Wild Blue and the Gray

ISBN 0446361429 - Not a huge sci-fi fan, when I saw quotes on the cover and inside referring to "Fantasy and Science Fiction", I had fairly low expectations of this book. Sanders set me straight from the start with a wonderfully well-written story full of the kinds of details that will make almost any reader, with even the vaguest knowledge of U.S. history, smile - and sometimes laugh out loud - with recognition. The Civil War has been re-written and the Confederacy has seceded. The land occupied by the United States in the real world is divided between the Union States, the thirteen states of the Confederacy and the Five Civilized Tribes in this alternate history. While the Union confined their Native American population to reservations, the Confederate States repaid their allies with land they deemed worthless. When a survey shows oil under that land, Cherokee leader Chief Albert Watie sends Amos Ninekiller to war, to find out the strength of the bargaining power this gives them. Amos serves his nation as the entire Cherokee Flying Corps, attached to the Fourth Virginia Pursuit. Serving alongside him, the one friend he has from beginning to end, is Bill Faulkner. Bill's primary goal is to get out of this war alive and spend the rest of his life writing fiction. How these two men effect the history of the world as we know it is woven neatly into a well-told tale, full of references everyone will understand. The end of Amos' war seems a bit abrupt and comes suddenly. With only a few pages left to go, the reader may wonder if it's possible to tie everything up. The answer, honestly, is no - but the surprise twist at the end was very nicely done, changing, in one paragraph, the entire purpose of the story. With appearances by characters ranging from Patton (a Major and a Union citizen who cannot really hope to advance to General in the Confederate service) to the daughter of Scarlett and Rhett, from Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton to Mata Hari, Sanders seems to reference anyone and everyone the reader thinks of in relation to the South and/or World War I - and more! With our WWII affected by the happenings in this WWI, the author gave a decades-early nod to the famous Native American codetalkers, which seemed like poor history at first. By the end, the need became obvious as WWII potentially fades from the books. Chapters apart, the mentions of a white beagle who flies with his owner and, from certain angles, appears to be flying the plane himself and "a new Hun pilot, some sort of nobleman, flies an all-red Albatros" left me singing "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" for days. All in all, a wonderful read that is both a lot of fun AND thought-provoking, an unbeatable combination.

The Wild Blue And The Gray may have a weird cover and sound kind of strange but it is a must read for any alternate history fan. The idea is simple and well worn, history has been twisted by the South winning the American Civil War with some help from the English. So when The Great War in Europe starts the Confederate States of America declare war against Germany and its Allies. The Cherokee Nation, a former ally of the Confederacy, sends soldiers and pilots to help in the war. Or so it seems. In fact the Indian Nations have their own reasons for getting into the fight, none of which has anything to do with either side winning. The setting seems realistic, the plot moves fast and the characters are interesting. The only flaws is the author's need to have the main character meet both Patton AND Hitler. I always found these scenes in alternate history novels both funny yet somewhat annoying. I would think the changes in the time line would have changed names, personalities and DNA. He even meets Will Faulkner from Mississippi. Yet the story, overall, is worth the read, so get the book new or used.

Sanders weaves a mixture of real people and fictional characters against the background of the horrors of the First World War. His descriptions of trench warfare are especially poignant. Distinct believable characters, memorable scenes, witty historical and literary references, and tightly-written dialogue result in one of my favorite novels. This one is well worth reading.

A classic work of alternate history by award winning author William Sanders is back in print. THE WILD BLUE AND THE GRAY follows Amos Ninekiller of the Cherokee Flying Corps through his experiences with the Confederate Expeditionary Force in France, 1916. As always with Sanders the historical and technical background is impeccable and the story is told with a sense of humor that never quite goes away even as the war becomes more hard fought and grim. WBG brings you back to the early days of aerial combat, when men fought each other in planes that were insanely dangerous to fly even under the best conditions, and shows the toll that war took on the men who fought it.WBG is a great read as a straight ahead adventure, and is also a strong story of culture clash and the changing face of warfare and society in an alternate WWI. Anyone who is interested in alternate history, what it was like to fly and fight in an open cockpit plane, or just a damn good story should give THE WILD BLUE AND THE GRAY a read.

I read this book many years ago, and have been looking to read it again for quite some time. The author tells a wonderful story, and has created an excellent alternate history in which the Confederacy won the Civil War and became a separate nation.I recommend this book to any and all that are interested in alternate history.