War Between the Provinces
The War Between the Provinces is a series of novels by Harry Turtledove. It is a retelling of the American Civil War in a fantasy setting called the Kingdom of Detina. The series focuses on the Eastern theater of the War Between the Provinces.
The names of locations have been changed, and North and South have been reversed. Many of the characters are based on real-world characters, and their names indicate this. Often their names are anagrams of the real-world character they are based on, or their nicknames contain their original's name. Hand-cranked crossbows replace guns to mirror slow reloading times, and the northern rebels have fewer ley lines (railroads) than the southern kingdom, hence giving the slave-owning side the same logistical problems that existed in the American Civil War.
Some characters with historical counterparts
- King Avram - counterpart of US President Abraham Lincoln
- King Geoffrey - counterpart of Confederate President Jefferson Davis
- General Hesmucet - counterpart of General William Tecumseh Sherman
- General "Doubting" George - counterpart of General George H. Thomas
- General (later Marshal) Bart - counterpart of General Ulysses S. Grant
- General Guildenstern - counterpart of General William Rosecrans
- Count Thraxton (the Braggart) - counterpart of General Braxton Bragg
- Duke Edward of Arlington - counterpart of General Robert E. Lee
- Ned of the Forest - counterpart of Nathan Bedford Forest
- Joseph the Gamecock - counterpart of Joseph E. Johnston
- Lt. Gen Bell - counterpart of John Bell Hood
- James of Broadpath - counterpart of James Longstreet
- Mage Alva - counterpart of Thomas Edison
Mentioned Detinan Characters
- King Buchan - The previous King of Detina before his death and the father of Avram. He is based on US President James Buchanan.
- Daniel the Weaver - A Detinan statesman. Ten years before the Detinan Civil War, he worked with Henry Feet of Clay and John the Typhoon to reach a compromise that headed off a war over serfdom by satisfying both northern nobles and King Zachary the Rough and Ready. He is based on Daniel Webster.
- Henry Feet of Clay - A Detinan statesman who is based on Henry Clay.
- John the Typhoon - A Detinan statesman who is based on John C. Calhoun.
- Zachary the Rough and Ready - The King of Detina ten years before the Detinan Civil War. He is based on US President Zachary Taylor.
- Hesmucet - He was a blond king who led a war against the ethnic Detinans before they had become firmly established as the rulers of the continent. Hesmucet frustrated the expansionist intentions of the Detinans for a long time but was killed in battle. He is based on Shawnee cheif Tecumseh, who fought the United States during the War of 1812.
Novels
- Sentry Peak (2000)
- Marching Through Peachtree (2001)
- Advance and Retreat (2002)