What Ifs? Of American History Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been Book

There's a temptation when looking at history to see events as inevitable after the fact. They are, after all, set in stone rather than the stormy present in which we find ourselves facing numerous different paths. Or so you might think. In this collection first published back in 2003, editor Robert Cowley and his contributors offer up 17 visions of how American history might have turned out differently. From the Pilgrims not landing at Plymouth Rock and the American Revolution's not occurring to John Wilkes Booth's assassination plot leading to a resurgent Confederacy fighting a guerilla war, our nation's historical roots have never looked less secured. Or take the 20th-century scenarios from a late entry into World War II and the Cuban Missile Crisis going nuclear or, even, Nixon avoiding Watergate to see how our recent history could have been quite different (or not as the case might be). For anyone who is the least bit curious and interested in American history, this book will be like a good meal: immensely satisfying but also leaving you wanting a little bit more.