In style, this book is closest to the ‘Alternate Generals’ collections of Harry Turtledove. However, the stories featured in ‘Wars to End’ are purely focused on incidents during and around the First World War. Taking a variety of perspectives and approaches, these stories look at a range of what if?s. What if Archduke Franz Ferdinand had survived the assassination attempt or, what if Kaiser Wilhelm II was not on the German throne in 1914 or Germany had not supported Austria-Hungary in a war with Serbia? What if the original Schlieffen Plan had been followed going through the Netherlands or retreating from Lorraine? What if, rather than land at Gallipoli British Empire and French troops had landed in Thrace or had launched the Baltic Plan instead? What if the Verdun fortresses had been attacked when under-manned in 1915; the Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive had been resumed in 1916; the plans for the Battle of Jutland had succeeded or the Kaiserschlacht offensives had been properly co-ordinated? What if tanks had been developed sooner; biological warfare had been used extensively or the plans for war in 1919 had been enacted?

Across 22 stories, Alexander Rooksmoor provides a glimpse into a wide range of different settings, both engaging with the bigger picture, but also showing the impact on individuals. Some incidents are seen through the eyes of soldiers, some from the perspective of police and civilians. Combined, they make an engaging collection to provoke thought about a whole host of ways that one of the world’s greatest conflict may have been different.

NOTE: Unlike a number of Alexander Rooksmoor’s books, this one contains stories, not chapters of historical analysis of potential counterfactuals. Please ensure that this is the type of book you want before buying it.

Alexander Rooksmoor is the author of a number of popular counterfactual books. His publications draw on over twenty years’ experience in researching and teaching history and discussing ‘what if?’. He has even longer experience in writing fiction. This background has enabled him to produce stories that are both liable to intrigue you and challenge you to think.