The Civil War publishing phenomenon of 2001/2002, Jay Winik, has returned with a turn-of-the-18th-century nonfiction narrative.From this review in the LA Times, it seems Winik is carving out a space for himself as Mr. Contingent History. The Times was not impressed however:
Grandiose writing and sloppy thinking are rife in "The Great Upheaval," an ambitious, maddening book whose pretensions undermine enjoyment of its considerable merits as a vigorous work of popular history.If you like, you can read an essay Winik wrote for the WAPO last week. Note that he comes across as a naive, breathlessly enthusiastic undergraduate distilling many nights of dorm room bull sessions into an essay full of potential that never comes together. People love what-if. It's what they imagine the F*U*N of history reading to be about. It's Harry Turtledove's meal ticket. It's Winik's secret sauce. He's not done yet.
