five grandchildren, and lives in Arlington, VA, with her husband.
-
Product ReviewMuch to long compared to the others in the series. The first half of the book should be a 10-page summary, and the last quarter should be a 10-page appendix. Then it would make a bit more sense. Took me several months to get through this one, I really wanted to read it (the plot is interesting), but it was too heavy for my casual reading-style.
Posted on
-
Product ReviewGood plot and sub-plots, good characterization, not much in terms of actual battles but largely compensated by the political aspects - and the romance - and the humor and even self-derision - I definitely liked it. In fact, I read it cover-to-cover as fast as I could. I agree with a previous poster that better maps would be useful, but don't let that prevent you from reading this excellent book!
Posted on
-
Product ReviewVery dry and boring.First in the series I have stopped reading.I am going to stay away from the stories co authored by Demarce.
Posted on
-
Product Review
Posted on
-
Product Review
Posted on
-
Product Review
Posted on
-
Product ReviewThis book was like hitting a brick wall in the series. So far the series has been made up of good characters with enough history in it to give you a look at what they are facing and how they cope with the status quo and the changes being made. This book is a political history text they tried to make interesting by adding characters. They need to decide if they want to write a textbook for a political history class or go back to writing in the science fiction / fantasy genre. If you want to go back to the way the series started as another reviewer stated send them a message and do not purchase this book. Remember they may be the author of the story but you and your purchases are what allow them to continue to write.
Posted on
-
Product Review
Posted on
-
Product ReviewI think this is the weakest of the 163x-verse so far. I bought it with high expectations, but had to struggle to finish it, convinced that somehow there would be an end that would make the middle of the book worthwhile. There wasn't.
Posted on
-
Product ReviewA struggle to get through. If you like this book, you'll enjoy the "The Brothers Karamazov". To write this book, Flint must have had an office with all four walls covered with flow charts, diagrams, outlines, etc. Paid by the word perhaps? Bad, Bad, Bad.
Posted on
